Should You Write About a Role Model?
2202, 2025

Should You Write About a Role Model?

by Kathleen M. Beware!  This is a tricky question hiding in plain sight.  You think – oh, I got this – my coach has done so much good in the community, and I could easily write 350 words about all the good she has done.  Wrong! Whenever you are responding to a question for an application, the answer should be about you. So how do you answer a prompt when

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How to Be Original When Writing Personal Essays
0601, 2024

How to Be Original When Writing Personal Essays

by Drew C. Everyone knows that a good personal essay is original. It’s one of the laws of the universe for English teachers and counselors and college admissions committees, and you’ve probably heard it a thousand times. But what does it actually mean to be original? And why does it matter? In one sense, being original means “not being a plagiarist”—i.e., submitting your own work instead of the work of

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