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College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Kaplan SAT Prep Review: Rating All of Kaplan’s SAT Prep Options

Kaplan is one of the giants in test prep, and their courses and tutoring for SAT prep are well-known. 

Considering using Kaplan for SAT prep? Read this in-depth review first.

We did the hard work of researching all about Kaplan to get all the information you need to find your best fit for test prep.

For more SAT prep options, check out our list of the 12 best SAT prep courses and the top 15 SAT tutoring services .

Not sure how to select an online tutoring service?

Schedule a free consultation with an educational consultant at PrepMaven

Kaplan Review: Fast Facts

• Kaplan is one of the largest companies for educational products — they have about 12,000 teachers and staff around the world, and they publish dozens of books on test prep
• Kaplan offers several different plans for SAT prep , including pre-recorded video courses, live group courses, and individual tutoring
• SAT prep with a live instructor (not just pre-recorded videos) starts at $699
• Kaplan’s group classes are much larger than those of competitors, with up to 30 students per class — and Kaplan tends to cancel classes if not enough students sign up
• Instructors are less-qualified than many competitors, and they’re assigned by Kaplan with no option to choose a specific class instructor or tutor
• Kaplan is known for having unresponsive customer service , with clients reporting waiting hours on hold or sending emails and messages that go unanswered

Not sure what kind of tutoring is the right fit? Schedule a free consultation with an educational consultant at PrepMaven

Kaplan Review: SAT Prep Options & Pricing

Kaplan has three main options for SAT prep:

• Kaplan On Demand SAT course , $199 — pre-recorded video lessons and practice questions, but no contact with an instructor
• Kaplan Live Online SAT course , $699 — live group classes and practice
• Kaplan Live Online Plus SAT course , $999 — same as the Live Online course, plus 3 hours of individual tutoring
• Kaplan Unlimited Prep course , $1999 — access to course materials until December of senior year, and access includes other tests as well (PSAT, ACT, and select APs)
• Kaplan SAT Tutoring , $1999 for 10 tutoring hours, $2899 for 20 tutoring hours, $3799 for 30 tutoring hours, or $4599 for 40 tutoring hours ($115–200/hour) — one-on-one tutoring 

These prices are high given the instructors’ lack of credentials (more on that below ). 

Kaplan’s SAT prep courses are twice as expensive as the similar offerings from Magoosh ($399). They’re a similar price to the prep courses offered by Princeton Review ($949) with smaller class sizes or the SAT masterclass from PrepMaven ($995) with the company’s founder (a Princeton grad) and more individualized attention, including additional help outside of class time.

Kaplan’s tutoring rates makes them more expensive than higher-quality tutoring services with top 1% and Ivy-League tutors — for example, families can consider tutoring with elite Ivy-League tutors at PrepMaven starting at $79/hour, with top scorers at SoFlo ($60–90/hour), or with graduate students from the Tutoring Service of New York ($112–160/hour).

We also definitely don’t think that the On Demand course is worth the $199, given that Khan Academy offers a very similar service completely for free (keep reading to learn more).

Rating: 5/10

Schedule a free consultation with an educational consultant

Kaplan Review: On Demand SAT course

Kaplan’s least expensive course is their On Demand SAT course for $199. Of course, “on demand” is another way of referring to pre-recorded video lessons .

This type of self-directed course is best for students who are capable of managing their own schedules and tracking progress without the assistance of an instructor.

Each of the video lessons is short, never more than 10–12 minutes long. These videos are slickly produced, though students may find them a little cheesy. Each video explanation is followed by 6–7 practice questions and then a short quiz with 4–5 questions . This is Kaplan’s “Learn It, Drill It, Prove it” system.

One of the best parts of the course is the video explanation that accompanies each of the quiz questions. These are definitely helpful content, but as there are only a handful of questions per concept it’s more limited than we’d like.

In addition to this program, students enrolled in Kaplan’s On Demand SAT course also have access to Kaplan’s “Qbank,” or question bank . This is a library of multiple-choice questions that mimic the kind you’ll see on the SAT.

While additional practice questions are helpful, we find that they’re less effective for raising your SAT score than working with real questions from actual past SAT tests . That’s because while Kaplan’s authors will try to mimic the test, they’re always going to have slight differences in style compared to the real SAT.

Finally, students have access to 8 full practice tests. We found Kaplan’s advertising here to be quite disingenuous, because 4 of these practice tests are available for free directly from the College Board , and also in a more interactive format from Khan Academy ! It’s true that they’re great practice resources, but there’s no need to pay Kaplan for access to practice tests .

As for the other 4 practice tests from Kaplan… just as we said about the individual practice questions, we strongly recommend using real SAT tests for practice , not fake tests created by an outside company. A top-notch tutor or SAT prep class can help students navigate how to use the existing real SAT tests most effectively. 

One significant downside of Kaplan’s On Demand SAT prep course is that it’s only available for 6 months . After that, there’s no way to extend access to the test materials. Given that most students take the SAT more than once, and it can be ideal to take the SAT for the first time early on to reduce time pressure, 6 months is not enough time for many students .

In the end, Kaplan’s On Demand SAT course is a perfectly fine way to brush up on concepts covered by the SAT and do some practice. Is it worth the $199 price tag, though? In our opinion, no.  

