University of California
Ethan Sawyer
How to Write the UC Essay Prompts 2025/2026 (+ ...

This guide covers how to write the UC essay prompts (or PIQs) with exercises and essay examples to help you along the way.

Common App, Student Resources
Ethan Sawyer
How to Write a Successful Common App Activities ...

Write an impressive college activities list for your common app using this step-by-step guide and awesome activities list for college applications example, with notes on how to select the right verbs and to decide how many hours per week to list. 

How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List
Personal Statement
Ethan Sawyer
27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top ...

Use these outstanding college essay examples to learn how to write your personal statement and supplemental essays for the college application.

Supplemental Essays
Ethan Sawyer
Why This College Essay Guide + Examples

Stand out on your Why This College essay. Read our Why This College essay examples and follow our clear guidelines to make sure you avoid potential pitfalls, include essential details in your Why This School essay, and use our tried-and-true research tools.

Student Resources
Andrew Simpson
How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for ...

Learn how to ask for a letter of recommendation for college with my comprehensive step-by-step guide and real-world examples

Student Resources

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Should I Come Out As Undocumented in My Personal Statement? (Part 1 of 2)

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Coming out as undocumented in your personal statement could be a great idea. In this blog, College Essay Guy walks you through how to approach coming out as undocumented in your college essays.

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How to Get Most Out of your College Visit

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Planning a college visit is an exciting and informative experience for students. In order to get the most out of your college visit, here are my top tips for planning a college visit.

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5 Tips for Getting Scholarships & Financial Aid for College

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Free money, anyone? Here are 5 resources and tips for getting scholarships and financial aid for college. College Essay Guy believes college can be affordable for anyone. Start with the 5 resources and see how much money you could get towards your college education.

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Four Things Undocumented Students Need to Know About Applying to College

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If you’re an undocumented student applying to college, here are the biggest 4 things you need to know about your college application process— courtesy of College Essay Guy.

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How to Write a Successful College Transfer Essay 2025/2026

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A step-by-step guide to writing your college transfer essay that includes how to format your essay, how to start a transfer essay, and successful community college transfer essays examples that answer "why I want to transfer."

How Big of a Difference Can the College Admissions Essays Make in Highly Selective College Admissions?

If you’re a student applying to a highly selective college or university, it is extremely important to submit stellar admissions essays. In this blog, College Essay Guy and a special guest will walk you through the components that you can include in your college essay that will make a difference when applying to highly selective schools.

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Pros & Cons of Working with a College Essay Coach

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Three pros and three cons for parents trying to understand why hiring a personal statement counselor might be a good or bad idea, considering time, money, and relationships.

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How I Learned to Overcome Procrastination (Mostly)

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A little helpful advice for getting over that procrastination bump and producing high-quality B+ work by rewriting patterns in behavior.

Done With Applications? Now Set Your Facebook to Private

Yes, many college admissions counselors will stalk your Facebook to find out what you're really like. Here's what you can do about it besides setting your profile to private.

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5 Ways to Make Your Activities List Awesome

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Craft a phenomenal activities list by speaking in the present tense, utilizing action verbs, saving space on the page, and much more.