Where do you get advice on the college essay?

There’s a lot of advice out there when it comes to the college essay.

We know all about it. We read it. We hear it.

• Some share templates for writing stand-out college essays. (Email templates are useful; essay templates don’t work!)

• Others promise that if your students answer a bunch of specific questions, they’ll be guaranteed great essays. (Nope!)

• AND there are countless books on the market filled with sample college essays that apparently got students admitted into the nation’s most selective schools. (This type of claim is out of context. Even the most amazing essay never got a student into college on its own!)

• There’s more…. some people might even tell you that there are only a few types of college admission essays; if your students master those, they’ll be golden. (C’mon…. really?)

Trust me, there’s only one type of college essay admissions officers want to read. And that’s your student’s story written in their own words and in their own voice.

Many of you have watched our student webinars, read our book, joined us at a conference session or attended our free monthly Pro Chats.  If so, you know we understand a lot about the college essay and like to share our knowledge with friends and colleagues (like you!)

At Wow, we operate on three principles: process, plan and schedule – follow a process; plan ahead; and keep to a schedule. Is that sexy? Not really. But it works. Every time.

So, as you plan for the class of 2022, beware of the gimmicks and promises surrounding the college essay. We hope you’ll ignore them.

Because there really are no college essay shortcuts.

Kim Lifton is President and Co-founder of Wow Writing Workshop a premier college application essay coaching and professional training company, offering private, virtual writing coaching services to professionals and students throughout the world.  Since 2009, Wow has been leading the college admissions industry with our unique approach to communicating messages effectively through application essays, including personal statements, activity and short answer essays and supplements.  Kim leads a team of writers and teachers who understand the writing process inside and out. Kim blogs regularly about the college essay’s role in the admission process for multiple industry publications and websites.   We’ll be talking about gimmicks, willingness and ability and ways to streamline college essay coaching a lot this year. If you’re curious, join us for our next free webinar!   MONTHLY FREE WEBINARS FOR STUDENTS AND PROS Pro Chats: Every month we record a new College Essay Pro Chat. Check out the last recording, or sign up for next month’s webinar. Wow CEO Susan Knoppow will answer your questions live for 30 minutes. Free Student Classes: If you’re a school counselor who wants to help students with the basics, encourage them to sign up for my next free student class, or listen to the recording. You are welcome to sign up, too.