by j9robinson | Aug 6, 2026
Find Your Problem = Find Your Story I’ve written a lot about how to use your past problems to power your college application essays. Here’s the formula: once you think of a problem, big or small that you experienced, you’ve also found a story....
by j9robinson | Jul 15, 2026
Why the “Topic of Choice” Common App Prompt Works Best Since you’re reading this, it tells me that you are on top of your college application and specifically your essays. Good job! Based on my 15 years of working as a writing coach with these...
by j9robinson | Jun 30, 2026
How Do You Fight? Tips and advice on how to answer the Disagreement Supp Prompt Although it’s tempting, I’m not going into the loaded politics behind the new flurry of supplemental essay prompts that want to know how you handle conflict. They are called...
by j9robinson | May 3, 2026
Don’t Get Stung By AI in Your College Application Essay I first warned readers here about using AI for writing college admissions essays back in February 2023. Over three years later, AI has gotten way better at writing. But when it comes to your college...
by j9robinson | Apr 25, 2026
Welcome friends! I’m in the middle of updating my Essay Hell site here. Sorry for any inconvenience! During this process, I’m leaving up my Blog (you can find tons of helpful info on how to write your essays!) and access to information about my services...
by j9robinson | Aug 6, 2023
Feeling Pressure to Write About Race? Don’t Do It! Colleges and universities can no longer use your race as a factor in determining whether to accept you to their schools, since the landmark Supreme Court ruling on June 29th abolished most of Affirmative...
by j9robinson | Jun 29, 2023
How to Write about Race in your College App Essay Post Affirmative Action The Supreme Court knocked down Affirmative Action today. This landmark ruling means colleges and universities will no longer be allowed to use race as a factor in who they admit....
by j9robinson | Feb 4, 2023
ChatGPT Can’t Write Your Essay for You; But Here are 5 Ways It Can Help You Write Your Own I wrote a previous post about how the new AI bot called ChatGPT would not be able to write your college application essay for you. At least not yet, and possibly never....
by j9robinson | Feb 3, 2023
Sorry, Artificial Intelligence Won’t Save You From the Dreaded College App Essay. Yet. When I first heard about ChatGPT, and how this new artificial intelligence bot could write college essays for students, I thought, “Ugh oh, looks like my no one is going...
by j9robinson | Jul 28, 2022
Are you stuck in Essay Hell yet? The season is upon us. Woot woot! Finding a great topic can be challenging. And then turning that into a written piece that sets you apart from other college applicants, and reveals your unique personality and character, even harder....
