by j9robinson | Nov 5, 2017
If you are just starting to write your four short UC essays (called Personal Insight Questions), here are ten simple tips that can help you crank them out. I’ve written longer posts on how to brainstorm and map out answers for each of these questions for the...
by j9robinson | Jun 1, 2017
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...
by j9robinson | May 25, 2017
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...
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 | Sep 12, 2016
As you probably know, the University of California changed its required essay prompts for 2016-17. Instead of writing two longer personal statement essays, you now chose from eight prompts (which they call Personal Insight Questions) and write four short...
by j9robinson | Apr 19, 2016
What Are You Good At? (Yes, UC Essay Prompt 3 Can Be About Almost Anything!) I believe all students who need to answer four of the new University of California “Personal Insight Questions” should seriously consider the third one, otherwise known as...
by j9robinson | Mar 28, 2016
University of California Essay Prompts for Fall 2017 (Ideas for Answering Personal Insight Question No. 8) UC Essay Prompt 8: Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the...
