by j9robinson | Aug 3, 2017
Students Stress Over College App Essays Because for the First Time They Want to Write But Realize They Don’t Know How The New York Times ran an article yesterday called “Why Kids Can’t Write.” Great piece, but I didn’t agree with the...
by j9robinson | Jul 25, 2017
Who Writes Better College Application Essays: Boys or Girls? When I gave one of my summer college application essay writing boot camps this last weekend in my hometown of Laguna Beach, I had 11 boys and one girl. As the students showed up, I casually mentioned this...
by j9robinson | Jul 20, 2017
Helicopter Parents Aren’t All Bad (They Just Need to Know When to Drop In) I received an email from a mom recently inquiring about my tutoring services for her college-bound daughter. In her email, she included a story about their family history that she thought...
by j9robinson | Jul 13, 2017
UT Austin Essays Just Got Easier! If you are applying to be an incoming freshmen to the University of Texas at Austin for Fall 2018, I believe this is a piece of good news for you. The application essays you need to write have changed from writing three longer essays...
by j9robinson | Jun 14, 2017
The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to UT Admissions Get it FREE Now on Amazon! My friend, Kevin Martin, just published this guide, Your Ticket to the Forty Acres: The Unofficial Guide for UT Undergraduate Admissions, on Amazon (Kindle) to help students quickly figure...
by j9robinson | Jun 6, 2017
Everyone Has a Cultural Background Yours Could Make an Awesome College App Essay Topic! I love working with students from all over the world. I’m always surprised, however, how many of these students overlook their rich backgrounds when brainstorming...
by j9robinson | Jun 1, 2017
Colleges Love Your Stories Especially Those That Seem Almost Ordinary! I’ve read several news articles in recent weeks featuring college admissions officials sharing what they liked about college application essays they read over the last year. This...
by j9robinson | May 25, 2017
In One Word: Focus! I’ve been reading college application essays for the last decade. I’m probably into the thousands by now. Looking back, I have identified the most common flaw in many of them. They are too general. Which make them...
by j9robinson | Apr 19, 2017
Should You Write About a Cliche Topic for Your College Application Essay? If you are just starting brainstorming ideas for your college application essays, one of the first pieces of advice you might stumble upon is to avoid “cliche” topics. I always warn...
by j9robinson | Apr 13, 2017
Can a Risky College Application Essay Get You Into the Ivies? Maybe… This time of year, a flurry of stories hit the national media about students who get into all the Ivy League schools (plus Stanford). The stories always include scrutiny and speculation...
