Summer Essay Workshop Week

As we near the deadlines for applying to college in America, it's vital that students have their applications ready to submit.

Key to a successful application are college essays. All students applying through the Common Application need to write the Common Application essay (650 words), and those applying to a college in the University of California (such as UCLA or Berkeley) need to respond to four Personal Insight questions (350 words each). Most colleges also require between one and three supplementary essays specific to that college. So if you were looking to apply to nine colleges in the US, the essay workload could easily exceed twenty!

One common mistake that students make is underestimating the time involved - if you leave all of the essays until the week before the deadline, it's very difficult to put together a thoughtful response. With so many essays to write, it's important that students plan well in advance and set aside the time to work on the essays properly. Another common pitfall for students is basing their responses on the style of the UCAS statement. US college essays are much more personal and reflective in tone than the British equivalent, and it's important to get this difference right.