Optimizing Your College Applications
My senior year of high school, I was accepted to Stanford, Yale and Princeton. I wasn’t a legacy, nor was I an athlete, nor was I a genius. My advice? Write a really good personal statement. And while you’re at it, write stellar supplemental essays.
There’s a lot of luck involved in the college process. But there are also sure-fire ways to increase your chances, even at schools that seem like reaches. One of them is to show each college that you’ve put time and effort into your writing. Excellent essays demonstrate to admissions readers that you’re a thoughtful and hardworking person who genuinely wants to attend their institution.
For the past four years, I have been editing college essays for high school students with excellent results. I decided to compile everything I’ve learned into a series of application guides to deconstruct the process and help you write the best possible essays.
Let’s get started!
Check out my resources — compiled by an experienced college essay consultant!
College Interview Guide
For students with upcoming college interviews, this 26-page guide leaves no stone unturned. I go over the most common questions and templates for answering them; offer word-for-word examples of answers that worked; and break down what to do if you just don’t know what to say. This guide is a one-stop-shop to acing your interviews, drawing from my 14 college interviews and 4 years of experience coaching students.
College Waitlist Guide: Getting in off the Waitlist
For students who are on a college waitlist, this 13-page resource is a comprehensive overview of the waitlist process: how it works and everything you can do to maximize your chances. Includes an overview of the waitlist from the perspective of the student and the admissions officer; the unwritten rules of the Letter of Continued Interest; two sample LOCIs you can use as a template; and myth-busting of common misconceptions.
