Category Archives: College Admission

Quick Tip #8 Leave humor off the page In person, humor is a good thing! It’s usually a great indicator that the applicant is easy-going and pleasant to work with. However, in your written personal statement it’s best to leave humor off the page.  First, the majority of prompts are reflective and have you describeContinue reading “College Admission: Quick Tip #8”

Quick Tip # 7 Create a positive narrative A repeated question from the universal prompts is to ask the applicant to describe an obstacle or setback that has affected them and how they evolved from the experience.  More often than not—when answering the prompt—an applicant will focus only on their struggle, which results in aContinue reading “College Admission: Quick Tip #7”

Quick Tip # 6 Do your research You dream of owning your own business, so you plan on attending a school with a great business program that can provide you with essential leadership skills. Therefore, before applying check out what the school has to offer students wanting to become an entrepreneur. Not only are aContinue reading “College Admission: Quick Tip #6”

Quick Tip #5 Keep it Focused You volunteer at a retirement center, run cross county, sing in the choir, take AP courses, collect stamps, and travel to Italy every other summer! There are so many things that make you unique—how could you possibly put all of these experiences in a two page essay? Word ofContinue reading “College admission tips: Quick tip #5”

Quick Tip #4 Start early  When writing a college application essay, start the process 2 months before the application is due to give yourself time to organize, write, and sort your thoughts. Scheduling 2 months ahead of time, allows you to complete 2-3 major essay revisions and give your essay to your letter of recommendationContinue reading “College admission tips: Quick tip #4”

Quick Tip #3: Why are you different? Nearly 135,000 freshman and transfer applicants applied to UCLA in 2019. Only 20,000 applicants were accepted. With an acceptance rate of 15%, it’s important to write an essay that makes you stand out if you want to be accepted into a competitive college. Realize that a reviewer readsContinue reading “College admission tips: Quick tip #3”

Quick Tip # 2: Answer the prompt A common mistake applicants make during the college application process is not answering the essay prompt. Applicants apply to multiple colleges and as a result, tend to reuse essays to speed up the process. However, this is a mistake. Every college application has a unique essay prompt, andContinue reading “College admission tips: Quick tip # 2”

Quick Tip #1: Make it personal  Applicants are afraid to feel vulnerable, and therefore, write generic and boring college application essays. When writing your essay, make sure the reviewer understands who you are as both an academic and an individual. Your unique personality and goals make you memorable, and therefore, makes your application stand outContinue reading “College admission tips: Quick tip #1”