A very similar set of practice questions — but this time created in partnership with the College Board, the makers of the SAT — is available completely for free from Khan Academy . Similarly, 8 full real SAT tests are available from the College Board or on Khan Academy . These resources are available forever, with no 6-month cutoff.

If students need more help than offered by these resources, then it’s likely that a live course with access to an instructor or one-on-one tutoring will be more effective .

That’s also true for high-scoring students who are chasing that amazing score that will help get them into the Ivy League/Stanford/MIT/etc. Typically the best fit for high-scoring students is private tutoring with a top 1% instructor .

Rating : 4/10

Looking for the best SAT prep resources? Schedule a free test prep consultation

Kaplan Review: Live Online SAT courses

Kaplan’s live online sat course.

Kaplan’s Live Online SAT course is their flagship offering for SAT prep. The course includes 9 sessions of 2 hours each for $699 . (Payment plans are also available.)

One advantage of Kaplan’s version of the course is that students can sign up for the class times that work for them, and can easily switch time slots . This is great for students with busy and ever-changing schedules.

That said, Kaplan is notorious for canceling classes to protect their profit margins if not enough students are signed up for them.

“We enrolled my daughter for Unlimited Prep. We expected to have one live classroom, but we never get that. They are always canceled due to low enrollments.”

“Canceled our ACT class twice causing us to have to push back our test date. Could not offer a viable alternative class and refused to refund the full fee. Horrible business practices and totally unreliable!”

Another common complaint from clients is that Kaplan’s SAT prep has a fairly rigid structure and isn’t customized to the needs of each individual student. Many students have commented that the classes moved too quickly for them:

“I told them the program did not work. I bought the Bootcamp program. It was too fast and my kid could not follow along. No one helped her, no one checked in, no one cared. She just felt like she wasn’t smart enough to get it. The whole experience was awful from start to finish.”

In addition to the course, students receive access to the pre-recorded video explanations and quizzes from the On Demand course . They also get several hard-copy books. As we’ve mentioned, these practice materials are fine, but they’re not the best out there for SAT practice.

One interesting feature of Kaplan’s Live Online course is that for each class there is a second instructor present in the online chat , available to answer questions without disrupting the flow of the class. 

However, this feature is likely necessary because Kaplan’s class sizes are quite large, up to 30 students at a time ! These classes are much larger than those offered by competitors. Such a large class size makes it hard for students to receive individual attention. 

While the chat function is great, it might be better to have a smaller class where students are able to ask the instructor questions directly during the lesson, and not written separately. In general, we found Kaplan’s SAT prep classes to be less adaptive to the needs of the individual students .

Who teaches these classes? Kaplan does not require any specific qualifications for its SAT instructors and tutors — instructors are not required to be top scorers on the test themselves or have graduated from a top-tier university.

We’re heard that Kaplan hires instructors who score in the 90th percentile and above on the SAT, although they don’t publish this cutoff, so it may not be a strict requirement. This means that instructors are above-average, but they’re not necessarily at the top. 

A 90th-percentile score is about a 1350 on the SAT (out of 1600). This is a strong score, but it’s not nearly high enough to be competitive for an Ivy-League school, where the average score is between 1450 and 1570 . In fact, a 1350 isn’t good enough to be competitive at hardly any of the top-tier schools in the US.

In contrast, several other SAT prep providers hire only top 1% scorers (in the 99th percentile) , which means scoring about a 1550 on the SAT. Students might consider PrepMaven (Ivy League and top 1%), Magoosh (top 1%), or Prep Expert (top 1%).

Finally, it’s important to note that like Kaplan’s On Demand course, all of these materials are only available for 6 months , and the only way to extend this is to purchase the Unlimited Prep option for $1999. This is not enough time for many students , especially considering that most students take the SAT more than once.

Rating: 2/10

Kaplan’s Live Online Plus SAT course

Kaplan also offers a Live Online Plus option for $999. This is identical to the Live Online course, but with the addition of 3 hours of one-on-one tutoring . That comes out to $100/hour for the tutoring portion, which is a discount on the price of their tutoring if purchased separately.

We like that this option allows students to get some additional help with a few specific problem areas.

However, as we discuss below , we wish that Kaplan’s tutors had stronger credentials for teaching the SAT.

Rating : 5/10

Kaplan’s Unlimited Prep course

Kaplan’s Unlimited Prep course ($1999) is its most deluxe option. For an additional $400, families can add 6 hours of individual tutoring.

If students find the large group classes to be a good fit for their learning style and want more of the same, it might be a good fit — it’s the same as the basic Live Online class, but it allows students to access the classes and practice questions until December of their senior year, rather than only 6 months. Many students report that the 6-month cutoff for the Live Online or Live Online Plus courses isn’t enough time, and this option remedies that, albeit for a hefty price increase. 

The other difference with the Unlimited Prep course is that students also get access to live group classes for the ACT, PSAT (though this prep is identical to the SAT ), and a handful of common AP tests :

• AP Biology Review Course
• AP Calculus AB Review Course
• AP English Language and Composition Review Course
• AP English Literature Review Course
• AP Human Geography Review Course
• AP Psychology Review Course
• AP US History Review Course
• AP World History (Modern) Review Course

(Note that other AP courses like AP Physics, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish, AP Political Science, and AP European History are not included.)

Each of the AP review classes have 8 2-hour classes that review important concepts for the tests. They don’t come anywhere close to teaching the entire AP subject, but they could be a good review before the test in May.

