3 Ways to Create a Compelling Ending in Your Personal Statement

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3 Ways to Create a Compelling Ending in Your Personal Statement

1) Go back to your opening anecdote
If you used the creative writing technique of an opening anecdote, one fun way to close your essay can be returning to that same story in your concluding paragraph. For example, if your opening narrative was about the first economics class you took and how it was love at first equation, you can try describing the thrill of the class in the same creative ways that you did the opening. Try writing vivid examples and really get us to feel like we are in your place. What was it like on the first day of class? What did it feel like doing your homework? Interacting with other Econ students? Was it like an aha moment where you finally felt something click, like this is what I was meant to do? Try revisiting that opening anecdote with a new perspective at the end.

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Exclusive: 5 College Interview Mistakes to Avoid, According to an Ivy League Interviewer

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Exclusive: 5 College Interview Mistakes to Avoid, According to an Ivy League Interviewer

Mistake #1: Not Knowing Where The School is Located

“One of my interview students asked me how often I went into the city, which to be fair is a question you would get a lot, even on tours on campus. Unfortunately, the college *was* in the city. This is a problem. If you are interviewing and you don't even know where the school is located, then you have a much bigger problem than telling me why the curriculum interests you. It's like you don't really know about the school at all.”

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Purdue Engineering, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley & more

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Purdue Engineering, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley & more

“The Common App and Supplemental essays I crafted with Yelena's help helped me achieve my dream of getting into UC Berkeley! When I contacted her last summer, my essay had several bumps. Yelena suggested starting from scratch with a completely different prompt, and while the task seemed daunting to me, I'm thankful that she was with me every step of the way. We had many phone calls and brainstorming sessions, and her advice was incredibly thoughtful, detailed, and personalized for my needs. One thing I loved, in particular, was the Thought Starters activity she gave me to brainstorm which I continue to use today.

During the essay-writing process, I found it impressive how, after I literally dumped my disorganized thoughts onto paper, she was able to connect them into a cohesive and compelling essay. My final products were a lot more polished than I could have ever accomplished on my own. I was forced to think and reflect every step of the way, and I admire how she pushed me to write everything in my own words. Whenever I go back and read my essays, I find myself consistently proud of them, and that's all thanks to Yelena's help.”
-Saumya, accepted to Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, and Purdue Engineering

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Should You Apply Early Admission?

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Should You Apply Early Admission?

That sound you hear is the sound of hundreds of thousands of seniors frantically scurrying to finish their admissions essay. I often get asked on the merits of applying early because of the supposed higher admit rates. My quick take? I applied regular because I knew my essay wasn’t ready. My long take? See the answers below, inspired by my advice on applying early, which was recently featured in this helpful U.S News article.

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Busting Admissions Myths: 4 Essay Questions Everyone Asks

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Busting Admissions Myths: 4 Essay Questions Everyone Asks

What makes a great (admissions) essay?

Something totally real and unpretentious. Admissions officers want to get know the real you apart from a dizzying algorithm of numbers, extracurricular hours, and GPAs. Give them a slice of life that reveals who you are instead of something fake that you think sounds good. I wrote about cooking with my grandma—so simple it's almost cliche. But I used that anecdote to explore my immigrant identity and show what I’ve overcome.

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How Professional Authors Edit for Word Count

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How Professional Authors Edit for Word Count

Andrew’s editing process happened after he finished writing for a reason. Editing for word count should come in the final stages when you feel like you’ve told your whole story. Take as many words as you need to tell your truth. Then, refine and edit with each draft. (Yes, plan on writing multiple drafts and revisions - that’s how good writing happens!). By your fourth draft, you can start to think about editing for word count.

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to the University of Vanderbilt

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to the University of Vanderbilt

"Just a little over a month before my 20+ college applications were due, I had made little progress on my personal statement and decided to contact Yelena. Her understanding and flexibility subdued my anxieties but also allowed me to stay on track towards completing my essay in time for submission. In that short of a time frame, I grew from being relatively insecure about my essay to being extremely proud of it. Yelena gave the narrative I had placed on paper an unrivaled sense of vitality and power. She narrowed in on the formative experiences that made me more than a score or a GPA. Yelena not only transformed my paper, while still preserving my voice and message, but gave me an unparalleled confidence going into the final steps of the admissions process. She made my dreams of going to an elite school tangible. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful and encouraging Yelena has been throughout the process, and I wholeheartedly recommend her services to others wishing to give themselves an edge in writing." -Laura, accepted to the University of Vanderbilt

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How to Get a Head Start on Your Admissions Essay

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How to Get a Head Start on Your Admissions Essay

2) Start exploring your passions

Freshman year is all about figuring out what you love to do. Ideally, you'd spend the next four years honing that passion, developing your talents, and growing into a leadership position that you can write about for a supplemental college essay. Use your freshman year to explore all of your interests so that by junior year, you're signing up for less clubs and really building your leadership in those. Don't wait until later in high school to figure out what you love: admissions officers want to see commitment and leadership in a few clubs, not just a list of extracurriculars you're somewhat involved in.

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Testimonial Tuesday: Admissions Essay High School Workshop at La Guardia

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Testimonial Tuesday: Admissions Essay High School Workshop at La Guardia

If you'd like to me to lead an admissions essay workshop at your school, please get in touch! I’m an official registered vendor with the Department of Education in NYC and work with both private and public schools in addition to community centers. Not in New York? I can Skype in and now offer online workshops. (Yay for technology!)

