College Tips

With the overwheling nature of the college search, planning & application process, it's no wonder families are looking for ways to help navigate all of the moving parts. The sections below will hopefully help students & their families, by providing useful links to external resources & internal documents to use throughout your search & application process!

College Planning Tips

College Application Tips

College Essay Tips

Out of all the components of a college application, the essay portion is probably the most time-consuming. It is also one of the most powerful components of an application, as you have the opportunity to show a side of yourself that might not otherwise be seen in the application. You may come across two different types of essays in the process: the personal essay and supplemental essays. No matter the prompt, the endgame is always the same; the essay should be about YOU!


The personal essay is the most universal essay. There may be a required prompt or you may get to choose one. The Common App has personal essays embedded in the application and you are able to choose which prompt to answer.


Some colleges may not want a main personal essay and may ask you a different question related to your major or why you want to attend the institution. Other schools may have upwards of ten short supplemental essays. You can find what a college requires on their admission website, but often times you will not know all of the writing that is required until you start the application.