The catch? Unfortunately, Kaplan’s Unlimited Prep course expires in December of the student’s senior year . That means that students do not have access to the materials in the spring of their senior year , when many students are taking AP tests for potential college credit.

Is Kaplan’s Unlimited Prep course worth the $1999 price tag? It depends. For a student who is taking several of the 8 AP subjects covered by Kaplan as a sophomore or junior , and who plans to take both the ACT and the SAT , and who likes the large class format , sure.

However, as we’ve seen, the instructors for Kaplan have significantly fewer credentials than those from other top test prep companies like PrepMaven (Ivy League and top 1%), Magoosh (top 1%), or Prep Expert (top 1%). The quality of the teacher is the single most important component of the educational experience, and Kaplan does not have the best teachers.

In addition, families should note that tech problems with Kaplan’s online course platform and unresponsive customer service have impacted the overall learning experience.

Rating : 6/10

Kaplan Review: SAT Tutoring

In addition to their large group classes, Kaplan also offers one-on-one SAT tutoring .

Individual tutoring might be an especially good fit for students who need more than a quick review of core concepts. This has been especially true after Covid, as there has been an unprecedented drop in student’s math and reading skills due to interruptions in schooling.

Individual tutoring is also a great idea for students who are pursuing very high scores (1400 and above), and who might feel bored in a general class aimed at the average student. High-achieving students should make sure that they’re working with a tutor who got a top score on the SAT themself. 

That said, one-on-one tutoring can be a good fit for any student! Individual tutoring sessions tend to be more impactful in a shorter period of time , since they can hone in on the specific weaknesses of that student, so they’re great for busy students who want to make the most of their SAT study time. 

An experienced tutor can also make sure to create individualized homework assignments that target the areas the student needs to strengthen to improve their SAT scores.

Is Kaplan a good choice for SAT tutoring?

We found it to be significantly overpriced compared to other options.

Kaplan offers four tutoring packages of different sizes. Their minimum purchase is a package of 10 tutoring hours at $1999. This is a very large minimum purchase , much higher than those of PrepMaven , Prep Expert , SoFlo Tutors , or Wyzant . 

Their minimum comes out to $200/hour for tutoring , which is a very steep price — especially considering that their tutors have no required qualifications like high scores themselves or degrees from top schools!

Their hourly rate does decrease if one purchases a large tutoring package ($4599 for 40 tutoring hours), but it’s still on the higher side.

Is this higher price tied to higher quality?

Unfortunately not. As with Kaplan’s group class instructors, Kaplan does not require any specific qualifications for their SAT tutors — instructors are not required to be top scorers on the SAT themselves or have graduated from a top-tier university.

We’re heard that Kaplan hires tutors who score in the 90th percentile and above on the SAT, although since they don’t publish this cutoff, it may not be a strict requirement. This means that instructors are above-average, but they’re not necessarily at the top. 

For context, a 90th-percentile score is roughly a 1350 on the SAT (out of 1600). This is a good score, but it’s not nearly high enough to be competitive for an Ivy-League school, where the average score is between 1450 and 1570 . In fact, a 1350 isn’t good enough to be competitive at any of the top-tier schools in the US.

In contrast, several other SAT prep providers hire only top 1% scorers (in the 99th percentile) , which means scoring about a 1550 on the SAT. (This is definitely a competitive score for the Ivy League and any other top school.) Students might consider PrepMaven (Ivy League and top 1%), SoFlo (top 1%), or Prep Expert (top 1%).

Note that if high-achieving students are aiming for a National Merit award , they’ll need a top 1% score on the PSAT, the version of the SAT that students take in October of their junior year. Every year, $35 million in scholarships are awarded through the National Merit program , and some colleges offer full-ride scholarships and other perks to National Merit students. An elite SAT tutor can help with preparation for the PSAT and this competition as well as the SAT.

Rating: 4/10

Learn more about one-on-one SAT tutoring with an Ivy-League and top 1% tutor

Kaplan Review: Online Platform

The experience and abilities of the tutor or instructor are without doubt the single most important factors in the overall quality of the educational experience for a live class or tutoring, but for online classes and tutoring the platform itself also has an impact.

The Kaplan online platform visually is pretty nice. Students have a home dashboard from which they can navigate to individual study units and practice tests. While other test prep platforms might have an individualized learning plan, Kaplan’s courses are more rigid and are not customized to meet the particular strengths and weaknesses of individual students.

Many clients have reported technical problems with the platform, which are compounded by difficulty reaching customer service :

“They are very glitchy, and they barely have customer service. There have been days that I just spent trying to figure out their site, and I have had to cancel plans because of it.”

“The website was a jumbled mess — the website is constantly broken and will make you want to rip your hair off. Disappointingly, a lot of the course is just telling you what you already know if you are actually prepping for the standardized tests. Also, some of their methods don’t even work or are just inefficient. Sorry to say, but mom and dad just wasted a **** ton of money. Save yourself your time and frustration and go somewhere else.”

“Adaptive QBank was not functioning for 2 weeks. I called and emailed several times and received responses that were unhelpful at best and rude at worst.”

“I’ve just stopped using the app all together and I tell people I do not recommend Kaplan for this reason. I have an ongoing tech issue with the app where it doesn’t load because of a test I generated, the result is an app that just gives me the spinning wheel of death nonstop, non resolving. I’ve done everything to try and resolve the problem, even offloading the app and reinstalling. Nothing works.”

