Prompt #1 is the answer to Common App essay confusion.
The Common Application essay fills college-bound students with dread. High stakes mean that students are eager, or even desperate, to get it right. They spend a ton of time deciding which of the five essay prompts to answer. This time is wasted. Why? As explained in the Huffington Post article I co-authored with Ishan Puri of Syndocate, anything a student may wish to write fits under the broad umbrella of Prompt #1: "Some students have a background, identity, interest, or tal
David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways To Make Your College Essay Stand Out"
Back in the day, David Letterman took note of Kwasi Enin, a high school student who gained national notoriety when he was accepted at all eight Ivy League colleges. He ended up enrolling at Yale. But not before gaining immortality with his presentation of Top Ten Ways To Make Your College Essay Stand Out.
The college essay according to admissions guru Parke Muth
Reliable information on college essays -- why it matters, how to write it, etc. -- is hard to find. Rarer still is reliable information from a reliable source. Parke Muth, who spent decades working in the University of Virginia's Office of Admission and now runs his own college admissions consulting firm, had both the info and the cred. Add a knack for public speaking and a wonderful sense of humor, and this hour-long talk on the college admission essay is a must-watch for an