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College Application Essays

A lot of students have 4.0 GPA's and 2000 SAT / 30 ACT scores. How then, do college admissions staff decide who to admit or reject among the pool of well-qualified applicants? What would you do if you were to have to decide?

The college application essay is essentially a written interview, which gives the chance to show what you have that other applicants don't. Not only that, it shows admissions officers that you possess a reasonable ability to communicate and write. Thus, a good essay can be the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates.

WARNING: Parents & friends, though well-intentioned, are not usually able to determine what makes a good admissions essay. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ESSAY THAT SOUNDS GREAT and an essay THAT COLLEGES WANT.

Our Students GET IN.

Solutions College Applications Essay Help

Being in the unique position of having read hundreds of college admissions essays and also knowing who got accepted to what college, we know what a good essay looks like.

Step 1: We help you pick out a topic, and look at the other essays in your essay "set" to make sure the topics combined represent YOU in a holistic manner. We point out overused and cliche topics to help you pick out something that is uniquely you and highlights your strengths.

Step 2: We help you outline and write your essay. ( We NEVER write the essay for you. That's your job, and we want YOUR personality and YOUR voice to come through )

Step 3: We proofread the essay, work on the style and tone, help you word it better, and fix any grammatical errors. We make sure your essay doesn't sound too weak, too dramatic, too arrogant, or too "sophisticated"

Cost

$70/ hour ( Instead of the "one-size fits all" pricing approach of other companies, we charge based on how much help you actually need )

Usually we meet with the student for about 30 minutes to discuss topics. Then the student emails us with their essays, and we charge for the time spent reading and editing the essays ( usually 10 - 15 minutes ). Shorter essays require less time, longer essays usually require more time. Essays needing less work take less time, and essay taking more work take more time.

The UC Essay Prompts

Prompt #1 (freshman applicants)

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Prompt #2 (all applicants)

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

The Common App Essay Prompts

Personal Essay

Please write an essay (250 words minimum) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

1) Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2) Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3) Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4) Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

5) A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

6) Topic of your choice.

The Universal App Essay Prompts

Short Essay

Tell us more about one of your extracurricular, volunteer, or employment activities (100-150 words). If you need more space, please attach your response to the end of the application.

Personal Statement

Please write an essay (500 words or fewer) that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event. Please attach your response to the end of your application

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