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 | Feb 12, 2017
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...
by j9robinson | Oct 25, 2016
FAQ | College Application Essays I’m sharing below 20 of the most common questions about college application essays that I have been asked over the years, along with links to longer explanations and related helpful information. This spring I published a book...
by j9robinson | Jul 18, 2016
Some of my tutoring students skim through a college application essay prompt (such as the five options for The Common Application essay requirement), and in a flash, find one that speaks to them. Others come armed with a long list of topic ideas they have been toying...
by j9robinson | May 11, 2016
Coalition Prompt 4: What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? When I first read through the five prompts students have to choose from to...
by j9robinson | May 2, 2016
University of California Personal Insight Question 7: Time to Talk About One of Those Volunteer Experiences UC essay prompt 7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? The minute I read UC essay prompt 7, I thought most students would...
by j9robinson | May 2, 2016
University of California Personal Insight Question 6: Brainiacs, Nerds, Geeks and Former Slackers—This Essay is For You! UC Essay Prompt 6:6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or...
by j9robinson | May 1, 2016
University of California Personal Insight Question 5: Your Chance to Get Real and Personal If You Have Faced Hardships, Share Them! Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this...
by j9robinson | Apr 30, 2016
University of California Personal Insight Question 4: A Chance to Showcase Your Field of Interest (For those of you just starting the UC application for 2016-17, incoming freshman pick four essays—each under 350 words—out of eight all-new prompts,...
by j9robinson | Apr 11, 2016
For the first time in the eight years I’ve been helping students with their college application essays, I’ve had a flurry of requests from students asking for help with waitlist essays and letters. What torture for them! Most have been waiting for months...