“I thought this would be a helpful test prep experience… boy was I WRONG. Their website is a disaster and removes sections randomly so you cannot access them. Their website also deletes work consistently despite troubleshooting from customer service. Now on to customer service… Everyone I spoke to gave me an attitude despite issues being with their system. It sounds as if these customer service reps have never met a kind person in their life. I would run like the wind from Kaplan test prep!”

Overall, it seems that Kaplan’s online learning platform leaves room for improvement.

Kaplan Review: Customer Service

When speaking with families, the most common critique of Kaplan’s educational services was actually about their lackluster customer support.

Many clients reported that it was impossible to reach Kaplan’s customer support or technical support . Emails and messages went unanswered, and phone lines required wait times of several hours.

“Waited on hold with customer service for 4 hours on two different occasions!! Can’t get an actual HUMAN to help with my courses. So frustrated and will never be using this company again. Will also tell EVERYONE not to ever use them especially if you need assistance from their customer service. Don’t use this company! Not worth it!”

“HORRIBLE! The course itself was fine but the lack of customer service is disgusting. If you ever need help, plan on not receiving it — no matter how urgent. No one answers the phones, the live chat doesn’t work, and emails go unanswered for weeks. I wanted to renew my subscription but decided to go with another test prep service who actually cares about helping their customers.”

“I didn’t like their customer support. I bought the wrong package and tried to change for what I needed and they just told me I couldn’t even though I was willing to pay the difference. For me it ended up being a waste of money.”

“No response to support emails. I’ve reached out via email, chat, social media, and had no response whatsoever.”

“POOOOOOR customer support. Expensive, system does not work easily and tech support does not answer. Phone number does not understand simple words, it’s an automated service. It is a piece of junk.”

“The study material and courses were good. I have not taken the test but I am confident I will do okay. My issue is with their customer service department. At the end of every class, they always mention their email address and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions. Well I have reached out twice, and I have also messaged them directly through their online portal. I have gotten zero responses.”

Kaplan does offer its students a higher score guarantee for any of its live SAT courses. There are a lot of rules for this guarantee, and they’re known for avoiding it on technicalities, so make sure you read all of the fine print.

Note that this higher score guarantee means only a score that is higher than the previous SAT score, even if only by the smallest point increment. If you score a 1030 the first time, spend six months studying, and then score a 1040, you cannot make a claim on the guarantee. Many other SAT services offer stronger point increase guarantees of 100–140 points.

Kaplan Review: Final Verdict

Kaplan is one of the giants of the test prep industry, and so their SAT prep products, courses, and tutoring are well-known.

However, we found that they were overall overpriced and of lower quality than other options . As one client said,

“This is a large corporation chiefly concerned with profit. It can meaningfully improve your score yes, but you are far better off buying prep books and paying a private tutor. Don’t buy into a system that rips off students, instructors, and publishers.”

Their online learning platform has been reported to have tech problems , and their customer service is very hard to reach .

Their instructors and tutors do not have specific credentials , whereas other companies can boast top 1% or Ivy-League instructors.

Some of their online materials might be helpful to students studying for the SAT, but they’re not as good as real SAT questions, which are available for free elsewhere .

Ultimately, any amount of practice will help students prepare for the SAT, but there are many other options that will teach students more effectively, at better prices. 

If students are looking for a top-notch SAT prep class, but with smaller classes, more individualized attention, and top 1% instructors who hail from the Ivy League , we recommend PrepMaven’s SAT Masterclass . If families are specifically interested in one of the large test prep companies , we recommend Princeton Review over Kaplan . 

For families on a budget, we cannot recommend enough Khan Academy’s free SAT materials created in partnership with the College Board , creators of the SAT. Magoosh’s SAT prep course is pretty good value, too.

If students and families are looking for a more hands-on tutoring company with carefully selected Ivy-League tutors with prior teaching experience and specific training , we recommend working with a more selective tutoring service like PrepMaven ($66–349/hour) or Elite Ivy Tutors ($200–300/hour), where all of the tutors are from the Ivy-League with impressive backgrounds, and where the quality of instruction is consistently very high. 

Overall Rating: 5/10

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Emily graduated  summa cum laude  from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

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Can I pay someone to write my essay?

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Student life is associated with great stress and nervous breakdowns, so young guys and girls urgently need outside help. There are sites that take all the responsibility for themselves. You can turn to such companies for help and they will do all the work while clients relax and enjoy a carefree life.

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Harvard reinstates standardized testing requirement for class of 2029

H arvard College will once again require applicants to submit standardized test scores, joining a handful of elite colleges that have reinstated testing requirements nixed during the pandemic.

In announcing the policy change Thursday, Harvard cited a growing body of research showing standardized tests can help colleges spot talented students from less- affluent high schools. Yale University, Dartmouth College, and Brown University used the same rationale to restore testing requirements earlier this year; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revived its standardized testing requirement two years ago.

The move comes as the nation’s top colleges search for ways to maintain racial and socioeconomic diversity on campus without using race as a factor in admissions, which the US Supreme Court prohibited in its landmark affirmative action ruling against last summer.

