The Manners Group

The first thing to understand about the college application essay is that it is unlike any other piece of writing a high school student...

Ed Source: "Since SAT/ACT scores are optional or totally off the table during the pandemic, many colleges say that the personal and...

“The best essays are the ones where we don’t just want to admit the student, we want to take them out for coffee once they’re here. We’re...

The Wilton Library asked us to create a short video featuring 10 tips on writing your college essay (certified COVID-19 safe).

Brennan Barnard: "When it comes to college admission, everyone seems to be watching and according to a recent survey, character counts....

Denver Post: "If it eases any anguish, Clark Brigger said he and the other CU Boulder admissions officers are not looking for perfection...

So much energy is expended on the “main essay” that the supplemental questions sometimes get short shrift. This is likely exacerbated...

Looking for the admissions office, walking through a grand archway, not knowing exactly what was to come, we were stunned by the...

Williams College math major Ariana Ross ’17 discusses the symmetry between diving and mathematics and the importance of respect and...

Daily Pennsylvanian: “Like most universities, Penn does not have a standard system for fact-checking applications. Admissions officers...

CommonApp.org: “The Common Application has announced that the 2019-2020 essay prompts will remain the same as the 2018-2019 essay...

Duke Today: “Here’s a tip for high school seniors wondering how to ace the essay portion of the college application: Just be yourself.”...

Bates: Darryl Uy, an admissions officer at Bates College, suggests a ‘Seinfeldian’ approach to writing your college essay. He explains:...

The New York Times: “Documents showing that Harvard rated Asian-American applicants lower on personality traits than applicants of other...

Lit Hub: “As accommodating as they are to subject matter and formal experimentation, essays permit no substitutes; every piece of short...

Business Insider: Ross Galloway “decided to answer Harvard Business School’s (HBS) sole essay question in the voice of an ESPN anchor on...

Susan Cain: “If college admissions offices show us whom and what we value, then we seem to think that the ideal society is composed of...

Washington Post: “The Common Application, used by nearly 700 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad for admissions,...

“I probably kept one sentence from my first draft of my personal statement. Students can get really attached to specific wording or...

The Washington Post asked dozens of college admissions officers for insights into what they like to see in essays. Here are a few...