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I Was a Dartmouth Admissions Officer–75% of the College Essays I Read Were Terrible

During my four years reading applications in the Dartmouth admissions office, I reviewed thousands of college essays. Let me be blunt: most were bad. At least 75% were cringeworthy. Of the 25% that were decent, maybe 10% were truly great. So why are so many essays — from smart, capable students — so deeply mediocre? […]

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It’s College Essay Season: Here’s the Hard Truth

As an astrophotographer, I track the seasons in the sky. Winter brings nebula season, when iconic sights like the Horsehead Nebula and the Cone Nebula take center stage. Spring shifts to galaxy season, with dark skies perfect for capturing the Milky Way and beyond. In admissions, we’re entering our own kind of season: college essay […]

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Dr. Michele Hernandez expert guidance

College Admissions Ask Me Anything

I recently hosted Top Tier Admissions’ “Ask Me Anything” webinar, where we dove deep into the importance of having a solid early admissions strategy and all the perks that come with it. It was an open floor, where parents and students could literally ask me anything about the college admissions process. As the former Assistant […]

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Where Do Billionaires Go to College?

When working with students, we focus on both where they can get in and which college would be the best fit. Attending prestigious institutions like Princeton or Harvard doesn’t guarantee graduating at the top of your class. However, over the years, we’ve noticed that certain top colleges often fast-track students into the upper echelons of […]

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Top Tier Admissions Statement on ChatGPT and Generative AI

Many parents and students have asked us about the proper role of ChatGPT and similar AI tools in writing college essays, school assignments and summer application essays. For us, this is both an ethical question and a practical question. Rather than focusing on the ethics of using AI-generated content, we will focus on the practical […]

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