Will Admissions Snooze It or Choose It?

Admissions officers read hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of application essays between Oct 1 and Apr 1.  Boring, mundane essays will put them to sleep.  The student needs to wake them up with an exciting, interesting essay that distinguishes the student from the crowd.

​The goal is for the admissions officers to read the final line of the essay (which means it was engaging enough to read all the way to the end!), smile and say, "That was really interesting," or "Hey, I really like this person!" ​Most importantly, when they have to choose among many similarly qualified applicants, you want them to remember the essay and say,  "Remember the one who . . . ."

• Read what admissions officers themselves have to say about the application essay.​​

• ​Read sample essays.

​"My son initially struggled with a direction, but thanks to Andrea's guidance, patience, expertise, and sensitivity, he ended up writing a unique essay in his own voice that he felt proud of. Beyond the writing, Andrea is very knowledgeable about the process as a whole. In the end, my son was accepted at all five of the schools where he applied, and a couple of the acceptance letters specifically referenced his essay!”
​     -- Parent, Highland Park, IL 

​The Program
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Step 1:​
Brainstorming Topics

The key to writing a stand-out college application essay is to tell an interesting, narrowly-focused story that is unique to the student and shows personality, passion and humanity. The first step in the process is interviewing and questioning the student to uncover that story. 


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Learn More about Brainstorming

Step 2:
​Structuring the Essay

After finding the topic, the narrative needs to be structured so that it is compelling, focused and genuine. The written program materials identify the different elements of an excellent essay and help guide the student through several drafts.  The end result is a unique and interesting essay, written in the student's own voice, that subtly showcases the student's most desirable qualities.  

Learn More about Structuring

Step 3:
​Fine-Tuning

Does the narrative vividly illustrate the events and feelings, or can the student come up with more descriptive words and phrases? Does every sentence add value to the essay, or is there fat to be trimmed? Does the student come across as likable and open to new ideas? These are all questions to be answered in the final editing process.
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Learn More about Fine-Tuning

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"​Andrea is incredibly smart, patient, and an exceptional professional.  My daughter had good ideas, and Andrea applied her creativity and insightful knowledge to make my daughter's essays get recognized."
     --Parent, Lincolnshire, IL