Hopi Hoekstra, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Harvard, said standardized tests help colleges predict student success regardless of a student’s background. Students who did not submit test scores, she said, may have unintentionally withheld information that could have strengthened their overall application.

“Fundamentally, we know that talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Hoekstra said in a statement Thursday. “With this change, we hope to strengthen our ability to identify these promising students, and to give Harvard the opportunity to support their development as thinkers and leaders who will contribute to shaping our world.”

The college dropped its standardized testing requirement in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic limited some students’ access to the tests. Applicants had the option of submitting ACT and SAT scores to supplement their applications. The majority of students who matriculated at Harvard in past four years did so, even though it wasn’t required, according to the university.

Critics have long asserted standardized tests are biased toward students from wealthier families, who are more likely to take expensive test prep classes and have better educational opportunities overall.

Earlier this year, however, research by the Harvard-affiliated Opportunity Insights group found that standardized exams can help identify standout applicants from low-income backgrounds whose raw scores might not be as high as upper income students’, but who outperform their classmates. That lined up with some earlier studies, including one from a committee at the University of California system , which found tests like the SAT were more likely to predict student achievement than high school GPAs.

Opportunity Insights also found that preferences toward legacy admissions and student athletes do more to restrict diversity than requiring standardized tests.

Raj Chetty, a Harvard professor of economics and the director of Opportunity Insights, said in a statement that it’s true standardized tests are biased toward students from higher-income families, who may have greater access to test prep resources.

“But the data reveal that other measures — recommendation letters, extracurriculars, essays — are even more prone to such biases,” Chetty said. “Considering standardized test scores is likely to make the admissions process at Harvard more meritocratic while increasing socioeconomic diversity.”

David J. Deming, academic dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, said the widespread availability and the universality of the tests help ensure fairness, though some barriers still exist.

“Not everyone can hire an expensive college coach to help them craft a personal essay. But everyone has the chance to ace the SAT or the ACT,” Deming said in a statement.

Phillip Levine, a Wellesley College economics professor and expert in the business of higher education, said Harvard’s move is more evidence that elite colleges are moving back toward the SAT requirement.

“Clearly, this is going to start filtering down to other institutions as well,” he said.

But Levine said it was too early to say whether less-exclusive schools would follow Harvard and the other Ivies’ lead.

“You get more applications if you don’t require the SAT. So in a world in which you’re seeking more applications, reinstituting the requirement may not be advantageous for you,” he said. “At the top end of the market, where you’re less worried about applications, that is less of a problem.”

Bob Schaeffer, director of public education at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a nonprofit that tracks and critiques standardized exams and testing companies, said he did not anticipate Harvard’s policy change would create waves among colleges nationwide.

“The Ivy League and the other super-selective schools are exceptions to the general rule,” he said.

Schaeffer said other schools will likely closely monitor diversity and student success data at Harvard and elsewhere throughout the next academic year before determining whether to revive their own testing requirements.

In a survey of more than 200 of the nation’s top test-optional liberal arts colleges and universities conducted by education services company Kaplan Inc., which offers test preparation courses for the ACT, SAT, and others, around 15 percent said they were considering reinstating standardized testing requirements, according to Kaplan. Around two-thirds of surveyed schools said submitting an ACT or SAT score helps students’ applications.

For applicants without access to the SAT or ACT, Harvard said it will accept a handful of alternative tests , including Advanced Placement exam results and International Baccalaureate scores.

Joy St. John, Harvard’s director of admissions, said there may be fewer students taking the SAT or ACT than in the past, and accessing those tests can create barriers for international applicants.

“We hope that promising students faced with such challenges will still apply, using alternative forms of testing,” St. John said in a statement Thursday.

Levine said having a wider scope of application materials allows admissions counselors to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of different metrics, which is overall beneficial to the system.

“Regardless of how you think about it, there’s no such thing as a perfect measure of who you should accept,” Levine said.

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Travis Kelce finally graduates from college with brother Jason

Travis Kelce finally received his college degree and it was in classic Travis Kelce fashion — while chugging a beer.

The Kansas City Chiefs star attended the University of Cincinnati for undergrad alongside his brother Jason Kelce, but the pair weren't able to take part in graduation ceremonies, the Cincinnati E nquirer reported — until now.

The brothers hosted their “New Heights” podcast event at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday night, the Enquirer reported, while wearing cap and gowns, of course.

Travis Kelce finished his remaining credit hours to complete a interdisciplinary studies degree in 2022, and Jason Kelce received his degree in marketing but didn't attend commencement, the Enquirer reported.

University of Cincinnati President Dr. Neville Pinto also wore graduation regalia to deliver the diplomas to the two brothers, and the duo's parents, Donna and Ed Kelce , also joined them on stage.

New Heights also shared a sweet photo of Donna Kelce celebrating the occasion, pos ing with balloons prior to the start of the festivities.

The Bearcats posted photos from the event on Instagram, captioning the pics: "A surprise commencement we’ll never forget. Congratulations to Travis and Jason on (finally) picking up their diplomas!"

Jason Kelce attended the University of Cincinnati from 2006-2010, while his younger brother attended from 2008-2012, and the pair played football alongside each other for their overlapping years, according to the school .

Travis Kelce hugged Pinto before he started chugging his beer, which isn't a new ploy from the brothers — both Travis and Jason Kelce were spotted downing beer at a Cleveland Cavaliers game in March, too.

