Get Your College Applications Done in 4 Days

Earlier this month, the Top Tier Admissions team held our 19^th annual Application Boot Camp®. Our students came in prepared and finished the ABC program on a high note. You see, ABC isn’t JUST four days. We work with most of our students 1-2 years ahead of our Boot Camp days so they can hit the ground running, having already implemented our strategic advice!

During these intensive four days, our students completed their Common Application, worked one-on-one with mentors to prepare multiple essays, received essay review from our admissions committee, confirmed their application strategy, created a high-impact presentation of their activities, and learned interview techniques.

And you can, too with our Personal Boot Camp (PBC)! More on that below…

But first:

TOP ESSAY TIPS FROM OUR SENIOR PRIVATE COUNSELORS

Every year, the Top Tier Admissions team tracks essay trends and best practices. Coming off of Application Boot Camp, our Senior Private Counselors share their top tips and common pitfalls when it comes to your college essays.

Dr. Michele Hernandez, Co-President/Founder
Don’t use the essay as a running resume (first I did x, then I did Y) – just zoom in on ONE important aspect of a narrow subject -think narrow scope, not wide scope.

Mimi Doe, Co-President/Founder
Don’t aim for high literary style – keep it spare, simple and personal – be revealing by telling a story, showing the reader a scene from your life.

Dr. Kristen Wilmott, Senior Private Counselor
Things to AVOID:

• Suddenly I realized
• I was able to (just say what you did – I jumped, I swam)
• No adverbs or too many adjectives
• No sweating, trembling, facial expressions (I grinned, I grimaced, I furrowed my eyebrows)
• No historical present (I walk in the room, I see my friend, I scream)
• No dialogue
• No listing of timed things (Then, I did X, then, I did Y)
• No self-insults
  • There’s a difference between describing an obstacle or challenge and straight up not putting yourself in a good light. As I often say to students, no taglines in college essays and no self insults in college essays! 

Dr. Eliza Fox, Senior Private Counselor
Once you have brainstormed ideas for your essay, take a moment to consider how you want admissions officers to feel about you after they read it. Do you want them to view you as an insightful scholar who is going to do amazing research? As an engaged community member who is going to support the wellbeing of other students on campus? As a social activist who is going to create meaningful change? Then ask yourself if the essay you are about to write highlights that side of you. If it doesn’t, that could be a sign that you need to adjust your planned essay to tell a more compelling story about yourself.

Maria Laskaris, Senior Private Counselor
Resist the urge to “overwrite,” thinking that makes you appear smarter. Admissions officers have lots of essays to read, so keep your prose clear and concise and let your actions showcase why you are the perfect candidate for each school on your list.

Dr. Elizabeth Doe Stone, Senior Private Counselor
Your curiosity is contagious! If your essays successfully convey your enthusiasm (your deep dive into neuroscience research, your mastery of an eccentric hobby, your obsession with medieval history, etc.) they will be much more engaging to an admissions officer. The best essays teach your reader how you think and what makes you tick. If you can teach them something new in the process, even better!

Anita Doar, Senior Private Counselor
It’s hard to be distinctive when you’re writing about “feelings” and “qualities.” Everyone wants colleges to know how determined, driven, resilient, and passionate they are—join the club! Trust us when we say you want to focus on action and impact instead. 

Heidi Steinmetz Lovette, Senior Private Counselor
Share your own perspective, interests, or introspection from your high school years; colleges want to hear about your teenage self and not about your grandparents or your years in middle school.

Nellie Brennan Hall, Senior Private Counselor
Revise! Revise! Revise! Don’t become married to your first draft- it’s going to change a lot before the final version.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS DONE IN 4 DAYS WITH OUR PBC

Spend 4 days of your choosing working directly with one of our Personal Boot Camp Senior Counselors and put your college application stress behind you. No other program in the world brings the expertise of Application Boot Camp® directly to your (virtual) doorstep.

Don’t take our word for it. Hear what a few of this year’s Application Boot Camp families had to say:

“Without ABC I would have had a strictly mediocre application” –R.V., Application Boot Camp 2022 student

“I hope you are enjoying some extremely well-deserved R&R after the intensity of Bootcamp! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for offering R and I your warmth, encouragement, expertise, and seasoned insight. ABC was certainly rigorous but it was wonderful to see R’s pride and relief when she was done.” –C.W., Application Boot Camp 2022 parent

“We are enormously grateful for your nurturing presence in our lives and we can’t thank you enough for the gift of your extraordinary experience and expert advice into this nerve-racking process. I still can’t get over the collective brain power in the room at ABC. I’m not sure how you do it with the pace and intensity of ABC but T felt truly seen, deeply respected, pushed in the best way possible, and overjoyed about the results. We appreciate your help more than words can express.” –H.B., Application Boot Camp 2022 parent

“I can’t thank you enough for all your guidance and encouragement during ABC! I’m still exhausted but also really happy about my essays. It’s a huge relief to have my common app in such good shape. I’ll never forget how much you and the rest of the amazing TTA team helped me.” –K.R., Application Boot Camp 2022 student