My personal statement detailed how my family and school influenced me growing up. Coming from a rather activist background, social justice played a large role in my life from an early age, and this shaped my academic interests as well.

I wrote about my obsession in middle school with World of Warcraft, an online computer game. It was a humorous take on how a high school varsity athlete had a side that many people didn't know about, and those that did teased me mercilessly (and deservedly) for it.

Around march, before decisions came out, I sent an email to the schools that I still hadn’t heard back from. I thought it was pointless, and a waste of the admission officer’s...

In my opinion, using a private admissions counselor seems like a scam. Unless your child goes to a school that simply doesn't have the funding to provide enough college counselors for...

People stress out over school interviews, but I thought they were one of the best parts of the whole process. It is a chance to sit down and chat with an alumnus and really get a sense of what the school...

I reached out to the track coaches at my two top schools. This will obviously depend on the athletic ability of the student, and your mileage will certainly vary. However, I definitely recommend it, even if you aren’t being actively recruited. It can often make that tiny difference needed in order to push you over the edge. One of the schools...

The most important thing is to find something you’re passionate about. As long as it’s not illegal, the exact extracurricular that you do over the summer really isn’t that...

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Some people get in because of the narrative they can tell about themselves. Some people get in because they excel at one particular thing, and are nationally ranked. However, I didn’t have any...

You only get two, maybe three letters of recommendation. Chances are, you can think of more adults in your life who have nice things to say about you. It’s important to get the right people to write your essay for you. The...