college essay Archives - College Initiative Helping families to successfully navigate the college admissions process Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:23:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://collegeinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-logoSQUARE-02-e1683223180849-32x32.png college essay Archives - College Initiative 32 32 A College Admissions Consultant’s 7 Pet Peeves – and Strategies for Better Navigating Them https://collegeinitiative.net/2026/04/15/college-admission-consultants-7-pet-peeves/ https://collegeinitiative.net/2026/04/15/college-admission-consultants-7-pet-peeves/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:08:19 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=3486 Working with college applicants and their families, a college admissions consultant experiences some common pet peeves each admissions cycle. Here are some positive strategies to deal with them.

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]]> https://collegeinitiative.net/2026/04/15/college-admission-consultants-7-pet-peeves/feed/ 0 6 Common App Mistakes to Avoid https://collegeinitiative.net/2021/08/09/common-app-mistakes/ Mon, 09 Aug 2021 20:02:18 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2445 If your student is finishing up their college applications on the Common Application platform, congratulations!  Before hitting “Submit,” your teen might want to review some of the most common, Common App mistakes to make sure their application is ready to go.  And if your senior has not yet begun working on their applications, it might...

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]]> The Class of 2021 and College Admission https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/09/01/class-of-2021-and-college-admission/ https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/09/01/class-of-2021-and-college-admission/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:15:32 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2098 Is There Reason to Worry? There are so many rumors floating around about how the class of 2021 will be impacted for college admission. I’ve gotten nervous phone calls from parents and lots of questions from students. So, I thought it might be time to weigh in with my perspective. What Has Changed for the...

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]]> https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/09/01/class-of-2021-and-college-admission/feed/ 1 How to Write the Best College Admission Essay https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/06/18/best-college-admission-essay/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 21:21:30 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2038 I’ve written dozens of articles about college admission, ranging from beginning the college search to financial aid. I recently realized that for some reason, the one topic I have never written much about is this one – the college admission essay. Without a doubt, it’s the part of the application that students seem to dread...

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]]> How to Handle a High School Suspension on College Applications https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/11/03/suspension-on-college-applications/ https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/11/03/suspension-on-college-applications/#comments Sun, 03 Nov 2019 21:04:52 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1757 Let’s face it – teenagers make mistakes for all kinds of reasons.  Our best hope is that the mistakes they make won’t be life-changing ones.  Sometimes, the mistake they make will result in disciplinary action from their high school.  And usually, that means that it will wind up on their transcript, which will be sent...

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]]> https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/11/03/suspension-on-college-applications/feed/ 6 How to Use the Common App Additional Info Section https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/09/23/common-app-additional-info/ Mon, 23 Sep 2019 23:27:58 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1719 Any time I get asked a college admissions-related question more than once, it occurs to me that it’s probably article-worthy.  If one student is asking the question, then that means there are others who are also wondering.  And in the last week, I have been asked twice about the Common App “Additional Info” section.  It...

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]]> 8 Important Tips for College Admissions – #1 Start Early! https://collegeinitiative.net/2018/10/25/college-consultant/ Fri, 26 Oct 2018 00:13:42 +0000 http://collegeinitiative.net/?p=956 As a college consultant, I am frequently asked for my best advice for families undertaking the college search and admissions process.  I find it nearly impossible to narrow it down to just one piece of advice.  And generally, my advice is tailored to my specific audience.  But, if I had to only give one piece...

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