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5 Things Admissions Officers Look For In Your Personal Statement

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5 Things Admissions Officers Look For In Your Personal Statement

Your Real Personality

According to Wolfe, a lot of students think they need to have a life-changing event to write about in their essays, but counselors are just trying to see the personality of a student in a way that can’t be conveyed through test scores and transcripts. One essay Wolfe remembers was about a family reunion. “They weren’t just regurgitating what we already knew,” Wolfe said. “But instead we could see how this student, living on a freshman hall, would fit in.” [Williamsburg Yorktown Daily]

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Princeton University

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Princeton University

”Yelena was so insightful and an absolute delight to work with–– not only did she help with the mechanics of my essay, she took the type to get to know me personally in order to add a special touch. I credit her with bringing my writing to life in addition to reading well on paper! Thank you for your editing magic - I'm oh so grateful for you, Ms. Shuster! " -M.M., Accepted to Princeton, Duke, UNC & USC

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Introducing New Live Admissions Essay Online Workshops!

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Introducing New Live Admissions Essay Online Workshops!

I try to help every student who reaches out to me, but I’m a one-woman business and have to limit who I work with to make sure everyone gets the most personalized attention. But all that changes next month because...

[Drumroll please…]

I’m introducing two affordable live classes this summer! Best part? I will cater to your schedules, so please let me know your timing preferences in the Google Form below.

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How to Journal Your Way to a Creative Personal Statement

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How to Journal Your Way to a Creative Personal Statement

 Use Old-School Pen & Paper

I recommend the old-school writing technique of journaling: pen and paper, when you are relaxed (like before going to bed). At this point, you need to write more than you think and this is a great way of silencing your inner critic. Journaling also has proven therapeutic benefits, so it will help you write your way through whatever you’re going through.

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Harvard University

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Harvard University

”Through countless e-mails, Yelena helped me take the abstract ideas that were in my head and put them on a sheet of paper. And Yelena helped me through the complex challenge of putting my lived experience into a format that other people could understand. Yelena also helped me by bringing me a new perspective for my essays. As someone writing an essay about myself, there were a lot of details that I assumed that a person who was reading the essay would know. However, Yelena helped me include more details in the essays to make the writing tighter. Within the timeframe of several weeks, my essay went from a somewhat forgettable story to a memorable and impactful snapshot into my life as a person and a student. Without Yelena's help and support throughout the process, I am sure that I would have never been accepted to Harvard University." -Sam, Accepted to Harvard

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9 Shocking Things We Learned From The Hollywood Cheating Admissions Scandal

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9 Shocking Things We Learned From The Hollywood Cheating Admissions Scandal

 Admissions Officers Spend 8 Minutes On Your Application

An ever-increasing number of applications have swamped admissions offices in recent years, resulting in faster reading of files. Whereas once readers could spend 16 to 20 minutes on a given applicant, the average is now around eight minutes.  [The Atlantic]

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4 Writing Tips I Used For My Business Insider Essay

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4 Writing Tips I Used For My Business Insider Essay

The Hollywood cheating scandal has caused widespread outrage—and for good reason. I wrote about the issues inherent in the college-industrial complex for Business Insider, from my perspective as both an admissions essay guru and as a senior who went through the application process myself. 

Though my essay is more op-ed than personal statement, I thought it would still be helpful to share the writing techniques I used to help you with your personal essay:

1) Set A Time Limit For Your First Draft

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Columbia & NYU as a Transfer

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Columbia & NYU as a Transfer

“The time I spent under Yelena's guidance has not only given me an acceptance to every school to which I applied, but also has prepared me so that I can succeed at any of the schools. Yelena's genuine support and care for my improvement has led me to complete each week's assignment while working full time in the military and going to school at night. It was an eye-opening experience to see such an efficient way to write an essay that shows who I really am. Now, I can't wait to use the writing skills at Columbia and future medical schools.”

-H.P., accepted to Columbia University & NYU

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Be Prepared For These College Interview Questions (And 5 Other Tips to Note)

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Be Prepared For These College Interview Questions (And 5 Other Tips to Note)

Like the admissions essay, the interview is a chance for the college to find out more about you than just your stats. They’re looking for a holistic overview of who you are: aka your passions, personality, and poise. The questions the alumni interviewers ask is completely up to them, but below is a good framework to keep in mind based on my research with alumni interviewers.

I recommend coming up with a few quick bullet point ideas for each one so you don’t get caught off guard on the spot. Your answers don’t have to be perfect - they just want to get a sense of what excites you.

Also remember that this is your chance to interview them about the next four years of your life. Where you go to college is a major decision, so don’t forget to ask them questions about their college experience too.

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Northwestern & Cornell as a Transfer

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Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Northwestern & Cornell as a Transfer

“Yelena was easy to work with, fast at responding, and provided helpful and honest feedback. She gave me not only grammar and sentence structure suggestions, but also objective feedback on content and a strategy to tell my story in the best way possible. Because of her, I was able to avoid numerous faux pas and mistakes that could have ruined my application. She helped me refine my tone and convey my best self while being authentic. It was super worth it, I highly recommend getting an outside perspective and Yelena is a great person to do that.”
-Adam, accepted to Cornell and Northwestern as a Transfer

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4 Ways to Create a Compelling Opener In Your Personal Statement

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4 Ways to Create a Compelling Opener In Your Personal Statement

The thing most students struggle with is how to open their personal essay. There is a lot of pressure as this is your first impression. In general, you want to employ creative writing techniques. Make us feel like you felt when all this was happening, including the confusion, the frustration.

Below are some proven techniques I give my students, but here’s the good news: your opener may be buried somewhere deeper in the essay and it just takes a seasoned editor to point it out. Don’t stress and just write - you might not find your opening until the 3rd revision, so give yourself enough time to revise.

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