Instant English

Your application essay DOES matter!

The Admissions Criteria That Top Schools Really Care About When navigating the competitive college admissions process at Ivy League and other top schools, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of advice, myths, and speculation.

So often, students think that they should wait until their senior year starts to begin this process. Big mistake!

5 Things To Do This Summer To Prepare Your College Applications Here are five essential tasks that rising seniors should tackle this summer to set themselves up for success with the Ivy League college admissions process.

Some great ideas and suggestions here for writing the personal statement. I love the concept of writing about something you could talk for hours about.

Uncommon Stanford applications: Students delve into Common App essays Stanford students delve into the stories that inspired Common Application essays and how they feel about the essays now that they're enrolled in college.

AI may know your grades and SAT scores, but it won't know how you think. THAT is what the college admissions reps want to know most.

How To Impress College Admissions Officers | John Hancock Investment Mgmt How do you make your college application and essay stand out now that AI can influence how application materials are generated and screened? Nancy Steenson, a college admissions coach, explores how admissions officers are adjusting how they assess standardized test scores, grades, essays, extracurri...

College admissions staff have had to deal with so many changes - all within one year!

Inside the Craziest College-Admissions Season Ever More applicants, new rules, and even less clarity from schools.

Some lessons learned here.

I applied to 23 colleges and wrote 50 essays. Here’s what I learned. The Common Application has made it easier for students to apply to multiple schools

It may seem so basic, but it's often forgotten!

How To Write A Thank-You Note To College Or MBA Recommenders These sample templates will help you write thank-you notes to your college or MBA recommenders. Thanksgiving is the perfect time.

Some good news!

Not done with your college application? No problem. You’re in. The latest way to connect with potential students is “direct admissions.” Schools are making offers to these candidates, based on grades, before they even apply.

This is true for law school applications, as well as other college applications!

9 Law School Application Mistakes to Avoid Major blunders, misjudgments and careless mistakes can sink your chances of admission to law school.

He's an interesting perspective about the life of a college admissions counselor.

What Is The Job Of A College Admissions Officer In 2023? Admissions officers are burning out at record rates due to low pay and poor work-life balance. This is an existential threat for higher education.

While helpful to create lists of prospective colleges, there are a few good reasons not to use ChatGPT for college essays.

Why You Should Not Be Using ChatGPT For Your College Essays Should I use ChatGPT to help me during the college admission process? Answer by Kristen Moon, Founder & CEO at Moon Prep.

This college gets creative about alternative ways to apply - without any college essays!

Are face-to-face admissions practices gaining traction? Between advancements in AI and the end of affirmative action, the traditional application process is more fraught than ever. Some colleges are trying a radical strategy: meeting students face-to-face.

College Application Bloopers - yes, they occur! In fact #8 and #20 could happen to any student who's stressed from the application process.

20 College Admissions Officers Are Sharing The Reasons They've Instantly Rejected Applicants "He tweeted at the university, prompting them to click on his Twitter. Once they saw his tweets, they rescinded his acceptance."

While AI can do a passable job, no one knows how you think about your life better than you!

We Used A.I. to Write Essays for Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Here’s How It Went. A.I. chatbots can do a passable job of generating short essays. Whether their use on college applications is ethical is the subject of fierce debate.

In my opinion, the two-part application has become a real deterrent for applicants.

1 in 4 students never finish their college applications. Why? Researchers found applications' essay portion appears to be a significant sticking point.

Many people are questioning what to do about discussing race on college essays. This article does a nice job of explaining the options.

ttps://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/should-you-discuss-race-in-your-college-essay/

In case you're applying to Harvard, here are this year's essay prompts.

Harvard Overhauls College Application in Wake of Affirmative Action Decision | News | The Harvard Crimson After the Supreme Court radically curtailed the use of race in higher education admissions, Harvard College overhauled the free-response questions on its application, eliminating the Harvard supplement optional essay and replacing it with required short answer questions.

Number #1 is the hardest to avoid. Students are very familiar with the traditional five-paragraph essay, but struggle how to write personal statements.

5 Common Mistakes Students Make On The Common App Essay This week, the Common Application opened, allowing students across the country to officially begin their college applications.

Kudos to some universities that quickly changed their 2023 essay prompts in reaction to the Supreme Court decision.

Colleges change essay prompts after affirmative action ruling The start of this year’s application cycle was more momentous than usual, as colleges introduced new essay prompts and adjusted requirements for a post–affirmative action world.

I applaud some of the most competitive schools that figured out a way to still attract a more diverse student body, despite the Supreme Court's recent decision.

Brown announces new background essay, ‘very short answer’ section in undergraduate application - The Brown Daily Herald Brown announces new background essay, ‘very short answer’ section in undergraduate application

Cornell releases this year's supplemental essay prompts a few days earlier than usual. Perhaps it's a hint for students to get started on their essays during the summer!

Cornell University Releases 2023-2024 Supplemental Essay Prompts Cornell University in Ithaca, New York is the third Ivy League college to officially release its 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompts for first-year applicants. Dartmouth and Yale released their supplemental prompts earlier this month. As most high school seniors applying to Cornell do so through th

More reasons why ChatGPT is not be the best option for your college application essays.

Why AI Can’t Write A Good College Admissions Essay No one knows you like you do.

A new essay prompt may continue to bring diversity to Sarah Lawrence.

New application essay prompt cites affirmative action ruling Sarah Lawrence College will ask applicants about the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban, quoting directly from the decision. Is it a savvy workaround or a brash rejoinder?

Below are some great examples of introspective personal stories that admissions people noticed.

College Essays That Worked: See Examples Experts say a good college essay features a student's voice and personality.

No surprise.

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Note the #1 example. I totally agree.

Five Ways College Admissions Could Change The Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision could upend how students apply to college, and how they are judged. Here’s how.

If you're considering applying to Penn State, this info may be helpful.

How to Apply to Penn State Ready to start your Penn State story? Learn more about admission requirements, important dates, and other information to get you ready to apply.

Our resumes rarely reflect the real story about the person behind all the accomplishments.

The College Essay: A Teenage Eulogy Success on this portion of the application involves embracing a paradox: the further you venture from your resume, the more effective an essay is likely to be.

One simple fill-in-the-box application question could have serious consequences for prospective students.

Colleges Will Be Able to Hide a Student’s Race on Admissions Applications If requested, the Common App will conceal basic information on race and ethnicity — a move that could help schools if the Supreme Court ends affirmative action.