On a gray November morning, stacks of essays sat on an admissions counselor’s desk at a New England liberal arts college. She had already read 60 that week. “I could tell within the first five lines ...

Students facing the college application process typically dread one component: the Common App essay. Students are presented with six essay prompts, as well as a seventh option, which is “topic of your ...

Students typically fill out the “Common App,” which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges and universities. Most of the questions are straightforward, with the exception of the Activities section ...

Every year more than a million students use the Common Application, a standardized electronic form accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, to apply to college. And every year since 1976, the Common App, ...

Writing college essays that stand out is a critical step in the college admissions process. College admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and a compelling essay can make a ...

As the college essay program manager for Write the World, a nonprofit writing organization for teens, I oversee a group of advisers who guide students through the essay writing process. I have seen ...

In January, I raised my hourly rate to $300 before wondering if I could get away with charging anything at all. I teach high-schoolers how to write college essays, helping students claw their way out ...