With the 2018-2019 college application season upon us, there is another shared college application besides The Common Application heading to the forefront: the Coalition for College, or Coalition application. Since its start in 2015 for the 2016-2017 college admissions season, the Coalition for College has promoted broader, more inclusive, and more affordable access to higher…
The 2018-2019 college application process is arriving, and with it comes the anxiety most students experience when writing their college application essays. While the rest of the admissions application is straightforward with checking and filling in boxes, the college admissions application essay is the only portion that allows for creativity, self-expression, uniqueness, and personality. It…
With October comes another month of college applications as students finish early decision and early action applications and select additional colleges of interest to round out their list. Most of the application process is straightforward, requiring students to check boxes, enter numbers, and present snippets of background information. When it comes to application essays, though,…
Although the entire college selection and application process is stressful for most students (and parents!), the admissions essays often prove to be the most overwhelming part of the process. While most of the application requires filling in blanks and boxes with short, straightforward, and easy-to-answer responses, the essay demands extended writing, reflection, and thought, with…
Whether the written response has high stakes (such as a college application or SAT/ACT essay) or is part of an ordinary school task (such as an open-ended question or literature-based prompt), there is one common mistake students make that has a straightforward solution: Answer all parts of the question and provide proof! A successful response…
The 2017-2018 college admissions journey has officially begun, and with it comes several changes to The Common Application essay prompts. Although the maximum word count still holds at 650, you will find two new prompts and three revised prompts from last year. The key to essay success is still creating engaging, error-free writing infused with…
High school and college students and recent graduates often find themselves challenged when composing their first resume, whether for employment, internship, academic, or program application purposes. However, the simple strategies outlined below can help you independently write your own winning resume with confidence and ease. Despite similarities with regular resumes in format and structure—as well…
(This is the second of two articles about the new SAT. Part one, “The New SAT: The Optional Essay Isn’t Optional,” was featured in our September, 2016, blog.) In our last blog, “The New SAT: The Optional Essay Isn’t Optional,” we provided detailed information on the essay portion of the newly-designed SAT, as well as…
(This is the first of two articles about the new SAT. Part two, “The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section,” will follow next month, so be sure to check back.) In March, 2016, the College Board released a newly designed SAT. One major change that comes with the new SAT is an optional essay. Before this…
Good news for future college applicants: The Common Application now allows completed 2015-2016 application information to roll over to the 2016-2017 application, including the essay. Students can also familiarize themselves with the application from 9th grade forward, making the process more user-friendly and less intimidating and stressful by the time senior year “crunch time”…
