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The Essay Hell Blog
More than 3 million viewers and counting!How To Give College Admissions Officials Essays They Want
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 feedback...
My Best Writing Tip for Improving College Application Essays
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 borrrrrrringggggg. Many...
3 Fixes for Cliche College Application Essay Topics
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 my students...
Should You Gamble on Your College Application Essay?
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...
College Application Essay Workshops in Laguna Beach this Summer!
Weekend Essay Writing Boot Camps in Laguna Beach I will be offering three, two-part essay workshops this summer in my hometown of Laguna Beach on how to write awesome college application essays. The workshops, which will be 90 minutes each on Saturday morning and...
Start Your Personal Statement the Right Way
Ready to write your personal statement essay? It can be for your Common Application essay, or other university or college prompts, or transfers, or medical or law school, or even scholarship applications. To start, always read the prompt. If it asks you to...
Hot Tips for new Common Application Prompt 6
3 HOT TIPS for Common App Prompt 6 In a previous post, I warned about the possible pitfalls of writing about the new Common Application prompt 6. My main concern was that in writing about one of your passions -- a "topic, idea or concept -- you will need to...
Common Application Prompt 6: Be Warned!
Big Red Flag on this New Common Application Prompt 6! The Common Application added two new prompts for 2017-18. Now students can choose from seven prompts (instead of five) to inspire their personal statement "Common App" essay. The seventh new Common...
Launching My New Essay Guide with Amazon Giveaway!
GET IT FOR FREE FOR LIMITED TIME! I'm introducing my hot-off-the-press writing guide, "Essay Hell's 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions about College Application Essays" by giving it away for the next 5 days on Amazon. Starting tomorrow, February 13, just go to its sales...