We’ve spent the past few weeks breaking down each Common App essay prompt one by one, and now it’s time for the grand finale: our ultimate guide to writing the Common App essay. Sure, there are seven different prompts, but at the end of the day, every school is looking for the same thing: a story.
Getting waitlisted or deferred from your dream school is hard. We know it’s hard! You feel rejected, but it’s this weird non-rejection rejection that can leave you feeling lost and confused. And while a lot of things in college admissions are totally out of your control, there is something you can do if you’ve been waitlisted or deferred to give yourself another chance. A letter of continued interest, sometimes known as a waitlist letter or deferral letter, is one of the few, actionable things you can control when admissions decisions seem so out of your control. It’s your only chance to make a good second impression, and we help students write them every single year.
Getting waitlisted is the ultimate limbo – it’s not not a rejection, but it’s not a full-on denial, either. And depending on your circumstances, you could be feeling everything from mild disappointment to full-on panic. Don’t get yourself into a tizzy just yet, because there are things you can do to give yourself a shot at getting off the waitlist and make sure that you have a plan in place for the next year.
Hey, look, sometimes ED doesn’t work out the way we want it to, and we have to change strategies. If you just got rejected or deferred from your ED/EA option, we’d like to introduce you to our good friend, Early Decision 2. ED2 is just as binding as ED, and it signals to the school that you are serious about attending that school, and guess what? Schools like when you’re serious about them.
Everything about the Tulane supplement seems fairly straight forward:
Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University
Until you get to the postscript, “(optional) 500-800 words.” At a max of 800 words, the Tulane essay is one of the longest essays most universities offer. Given the large word count, it’s surprising that the essay is marked optional.
The elusive Additional Information section on The Common Application isn’t something that is often talked about, so we’re going to break it down for you. This is the beginning of a series on the Additional Information section where we’ll go in-depth on why it’s there, how to use it to your advantage, and how not to use it. Let’s start with the basics:
Getting accepted to Yale would be the achievement of a lifetime for not only any student in the world, but any valedictorian in the world. There are 33,000 high schools in America, which means there are 33,000 valedictorians every year. As impressive on paper as these students are, most of them would not get accepted to Yale. After all, with an average class size of only 1,200 students, Yale could reject 31,800 valedictorians and still fill their entire freshman class with the top students in their respective high schools. The students we work with who have gained admission to Yale would all tell you the same thing: Grades matter, but they are only a fraction of the picture.
It’s the beginning of second semester junior year and it’s starting to seem real. The deadlines are in sight, test prep is getting revved up to high gear, you’re finalizing the details for school visits over spring break, and the thought of writing your college essay gives you anxiety. It’s completely understandable that by this time of the year you’re feeling exhausted, and as a parent you might be inclined to give your child breaks from the intense studying and preparation. It’s important to remember that this process is a marathon, not a sprint, which means you need to pace yourself but not fully stop. We want to simplify one of the most important college application items by giving you a testing schedule.
Hopefully you are beginning the college process on the best possible footing. By this we mean you have achieved excellent grades in difficult classes, received high scores on not only your primary standardized test but any subject tests as well, and have a litany of highly-developed interests and extracurriculars. But we understand, this isn’t always the case.
While the primary criteria for admission to Hamilton are academic achievement, intellectual promise and community engagement, Hamilton also seeks to admit candidates who are a good fit with the programs and experiences offered by the College. Please take this opportunity to tell us about your interest in Hamilton and, particularly, why you believe it is a place where you can thrive. Be open. Be honest. Be brief. (250 word maximum)
Michigan has three essay questions of varying lengths. But don’t be confused. Just because an essay is 100 words long doesn’t mean the school will ignore it. Every question is included with the purpose of giving you the chance to tell the school more about you, and for the school to gauge if you’re a good fit.
This list is meant for students broadly interested in pursuing acting, the craft of theater, and in some cases, stage-managing/technical theater. While Musical Theater, Dance, and Vocal Arts are included in many of the curricula listed below, this forum is not for students who are interested solely in one of those domains. Additionally, if a student is perhaps less interested in pursuing acting in university, there are many other esteemed acting programs which have impressive, non-academic pedigrees. Unless otherwise noted, tuition costs all include room, board, and on-campus meals.
We know freshmen year sounds too early to begin the college process. You (or your child) just finished middle school, you’ve just started high school, and already it’s overwhelming. There’s no time for adjusting because you’re thrown right in and the prospect of taking on more than you’re already doing seems unreasonable. We hear you. But, there are small things you can (and should!) do during 9th grade. Remember that the college process is a marathon, not a sprint, and colleges will look at what you did 9th grade, even if it’s not weighted as heavily as what you do your junior year. This doesn’t mean you have to cure cancer or start a sustainable agriculture program, but you do have to fill your time with something.
The “Why X school?” question on the college application is often considered one of the easiest. You research the school and find classes that catch your eye and extra curriculars that match your interests. Unlike some of the more amorphous Common App questions, there’s a relatively standard formula. Syracuse’s supplements, however, throw a bit of a wrinkle into the equation.
There are a few ways to answer this question. The general advice we give is that you should take as many tests as you can in the subjects you excel in. If you feel comfortable you should take at least one humanities SAT II and one STEM SAT II. Of course there are always students who take two humanities or two STEM tests and still gain admission to top tier schools, but generally it’s a good idea to have one of each.
Attending a summer program in Engineering can help the colleges you’re applying to understand you’re serious about engineering. Many students apply to college with no prior experience, so a summer program can give you a leg up. It’s important to remember that participating in a summer program at a school won’t necessarily increase your chance of getting into that particular school. But succeeding in a program at a top university demonstrates a work ethic and drive, which will certainly set you apart from your competition.
Last year we had a student named Scott who was objectively incredible. He had a 2200 on the SATs, 700+ on multiple SAT2s, , and had an A GPA. He had his sights set on some very competitive schools, but he knew he had to have a few safeties, including Tulane, just in case. Not only was he supremely qualified but his mom went to Tulane and still helped out at the school with alumni relations. Much to his surprise, Scott was rejected from Tulane Early Action.
Many students apply early decision to a school because “they want to be done” with the college admissions process or they believe it will increase their chances of getting in. Despite the higher admit rates afforded by early decision, the majority of seniors will still be rejected or deferred. It’s important to remember that a deferral is not a rejection. If the school really didn’t want you, they would have simply rejected you. The majority of seniors who apply early will not get in; for example, 6173 students applied for the Harvard class of 2020. Only 918 students were admitted, while 4,673 were deferred or rejected.