Writing Great College Application Essays

Service Description

This six-week course will help students develop the skills to write powerful, persuasive essays for applications to selective colleges and universities. We will read and discuss examples of effective narrative writing and practice skills such as description, narration, reflection, and analysis that are key to crafting unique personal essays. We’ll look at the prompts for the Common Application and brainstorm possible responses rooted in each student’s unique perspective and life experience. Based on his experience helping students prepare successful applications for some of the most selective colleges in the country, Dr. Brennen will share some approaches to avoid and strategies for success. The class will also cover some of the nuts and bolts of the writing components of college applications, such as the common types of supplemental essays that many colleges request and how to respond to them effectively. Students can expect an interactive seminar and should be prepared to discuss examples and practice writing skills, such as with in-class writing exercises. Ultimately the goal of this course is to help students write confident, unique essays for their college applications. In the process, students will also develop writing skills that will aid them in college courses. This course is scheduled to finish in mid-October so that students can produce strong drafts of their essays in time for Early Action and Early Decision deadlines for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle, which often fall in November. However, students do not need to be applying early in order to participate—those looking to get started in the fall and have plenty of time for revision before applying in early 2027 are also more than welcome! SAVE MONEY WITH STUDENT POWER At learnallot.com, our student-powered pricing model makes it so that students can band together and lower the price of this service. See how much you could save in the chart below!