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 | Aug 24, 2008
So many students have trouble finding an essay topic. It is such a tough assignment to be asked to write a short essay that shows what you are about. The tendency is to try to include as many cool things as possible–their good works, their achievements, their...
by j9robinson | Jul 24, 2008
A strong college admissions essay often involves creative writing. These essays often tell a story, or use an anecdote (a mini story using narrative writing style) to lead into the piece. Sadly, many high schools and English teachers don’t have a lot of time to...
by j9robinson | Aug 6, 2026
Find Your Problem = Find Your Story I’ve written a lot about how to use your past problems to power your college application essays. Here’s the formula: once you think of a problem, big or small that you experienced, you’ve also found a story....
by j9robinson | Jun 30, 2026
How Do You Fight? Tips and advice on how to answer the Disagreement Supp Prompt Although it’s tempting, I’m not going into the loaded politics behind the new flurry of supplemental essay prompts that want to know how you handle conflict. They are called...
by j9robinson | Aug 6, 2023
Feeling Pressure to Write About Race? Don’t Do It! Colleges and universities can no longer use your race as a factor in determining whether to accept you to their schools, since the landmark Supreme Court ruling on June 29th abolished most of Affirmative...
by j9robinson | Jun 29, 2023
How to Write about Race in your College App Essay Post Affirmative Action The Supreme Court knocked down Affirmative Action today. This landmark ruling means colleges and universities will no longer be allowed to use race as a factor in who they admit....
by j9robinson | Feb 4, 2023
ChatGPT Can’t Write Your Essay for You; But Here are 5 Ways It Can Help You Write Your Own I wrote a previous post about how the new AI bot called ChatGPT would not be able to write your college application essay for you. At least not yet, and possibly never....
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 | Mar 26, 2020
It’s Not Too Late to Capture Your Unique COVID-19 Experience in a Journal I know most of your are busy with online schooling. If you find extra time on your hands, and want a great way to practice narrative writing to prepare for your college application essays,...
