by j9robinson | May 17, 2013
College Application Essays “Meant to Inspire” All Students Showed an “Appetite for Risk” Earlier this year, a business writer for The New York Times invited students to share their college admissions essays on the topic of money, class,...
by j9robinson | Sep 26, 2009
Here’s a little book of essays written by graduates of Berkeley High School, which has a truly diverse student population and moves through about 700 seniors every year. (“As you will see from these stories, some live on their own, while others come from...
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....
by j9robinson | Aug 20, 2019
Know the Main Point You Want to Make About Yourself In Your Essay! Or else… I don’t know why I haven’t written about this before. It’s soooooo important to writing a college application essay that will give you that edge in landing your...
by j9robinson | Jun 26, 2019
***Looking for help starting your essays? Check out my affordable Jumpstart Webinars! Adding more for July. Only $30. FREE if you can’t afford them. Have a College Admissions Essay You Love? Send It In! It been a little over five years since I published my...
by j9robinson | Aug 24, 2018
How to Background an Anecdote (Includes 5 writing examples at the bottom!) If you’ve done your homework on how to write an effective college application essay, you probably know the place to start is with your real-life stories. The...
by j9robinson | May 1, 2018
Find Your Problems and You Will Find Your Best Stories Every year, I write a post for all you students who are ready to start your college application essay. All you need is to find that one magic topic idea. There are many ways to brainstorm ideas for college...
by j9robinson | Apr 23, 2018
What You Can Learn From Michael Brown’s College Application Essay I must have watched the viral video of Michael Brown learning he got into Stanford at least three times in a row. Such a feat and well-deserved accomplishment for what seems like an...
by j9robinson | Mar 25, 2018
Let Lynda Barry Help You Find and Tell Your Best Stories! Try One of Her Awesome Brainstorming Exercises If you’re starting to brainstorm that perfect topic to craft your dreaded college application essay, I have a new writing technique you might find helpful....
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...