The college application essay is a solitary creature.

Of all the things you’ve written throughout high school, and of all the things you’re going to write throughout your adult life, the college essay stands alone. There’s nothing quite like it.

And yet it’s one of the most important things you’ll ever write. It’s the one thing that can humanize you in the eyes of college admissions officers—the people who decide whether you actually get to attend the schools to which you are applying. The essay is not the most important part of your application—your transcript is—but the … more

The college search should be an exciting process for high school juniors. It is a time of exploration and self-discovery, an opportunity to contemplate what they want for themselves over the next several years, personally and professionally. At its best, the college search can be fun and inspiring.

But where do you start? There is an overabundance of information regarding college admissions, and it’s not all created equal. So how do you begin to sift through the brochures, websites and rankings to end up with a reasonable list of “perfect” schools?

Be open-minded.

Remember that “perfect” and … more