• About Us
  • Our Experts
  • Why College Coach
  • For Parents
  • For Students
About Us
Our Experts
Why College Coach
For Parents
For Students
  • About Us
  • Our Experts
  • Why College Coach
  • For Parents
  • For Students
The Insider: Your Expert Guide to College Admissions -
College Admissions Consulting

Coalition Prompts and University of Maryland Supplement; Listener Q&A

The Coalition Application is similar to the Common App in that it is one application students can fill out that is accepted at multiple schools. While some of the essay prompts overlap with the Common App in theme and approach, others are quite unique to the application. We will discuss the options and approaches to these topics. In Office Hours, we’re answering listener questions related to college finance and admissions.

Continue reading

November 27, 2019by College Coach
College Essays

Writing the Bowdoin College Supplemental Essays

open laptop and pad of paper

The Bowdoin supplement asks applicants to first identify which of the lines from “The Offer of the College,” a poem written in 1906 by Bowdoin president William DeWitt Hyde, most resonate with them. Applicants are then invited to provide an optional short essay of 250 words to reflect on their chosen line and how it has meaning for them.

Continue reading

November 14, 2019by Ian Fisher
College Essays

Having Fun with the Smith College Essay

woman listening to music on yellow background

The first time I read over Smith College’s supplemental essay question, my response was, “Wow! This one is different!” See for yourself:

We know that colleges ask a lot of hard questions on their applications. This one is not so hard and we promise, there is no hidden agenda – just have fun! If you had a theme song – a piece of music that describes you, what would it be and why? Please include the name of the song and the artist. (200 words)

Continue reading

November 12, 2019by Sally Ganga
College Essays

How to Approach the Harvey Mudd Essay Prompts

writing college essays

You know you love Harvey Mudd, but now it is time to articulate why by clearly showcasing the synergy between you and the college and providing the admissions committee with a holistic picture of who you are and what you will bring to their community. 

Continue reading

November 7, 2019by Sara Calvert-Kubrom
College Essays

Responding to the St. Olaf College Supplemental Essay Prompts

writing college essays

While many might think of Carleton College when they hear “Northfield, Minnesota,” there’s another fabulous school in this small town—St. Olaf College. Like its neighbor, St. Olaf is a small, liberal arts college. But if you’re planning to apply, you’ll want to be sure you demonstrate deeper knowledge of the college and its culture in your supplemental essay responses than that! So let’s look at what those questions are and how you might answer them.

Continue reading

November 5, 2019by Abigail Anderson
College Essays

A Few Thoughts on the Emory University Essay Prompts

student writing college essays on laptop

Over time, I have had a number of students struggle with writing their responses to the Emory University supplemental essay prompts, and this year they seem to be equally, if not more perplexing.  The difficulty of writing something really illuminating in 150 words or less makes it even more challenging, and having multiple prompts to choose from doesn’t seem to mitigate student’s stress very much.

Continue reading

October 31, 2019by Kennon Dick
College Essays

Responding to the Chapman Supplemental Essay Prompts

students in California

Over the years, I’ve found it hard to articulate the response that past students have had to Chapman University in Orange, California. My brother used to live down the street from campus, and I once spent a week there for a conference, enjoying the sunny weather and brunching in their cute little downtown. It’s a beautiful campus in a part of Southern California that students don’t often consider, and it has a really strong program in film and screenwriting. It’s small but not too small; big but not too big, at just under 10,000 students. But the most striking aspect of Chapman, from where I sit, is that there are some students that go to visit and come back to proclaim that they just love it there.

Continue reading

October 24, 2019by Ian Fisher
College Essays

Answering the Columbia University Essay Questions

statue-216108_1280

Whether you’re enamored of Columbia University because of its Core Curriculum, its student activism, or its location in New York City, there’s no shortage of opportunities to tell its admissions office how good a fit you feel you are for the school—its application has ample space for intellectually curious students to declare their match. Freshman applicants are expected to answer seven of eight prompts as part of their application. If that seems like a lot, take heart. Columbia’s prompts are much more manageable when categorized into three response types: a set of five 150-word lists, one 300-word “Why Columbia” response, and one 300-word “Why this field of study” response. Let’s break them down for you.

Continue reading

October 22, 2019by Zaragoza Guerra
College Essays

Writing the UVA Supplemental Essays

be bright be you sign

As someone who attended UVA for graduate school, I’m a little biased in favor of the school. However, I do genuinely like all of the supplemental essay prompts for two reasons. The first is that they are short. A 250-word limit forces you to be really clear about what the take-home is for the reader because you don’t have any opportunity to lose focus and meander off topic. The second is the questions reflect UVA’s values, and the essay is an opportunity for students to show how they connect with those values. I will also say that UVA is one of those schools, like the University of California system, to be very open and transparent about what they are looking for in an essay. I’ve included a helpful link from their Associate Dean at the end of the blog. Right here, however, are my own tips for addressing the UVA essay prompts. You’ll be asked to choose just one of these questions:

Continue reading

October 17, 2019by Karen Spencer
College Essays

How to Write a “Why This College” Essay

Why this college? essay

What about being a student at _____ most excites you?

Why would you like to attend ______?

Or, my personal favorite and most succinct, Why _____?

As admissions officers wade through equally qualified applicants, they work to determine who is going to be the best fit with their institution. Who gets what they are all about? Who has done their research and understands “Why this College?” They ask it in a lot of different ways, with varying requirements when it comes to length, but they’re all trying to get at the same thing: Why do you want to be here, as opposed to one of the other wonderful schools on your list?

Continue reading

October 8, 2019by Tova Tolman
Page 1 of 712345»...Last »

About Us

The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts is where College Coach experts weigh in on the latest college admissions topics. We cover everything from application timelines and strategies to tips on financing your child's education.

Categories

  • Alexa
  • Applying for Financial Aid
  • Choosing the Right College
  • College Admissions Consulting
  • College Applications
  • College Coach Mentionables: News & Events
  • College Entrance Exams
  • College Essays
  • College Loan Advice
  • College Visits
  • Finding Scholarships
  • How to Pay for College
  • Meet an Admissions Counselor

Contact Us

Helping Your High School Junior With Str

Lifetime Earnings Often Impacted by a Student’s College Major

Lifetime Earnings Often Impacted by a St

4 Tips for Researching Colleges When You Can’t Visit Campuses

4 Tips for Researching Colleges When You

How Many AP Courses Should a Student Take?

How Many AP Courses Should a Student Tak

How to Help 11th Graders at the End of t

Subscribe to Our Blog

Tags

ACT applying from abroad choosing a major choosing the right college college admissions advice college admissions consulting college admissions process college applications college lists college loans college planner college visits common app common application common application help deciding on a college early action early decision educational consultant essay prompts essays FAFSA financial aid financial aid award getting in high school resume how to get into an ivy league school international students ivy league mba mba programs parenting paying for college researching colleges SAT saving for college scholarships scholarship search standardized testing standardized tests summer activities summer planning transition to college tuition writing college essays

Latest Tweets

  • @svmejia There’s a lot of blame to go around here, from confusing award letters to inadequate counseling to student… https://t.co/GUdwjyOz4h

    2 days ago
  • RT @BrightHorizons: Bright Horizons @CollegeCoachBH Vice President of Educational Consulting, Elizabeth Heaton, is quoted in the Saturd… https://t.co/a58AInpBW8

    3 days ago
  • With the topic of gap years come questions, fears, and a lot of confusion. We turned to our friends at… https://t.co/uPVbp5vnHj

    3 days ago

  • Login
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Trademark Policy
© 2017 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC