College Admission Essentials

You can get into the perfect school! You may think that getting an acceptance letter from selective colleges and universities is a mad dash to the top that only the very best students survive, and those who make it are just the lucky ones. Stress levels soar as it feels like the bar is rising higher and everything is out of your control. But that's not true! You can take control, and you can do it in a way that's as effective as it is empowering. From describing your extracurriculars to interviews with admission officers, it comes down to two questions: What matters most to you? How does it manifest in your life? The answers will give direction to every part of the admission process. Ethan Sawyer (the College Essay Guy), along with dozens of top admission experts, will help you stand out by showing colleges and universities how your values and your drive will change you, your alma mater, and the world. Inside you'll find... Advice and insight from a team of counselors, advisors, and deans of admission Interactive exercises that quickly and easily provide the best content for your application Access to a massive database of online resources, including organizational tools and in-depth guides Guidance for veterans, students with learning differences, LGBTQ+ students, students interested in women's colleges or HBCUs, and more www.collegeessayguy.com

Writing an amazing college admission essay is easier than you think! So you're a high school senior given the task of writing a 650-word personal statement for your college application. Do you tell the story of your life, or a story from your life? Do you choose a single moment? If so, which one? The options seem endless. Lucky for you, they're not. College counselor Ethan Sawyer (aka The College Essay Guy) will show you that there are only four (really, four!) types of college admission essays. And all you have to do to figure out which type is best for you is answer two simple questions: 1. Have you experienced significant challenges in your life? 2. Do you know what you want to be or do in the future? With these questions providing the building blocks for your essay, Sawyer guides you through the rest of the process, from choosing a structure to revising your essay, and answers the big questions that have probably been keeping you up at night: How do I brag in a way that doesn't sound like bragging? and How do I make my essay, like, deep? Packed with tips, tricks, exercises, and sample essays from real students who got into their dream schools, College Essay Essentials is the only college essay guide to make this complicated process logical, simple, and (dare we say it?) a little bit fun.

"What if you could take control of the admissions process, as you apply for your dream school, and do it in a way that's both effective and empowering? From filling out your extracurriculars to interviewing with admissions staff, it comes down to two questions: What matters most to you? How does it manifest in your life? The answers to these questions will fuel every aspect of your college admissions experience, and Ethan Sawyer (the College Essay Guy), along with advice from dozens of top admissions experts, will help you stand out against the toughest competition"--

"A guide for students and families that demystifies the college process"--

Demystifying the process of completing a college application Written by two former admissions officers at top universities and current admissions coaches, this book is a must-have for preparing a winning college application. The authors reveal the mystery behind what college admissions officers are looking for and show applicants how to leverage their credentials, stand out in the over-crowded applicants' pool, and make a genuine, memorable impression. This is the book that will help the college-bound get off the "like many others" pile and onto the acceptance list. Includes instructions and examples for every component of the college application, from writing the essay to answering questions like "Why do you want to go to College X?" Shows how to avoid underestimating the importance of critical features on any application Includes the latest information on the Common Application 4.0 and corrects outdated, holdover advice still stressed in many other books This book is filled with step-by-step advice that students and parents can use immediately and will refer to again and again.

In the tradition of The Gatekeepers, a veteran counselor provides the missing key to the college admissions door with insider wisdom about how admissions committees think, and the thirteen fatal mistakes that can ruin an application. When Don Dunbar was a college counselor for Phillips Academy, Andover, in the 1980s, he got to sit in on the meetings where the nation’s top colleges decided whether to admit his students. Prep school counselors no longer get this kind of astonishing access, but in those meetings, Don discovered a little-known key to college admissions that still holds true today. Many applicants look alike, based on their grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, so colleges want something more: They want applicants with character. Most of us know what character means, but not in the way that admissions officers define it. Admissions officers have tremendous integrity, and to them, character equals what a student will contribute to his or her community, good or bad, over the next four years. Don explains the concept of character in terms that high school students can understand, using examples from his thirty years of working with kids. He shows readers how to avoid the thirteen fatal character mistakes that even the brightest students make when applying to college and democratizes the admissions process, making his advice available to all students.

With so many qualified applicants, competition for college admissions is fiercer than ever. Now you can put yourself ahead of the pack by making your application flawless! When applying for college, good grades and high standardized test scores are not always enough to guarantee admission. What sets you apart, argues Michele Hernández, is the way you describe yourself in your application. But how do you present yourself with flair, and highlight all your talents, skills, and passions, in just a few pages? A former assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth College, Dr. Hernández takes you step-by-step through the entire application process, revealing the details that make or break an applicant. From the multitude of short and longer essays to the myriad of charts, lists, and personal data sections, she offers essential advice, useful anecdotes, and vivid examples. Included are: • A line-by-line look at the common application • The truth about the essays, with samples of those that made the grade • The best way to ask for teacher and guidance counselor recommendations • When to provide colleges with optional essays and peer evaluations • The ten common myths and misconceptions of the on-campus interview • The most meaningful academic subjects, work experience, and extracurricular activities to mention • Early action versus early decision—the trade offs With this helpful, savvy book, prospective college students—and their parents and counselors—can now vastly improve their chances of getting into the college of their choice. “Want to scale the Ivy wall? Michele Hernández gives you the tools to do it. This brisk, no-nonsense book is built on inside dope, and Hernández’s experience allows her to challenge conventional admissions thinking.” —HARRY BAULD Author of On Writing the College Application Essay

College Admission is the ultimate user's manual and go-to guide for any student or family approaching the college application process. Featuring the wise counsel of more than 50 deans of admission, no other guide has such thorough, expert, compassionate, and professional advice. Let’s be honest: applying to college can be stressful for students and parents. But here’s the good news: you can get in. Robin Mamlet has been dean of admission at three of America's most selective colleges, and journalist and parent Christine VanDeVelde has been through the process first hand. With this book, you will feel like you have both a dean of admission and a parent who has been there at your side. Inside this book, you'll find clear, comprehensive, and expert answers to all your questions along the way to an acceptance letter: • The role of extracurricular activities • What it means to find a college that's the "right fit" • What's more important: high grades or tough courses • What role does testing play • The best candidates for early admission • When help from parents is too much help • Advice for athletes, artists, international students, and those with learning differences • How wait lists work • Applying for financial aid This will be your definitive resource during the sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school.