Still Stuck? Here’s a Quick Brainstorm Guide

College Admissions Essays A Step-By-Step Guide to Telling Your Story   Step 1: Write down 3-5 “defining qualities” about yourself. Think of how one of your parents would sum you up to a stranger. My Julie, why, she’s creative, ambitious, caring...

Have you written your “shitty first draft” yet?

Ok, time is up. Well, almost. As long as you can quickly identify a couple of strong topics for your essays, there’s still time to pound out good ones. Here’s the best advice I know on writing first drafts, from one of the best writers out there. A quirky...

College Essays Are Like Mini-Memoirs

I just read a memoir where the author shared a piece of writing advice that Toby Wolff gave her.  Wolff wrote “This Boy’s Life,” one of the best memoirs out there. Anyway, memoirs are books written about yourself. In a way, college essays are like...