Top Tier Admissions
The 22nd annual Top Tier Admissions Application Boot Camp® has concluded, and we couldn’t be prouder of what our students accomplished. Finishing the Common App & College Essays in 4 Days Over the course of four focused days, students transformed months of preparation and ideas into tangible progress on their college applications. They completed their […]
The biggest Cornell essay change this year is not hidden in any one prompt. Rather, it is the prompt that is no longer there. For applicants applying in the current admission cycle, Cornell has dropped the 350-word Cornell University question about community and lived experience. This decision highlights three important trends that I am already […]
Pet tarantulas crawling down a young girl’s back. An actor standing behind a stage door, holding heavy suitcases. A line of dialogue offering a new job as a cattle hand. The idea of the “hook,” or a vivid beginning such as an interesting anecdote or a memorable line that catches the reader’s attention, is fairly […]
Every summer, while my three kids are romping off to sports camps and swim team practice, I’m hunkering down into essay coaching mode. It’s an exciting season in counseling, when I get to support my students through the process of translating their life experiences into compelling stories for admissions readers. Draft after draft, they pour […]
In the 2025-2026 application cycle, colleges made some of the most significant changes to essay evaluation in a generation. The reason? Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some schools have dropped numeric essay scores. Others have begun to warn applicants that AI-generated text could cost them their admission. And a growing number of universities have added supplemental prompts […]
The Senior Year Roadmap
Every deadline from August to May – test dates, applications. decisions – in one place. Signup to download the full 9-page Senior Year Roadmap (PDF)