Now that they've picked up their diplomas, Travis Kelce can enjoy the off-season before he packs up to attend the European leg of girlfriend Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour," and Jason Kelce can continue to live life in retirement after he announced his departure from the NFL last month.

Anna Kaplan is a news and trending reporter for TODAY.com.

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Ultimate Guide to College Application Essays

Test scores, grades, and AP classes are all important data points, but they don’t allow the real “you” to come through in the college admissions process. This is why essays are so important—they represent the best opportunity to share your voice in your application.

In fact, essays are thought to be the third most important part of the admissions process after SAT/ACT scores and transcripts.  We know that essays can also be intimidating. That’s why we created this guide to help you write powerful essays that will help you get into college.

Writing in the admissions process can be grouped into 2 buckets:

• Your main personal statement for the Common App or Coalition Application .
• Supplemental essays that are college-specific.

In this guide, we are going to walk you through the entire essay writing process including:

BRAINSTORMING AND FINDING YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY TOPIC

Rocking your personal statement, supplemental essay tips, frequently asked questions about college application essays, college application essay topics: brainstorming ideas.

Most students will ask their guidance counselor or college coach this exact question at some point.

Unfortunately, as with most aspects of the admissions process, a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. There is no “best” or “right” essay topic that will automatically make your essay or application a success.

What you can do, though, is to write an essay that relies on a story from your own lived experience and that reveals your authentic self. Storytelling is a scientifically proven way to inspire and connect with your reader.

Now, you may say, “I haven’t lived an extraordinary life! I haven’t done anything remarkable or experienced any significant challenge.” This is totally OK. Admissions officers report that an effective essay should discuss things that happen in your everyday life. That means everything you need to write a successful essay is in your head already.

The first step in the storytelling process starts with a simple question: what unique traits and characteristics do you want to share with the admissions officer or scholarship committee member? Ultimately, an effective story should reveal to the reader something important about who you are. In order to do this, try brainstorming the traits and characteristics that are most essential to your identity. If you’re stuck, you can ask a friend or family member what traits or characteristics they would use to describe you.

Your next step is to think about particular moments when you exhibited those traits. This approach lays the foundation for developing stories to use in both your personal statement and supplemental essays.

How to Rock Your College Essay Personal Statement

Whether you’re applying to college using the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or another college-specific application, you will be asked to write a personal essay. Ideally, this will share a new story that the admissions officer couldn’t glean from elsewhere in the application. Generally, these essays will require between 500 and 650 words and are intentionally broad. In fact, both the Common App and Coalition Application allow you to submit an essay on a topic of your choosing. This is actually a very good thing for you as an applicant, because you are free to write about almost anything.

First, you should decide which prompt you will be responding to. We recommend reviewing all of the possible topics to see if something catches your eye. If not, you can always choose the option to submit an essay on a topic of your choosing.

Once you have chosen your prompt, you will want to think about a personal story that aligns with the chosen prompt. Remember, the goal of the personal statement is to show the reader your unique character and traits. We know that it can be tempting to try to cram as many accomplishments as possible into your essay in order to impress admissions officers.  However, this is a missed opportunity, because they will likely already know all of these things from the activities section of your application. So, instead, focus on sharing new insights about you as an individual.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that your personal statement will be shared with all of the colleges that you are applying to with the Common App or Coalition Application. There should not be any college-specific information in your essay—you can save that for supplemental essays.

Supplemental College Essay Tips and Topics

Most students put a ton of effort into their personal statement, neglecting their supplements in the process. And this doesn’t go unnoticed by admissions officers. If you put thought and care into your supplemental essays, you’ll have a much easier time standing out in the admissions process.

Supplemental essay prompts are given to you directly by the colleges to which you are applying. They may concern a broad range of topics, but most fall neatly into one of 6 main categories:

WHY THIS COLLEGE?

This essay is all about demonstrating that you are a good fit for the college and will also contribute to the college inside and outside of the classroom.

WHY THIS MAJOR?

Academics are an important part of the college experience, so colleges are interested in what you want to study and why.

Every student belongs to many communities—school, clubs, family, city, neighborhood, etc. Your response should articulate where you come from and how it has shaped you.

While college is primarily an academic experience, important learning also occurs outside of the classroom. This question aims to understand how you have contributed outside of the classroom (which is a good indicator of what to expect in the future).

There’s no shortage of problems and issues in our society. This prompt tries to understand how you think about and would potentially address these problems.

As human beings, we are influenced by many people, places, and things. Whether it was a really great book, a parent, or your favorite hiking trail, this essay will understand what has influenced you in a meaningful way.

As you are writing your supplemental essays, it is essential to connect them to each college you apply to. Supplemental essays are all specific to particular colleges, so a question like “What do you want to major in and why?” should be tailored to the college that is asking for the supplement. For instance, if you write about wanting to study biology in college, don’t simply discuss you passion for biology and your past experiences in the subject. Instead, tie it directly to professors, curriculum, and research resources at the college in question. The more specific you can be, the better. Admissions officers can easily spot essays that simply swap out one college for another—they’ll come off as generic, preventing you from standing out in the admissions pool.

College Application Essay FAQ 1) Are there any topics I should not write about?

