Parts of the college application

Like with GPA, we usually put academic honors and extracurricular activities in the list of things that are largely set in stone* by the fall of your senior year. But you still need to actually tell colleges about everything you’ve done over the past four years, and what exactly you put in those little boxes on the Common Application is more important than you might think. It might seem obvious, b...

Let’s talk about standardized tests. In pop culture and general American discourse, they’re one of the most prominent symbols for the college admissions process. This is understandable: the SAT and ACT are a widely-shared experience compared to, say, the University of Chicago’s notoriously quirky essay prompts. However, I would contend that test scores are also one of the most misunderstood aspects of college admissions. In this se...

Let’s talk about letters of recommendation, AKA the things that brought out several of my biggest fears: asking for favors and people talking about me behind my back. I’m going to compartmentalize this section into two halves: one for recommenders and one for applicants. Note: students in particular should read both sections of this piece, as the information underneath the first subheading is...

I want to begin this section on the Common Application personal essay by telling you a story about myself, something to help you understand who I am. A stentorian clangor jolted throughout the right pocket of my quintessentially boorish denim jeans. My trembling, maladroit hands — I always was embarrassingly clumsy during my developmental years — frantically fumbled about in search of the cel...

First — and most importantly — if you’re reading this right before an application deadline: welcome, fellow member of the procrastination nation. I respect your hustle. I imagine this will be a lengthy piece, so I’m not going to waste your time with an overly-drawn out intro. Let’s talk about supplemental essays. I’ve found that there are tons of resources online to help with the persona...

The first thing to know about college interviews is that you shouldn’t worry about college interviews. If a school offers interviews, you should take one to reaffirm your interest, but these aren’t anything to lose sleep over. “It's an easy and honestly pretty effective way of screening out crazy applicants. Don't read too much into this, it's perfectly good to be a little quiet/shy/dorky...