Essays: What Works

The first in a new mini-series giving an in-depth look at what Yale admissions officers look for when evaluating applications. The first and most important consideration in every application is academic strength. Hannah and Mark share how admissions officers evaluate an applicant ...  Show more

At the start of a new application cycle, Hannah and Mark share the annual updates to Yale’s first-year application. Admissions Officer Dara joins to discuss a change in standardized testing policy, the addition of a new “short take” question, and the elimination of a “Why Yale” q ...  Show more

In this episode, college admissions experts discuss how to write a meaningful personal statement and impactful supplemental essays. 

How do you capture an Admissions Officer’s attention through your college essays? On today’s episode, Nivanthi Karunaratne, a Graduate Coach at InGenius Prep, shares her personal journey of self-discovery through music and how it has influenced her approach in helping students ...

While there are countless ways to approach an MBA essay, we know a few things are true for virtually any business school essay prompt: You need to convey a lot of complex information succinctly, These prompts are often purposely broad/vague--which means that it is essential for y ...  Show more

We talked to two college admission experts and asked about their best advice for getting into college. Doesn't matter if you're an underclassman, junior, or senior, this episode will help you a lot if you're thinking about applying to college. This is the last episode in our Back ...  Show more