Essay topics on overly personal or sensitive topics are generally best avoided as they can also be difficult to fully develop in the context of a 650 word essay. Many who write about these topics wind up writing more about what happened than how they grew from the experience. (If one of these topics is essential to explaining your high school experience—for instance, your grades declined when you were dealing with your parents’ divorce—you can address that in the “Additional Information” section of the Common App.)

College Application Essay FAQ 2) How should I respond to really short supplemental essays?

You might encounter supplemental essay prompts that allow only 100 to 150 words. These essays can be tricky, because you don’t have a lot of space to respond. Our suggestion is to start with a brief story of just a sentence or 2 to hook the reader. Then, respond to the question as succinctly as possible. For your first draft, it is OK to go over the word count a bit and then trim your essay down as you revise.  This will allow you to explore different approaches to the essay and see what works best for you.

College Application Essay FAQ 3) What about optional supplements? Do I need to answer them?

As a rule of thumb, everything that is “optional” in the admissions process is something that you should absolutely do. This includes optional supplemental essays. Make it a point to put time and energy into your responses.

College Application Essay FAQ 4) Can I recycle essays with colleges that ask the same question?

It’s OK to reuse the same story more than once, but we don’t recommend recycling an entire essay. It can be tempting, but will ultimately strip the personality and specificity from your essay, harming your case. For instance, if you’ve written an essay for your application to a small, rural liberal arts college, and that essay is generic enough to use in your applications to other small, rural liberal arts colleges, you probably have more work to do to tailor your essays to each specific college.

College Application Essay FAQ 5) Is it OK if my essay is below the word count?

Effective essays don’t have to be long. Don’t feel obligated to max out your word count just because the Common App allows you to write up to 650 words. Every word matters, so make sure everything in your essay is serving a purpose. As you edit and revise, focus on making your story tighter and more concise by eliminating unnecessary words and sentences.

[  KEEP STUDYING :  Top 6 Tips to Win Scholarships ]

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Guest Essay

Anxious Parents Are the Ones Who Need Help

By Mathilde Ross

Dr. Ross is a senior staff psychiatrist at Boston University Health Services.

This month, across the country, a new cohort of students is being accepted into colleges. And if recent trends continue, the start of the school year will kick off another record-breaking season for anxiety on campus.

I’m talking about the parents. The kids are mostly fine.

Let me explain. Most emotions, even unpleasant ones, are normal. But the word is out about increasing rates of mental health problems on campus, and that’s got parents worrying. Fair enough. The statistics are startling — in 2022, nearly 14 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds reported having serious thoughts about suicide.

But parents are allowing their anxiety to take over, and it’s not helping anyone, least of all their children. If a child calls home too much, there must be a crisis! And if a child calls too little, there must be a crisis! Either way, the panicked parent picks up the phone and calls the college counseling center to talk to someone like me.

I am a psychiatrist who has worked at a major university’s mental health clinic for 16 years. Much of next year’s freshman class was born the year before I started working here. Technically, my job is to keep my door open and help students through crises, big and small. But I have also developed a comprehensive approach to the assessment and treatment of anxious parents.

The typical call from a parent begins like this: “I think my son/daughter is suffering from anxiety.” My typical reply is: “Anxiety in this setting is usually normal, because major life transitions like living away from home for the first time are commonly associated with elevated anxiety.” Parents used to be satisfied with this kind of answer, thanked me, hung up, called their children and encouraged them to think long-term: “This too shall pass.” And most everyone carried on.

But these days this kind of thinking just convinces parents that I don’t know what I’m talking about. In the circular logic of mental health awareness, a clinician’s reassurance that situational anxiety is most likely normal and time-limited leads a parent to believe that the clinician may be missing a serious mental health condition.

Today’s parents are suffering from anxiety about anxiety, which is actually much more serious than anxiety. It’s self-fulfilling and not easily soothed by logic or evidence, such as the knowledge that most everyone adjusts to college just fine.

Anxiety about anxiety has gotten so bad that some parents actually worry if their student isn’t anxious. This puts a lot of pressure on unanxious students — it creates anxiety about anxiety about anxiety. (This happens all the time. Well-meaning parents tell their kid to make an appointment with our office to make sure their adjustment to college is going OK.) If the student says she’s fine, the parents worry that she isn’t being forthright. This is the conundrum of anxiety about anxiety — there’s really no easy way to combat it.

But I do have some advice for parents. The first thing I’d like to say, and I mean it in the kindest possible way, is: Get a grip.

As for your kids, I would like to help you with some age-appropriate remedies. If your child calls during the first weeks of college feeling anxious, consider saying any of the following: You’ll get through this; this is normal; we’ll laugh about this phone call at Thanksgiving. Or, say anything that was helpful to you the last time you started something new. Alternatively, you could say nothing. Just listening really helps. It’s the entire basis of my profession.

If the anxiety is connected to academic performance — for instance, if your child is having difficulty following the professor and thinks everyone in class is smarter — consider saying, “Do the reading.” Several times a semester, a student I’ve counseled tells me he or she discovered the secret to college: Show up for class prepared! This is often whispered rather sheepishly, even though my office is private.

Anxiety about oral presentations is also quite common. You know what I tell students? “Rehearse your speech.” Parents, you can say things like this, too. Practice it: “Son, you wouldn’t believe how helpful practice is.”

I can prepare you for advanced topics, too. Let’s say your child is exhausted and having trouble waking up for class; he thinks he has a medical problem or maybe a sleep disorder. Consider telling him to go to bed earlier. Common sense is still allowed.

