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Expert College Essay Tips & Strategies – IvyWise Blog

Ivy League college campus building with stone facade and arched entrance.

How to Write Princeton Supplemental Essays

If Princeton is at the top of your list for best-fit colleges, you know that every component of your application counts. With an acceptance rate of 4.62% for the class of 2028, it’s clear that applicants are going to have to submit their best work to be competitive, and that includes writing compelling supplemental essays.

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Night view of Low Library at Columbia University, a top-ranked college.

How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays

Columbia University is a popular choice for many students. Its prime location in the heart of New York City and its renowned Core Curriculum are just two of the many reasons this Ivy League institution receives tens of thousands of applications each year.

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Female student drafting Dartmouth essay

Crafting a Winning Why Dartmouth Essay: Tips and Tricks

One of the most stressful parts of the admissions process for many students is writing the college essay. After all, the essay carries so much weight because it provides more insight into who you are, how you think, and whether you’re a good fit for the school. Because the essay is so stressful, many students put it off until the last minute. However, the trick to writing a winning essay is to prepare in advance.  

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Smiling student with books in library, representing academic success and college preparation.

How to Write the 2025-26 Brown Supplemental Essays

Brown is at the top of plenty of students’ best-fit lists, so it’s no surprise that most prospective applicants want to do everything they can to stand out in their applications. While grades and course rigor carry the most weight in admissions decisions, students also need to write compelling essays that demonstrate their interest in attending the college.

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UCLA campus

UCLA Personal Statement: FAQ, Examples, and Insider Tips

UCLA is part of the University of California system, which is comprised of 10 campuses throughout the state. Students applying to UCLA must use the UC application — the University of California system does not use the Common App or Coalition Application. The application process includes several personal statement prompts, or what UC refers to as personal insight questions. Keep reading to learn more about these prompts and tips for responding to them.   

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Smiling student with laptop and headphones looks toward her bright future.

How to Write an Impressive College Application Essay

College application essays are a critical aspect of the admissions process, offering an opportunity to showcase your individuality beyond the standard application forms and test scores. A well-crafted essay can highlight your unique personality, experiences, and aspirations, providing college admissions officers with a more holistic view of who you are.

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Student concentrating while studying or working on college application essay.

12 College Essay Prompts and Topics 2023

The Common Application is officially open, and many college-bound high school students are hard at work on their college applications. In addition to the main Common App essay, many schools might also require supplements that include some thoughtful — and downright quirky — essay prompts and short answer questions.

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Robot representing AI tools for college admissions and academic advising.

ChatGPT in College Admissions

If you’ve been paying attention to education or technology news lately, you’ve likely heard a lot about ChatGPT, the new tool from OpenAI that generates astonishingly human-like text based on prompts and questions submitted by the user. We have been getting a lot of questions about this tool and how it should or should not be used in the college application process. Because this is a new advancement and I am far from a technological expert, I thought it would be best to pose these questions to the tool itself.

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Diverse students working collaboratively in a classroom setting, focused on their studies.

When to Use a Comma to Separate Phrases — and Other Comma Questions

In eighth grade, my English teacher Mrs. Houlihan told me that I was the only student in my class who knew how and when to use a comma. That feedback stuck with me, not just because it made me feel like the greatest student of all time (which, let’s be honest, I totally was), but because it made me realize the awesome power of the comma. For such a tiny piece of punctuation, the comma packs a mighty punch, in that using it correctly or incorrectly is one of the most glaring signs that a writer either does or does not know what they’re doing.

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Stressed student with hands on head, overwhelmed by college application process.

Grammar and Spelling Mistakes to Avoid in Your College Essay

Few things are scarier to students than submitting their college application only to find grammar and spelling mistakes afterward. This can lead to panicked calls to counselors and colleges, asking to resubmit their essays or correct an error. While small grammar and spelling mistakes won’t kill your college admission chances, they can lead to a lot of additional headaches for already stressed-out students.

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