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The Insider: Your Expert Guide to College Admissions -
College Admissions Consulting

Financial Aid Apps In—Now What?; Choosing a Public Honors College; Purdue and UIUC Supplemental Essays

Wondering what to do now that you’ve submitted your financial aid applications? We’ve got you covered. Hear from a College Coach team member about her choice to attend a public honors college. And in Office Hours, we’re reviewing the supplemental essays for Purdue and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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November 11, 2020by College Coach
College Essays

Tips for the Lehigh Essay on Anti-Racism

two hands giving peace sign

by Sara Calvert-Kubrom, former admissions officer at Lewis & Clark College

This year we are seeing substantial changes to the landscape of admission as colleges respond to complex dynamics in our country and the sudden shift to test optional policies due to standardized testing cancellations. With the frequent absence of test scores, many colleges have added new supplemental essay requirements to their applications as a way to learn more about students, and to enhance their ability to be thoughtful community builders for their campuses.

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October 20, 2020by Sara Calvert-Kubrom
College Essays

Writing the Scripps College Supplemental Essays

Scripps College for Women

by Ian Fisher, former admissions officer at Reed College

This is the fourth in College Coach’s series of posts covering university-specific supplemental essays. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve shared guidance on answering the Brandeis supplemental essay, the CU Boulder admissions essay and the University of Delaware’s test optional supplemental essays. Stay tuned for our last installment for Lehigh University.

Scripps College is really cool. It’s a women’s college nestled in Claremont, California, and a member of a five-college consortium, along with Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Pomona. Scripps has maybe the most beautiful campus among the five, with striking Mediterranean architecture and Spanish tile. For women, or those who identify as women, there is really nowhere like Scripps anywhere on the West Coast. Serious applicants to Scripps would do well to research these and other unique qualities of Scripss before they begin to tackle the college’s required supplemental essays.

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October 15, 2020by Ian Fisher
College Essays

Tackling the Brandeis Supplemental Essays

Brandeis University sign

by Jennifer Simons, former admissions officer at Tufts University

This is the third in College Coach’s series of posts covering university-specific supplemental essays. Last week, we shared guidance on answering the CU Boulder admissions essay and the University of Delaware’s test optional supplemental essays. Stay tuned throughout October as we highlight additional prompts for Scripps College and Lehigh University.

If you’re applying to Brandeis University, you’ll encounter this request in the application:

Please include a short response to one of the three prompts below (250 words or fewer).

  • Why would you like to attend Brandeis?
  • Justice Brandeis once said, “If we would guide by the light of reason, we must let our minds be bold.” Tell us about something bold that you’ve recently done.
  • There are approximately 171, 476 words in the English dictionary. Pick your favorite word and tell us why you picked it.

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October 13, 2020by Jennifer Simons
College Essays

Writing the University of Delaware’s Test Optional Supplemental Admissions Essays

Student and College Mascot at Pep Rally

by Karen Spencer, former admissions officer at Georgetown University

This is the second in College Coach’s series of posts covering university-specific supplemental essays. Earlier this week, we shared guidance on writing the CU Boulder admissions essay, and today we focus on another great public university, the University of Delaware. Stay tuned throughout October as we highlight writing prompts for Brandeis University, Scripps College, and Lehigh University.

The University of Delaware, along with the majority of other colleges and universities, has allowed students to apply test optional this year. However, for students looking to utilize this option, Delaware has required submission of three additional essays.

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October 8, 2020by Karen Spencer
College Essays

Writing the CU Boulder Admissions Essay

Colorado dreamin' mug

by Steve Brennan, former admissions officer at Occidental College

This is the first in College Coach’s series of posts covering university-specific supplemental essays. Stay tuned throughout October as we highlight writing prompts for the University of Delaware, Brandeis University, Scripps College, and Lehigh University.

The Boulder campus of the University of Colorado is a popular destination, not just for students from the Rocky Mountain state, but from around the world. Known for its welcoming and open-minded campus, it’s not surprising that Boulder has crafted a prompt that mentions inclusivity and the value of diverse identities:

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October 6, 2020by Steve Brennan
College Admissions Consulting

UC Personal Insight Questions; Early Decision versus Early Action; Financial Impact of ED versus EA

The University of California application differs from other platforms in that it requires students to respond to four out of eight personal insight questions with four essays no longer than 350 words each. This week, we will walk you through each of the options and offer writing tips. We’re also exploring early decision and early action—who are these application programs right for and the financial impact of choosing one of these options.

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September 23, 2020by College Coach
College Admissions Consulting

FAFSA and CSS Profile Preview; Georgetown Essays; Applying to College From Abroad

In another in our series of stories from our team, Sai Somboon will share his decision to apply to and attend college in the United States despite growing up in Thailand. We’re also offering tips for the Georgetown application essays and previewing the FAFSA and CSS Profiles so that you can pull together the information you’ll need to complete these when they become available this fall.

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September 16, 2020by College Coach
College Admissions Consulting

Supplemental Essays & Why This College Prompts; COVID’s Impact on College Finance; Goals for Juniors

In theory, college applications like the Common App, The Universal Application, and the Coalition App allow students to write one essay for all colleges. In practice, many colleges also require supplemental essays. We’ll tell you what these are and how to find them, and offer tips on writing the most common prompt—Why This College? We’re also discussing COVID-19’s impact on college finance based on what we are hearing from colleges and families. Finally, we’ll set some goals for juniors returning to high school.

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September 9, 2020by College Coach
College Essays

How to Write the “Why this Major?” Supplemental Essay

do what you love sign

by Kennon Dick, former admissions officer at Swarthmore College

This is the time when many seniors are turning their attention from their personal statements, like the Common App main essay, to the range of questions colleges ask via supplemental essays. Not every college requires these additional essays, but the ones that do represent a range of schools, from small liberal arts colleges to large public universities. The essay prompts also vary; they may ask about everything from academic interests to favorite movies or TV shows. One of the more popular questions colleges ask is about a student’s interest in a major.

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September 8, 2020by Kennon Dick
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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.

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Planning Early to Pay for College: A Tim

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Repaying Student Loans & Tackling Ivy League Essays

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Comparing Financial Aid Awards, Women’s Programs, & Selective College Interviews

Comparing Financial Aid Awards, Women’

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