What if a roommate is too loud or too quiet, too messy or too neat? Advise your kid to talk to the roommate, to take the conversation to the problem’s source.

If your child is worrying about something more serious, like failing out of college: This is quite common in the first few weeks on campus. Truth be told, failing all of one’s classes and being expelled as a result, all within the first semester, is essentially impossible and is particularly rare among those students who are worrying about it. The administrative process simply doesn’t happen that fast. Besides, you haven’t paid enough tuition yet.

I’m making my job sound easy, and it’s not. I’m making kids sound simple, and they’re not. They are my life’s work. Some kids walk through my door in serious pain. But most don’t. Most just need a responsible adult to show them the way. And most of what I do can be handled by any adult who has been through a thing or two, which is to say, any parent.

I worry that the current obsession with mental health awareness is disempowering parents from helping their adult children handle ordinary things. People are increasingly fearful that any normal emotion is a sign of something serious. But if you send your adult children to a mental health professional at the first sign of distress, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with them. This is the beginning of their adult relationship with you. Show them the way.

The transition to college is full of excitement and its cousin, anxiety. I enjoy shepherding young people through this rite of passage. Parents should try enjoying it, too.

Mathilde Ross is a senior staff psychiatrist at Boston University Health Services.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Harvard reinstates standardized testing requirement for class of 2029

Harvard College will once again require applicants to submit standardized test scores, joining a handful of elite colleges that have reinstated testing requirements nixed during the pandemic.

In announcing the policy change Thursday, Harvard cited a growing body of research showing standardized tests can help colleges spot talented students from less- affluent high schools. Yale University, Dartmouth College, and Brown University used the same rationale to restore testing requirements earlier this year; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revived its standardized testing requirement two years ago.

The move comes as the nation’s top colleges search for ways to maintain racial and socioeconomic diversity on campus without using race as a factor in admissions, which the US Supreme Court prohibited in its landmark affirmative action ruling against last summer.

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Hopi Hoekstra, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Harvard, said standardized tests help colleges predict student success regardless of a student’s background. Students who did not submit test scores, she said, may have unintentionally withheld information that could have strengthened their overall application.

“Fundamentally, we know that talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Hoekstra said in a statement Thursday. “With this change, we hope to strengthen our ability to identify these promising students, and to give Harvard the opportunity to support their development as thinkers and leaders who will contribute to shaping our world.”

The college dropped its standardized testing requirement in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic limited some students’ access to the tests. Applicants had the option of submitting ACT and SAT scores to supplement their applications. The majority of students who matriculated at Harvard in past four years did so, even though it wasn’t required, according to the university.

Critics have long asserted standardized tests are biased toward students from wealthier families, who are more likely to take expensive test prep classes and have better educational opportunities overall.

Earlier this year, however, research by the Harvard-affiliated Opportunity Insights group found that standardized exams can help identify standout applicants from low-income backgrounds whose raw scores might not be as high as upper income students’, but who outperform their classmates. That lined up with some earlier studies, including one from a committee at the University of California system , which found tests like the SAT were more likely to predict student achievement than high school GPAs.

Opportunity Insights also found that preferences toward legacy admissions and student athletes do more to restrict diversity than requiring standardized tests.

Raj Chetty, a Harvard professor of economics and the director of Opportunity Insights, said in a statement that it’s true standardized tests are biased toward students from higher-income families, who may have greater access to test prep resources.

“But the data reveal that other measures — recommendation letters, extracurriculars, essays — are even more prone to such biases,” Chetty said. “Considering standardized test scores is likely to make the admissions process at Harvard more meritocratic while increasing socioeconomic diversity.”

David J. Deming, academic dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, said the widespread availability and the universality of the tests help ensure fairness, though some barriers still exist.

“Not everyone can hire an expensive college coach to help them craft a personal essay. But everyone has the chance to ace the SAT or the ACT,” Deming said in a statement.

Phillip Levine, a Wellesley College economics professor and expert in the business of higher education, said Harvard’s move is more evidence that elite colleges are moving back toward the SAT requirement.

“Clearly, this is going to start filtering down to other institutions as well,” he said.

But Levine said it was too early to say whether less-exclusive schools would follow Harvard and the other Ivies’ lead.

“You get more applications if you don’t require the SAT. So in a world in which you’re seeking more applications, reinstituting the requirement may not be advantageous for you,” he said. “At the top end of the market, where you’re less worried about applications, that is less of a problem.”

Bob Schaeffer, director of public education at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, a nonprofit that tracks and critiques standardized exams and testing companies, said he did not anticipate Harvard’s policy change would create waves among colleges nationwide.

“The Ivy League and the other super-selective schools are exceptions to the general rule,” he said.

Schaeffer said other schools will likely closely monitor diversity and student success data at Harvard and elsewhere throughout the next academic year before determining whether to revive their own testing requirements.

In a survey of more than 200 of the nation’s top test-optional liberal arts colleges and universities conducted by education services company Kaplan Inc., which offers test preparation courses for the ACT, SAT, and others, around 15 percent said they were considering reinstating standardized testing requirements, according to Kaplan. Around two-thirds of surveyed schools said submitting an ACT or SAT score helps students’ applications.

For applicants without access to the SAT or ACT, Harvard said it will accept a handful of alternative tests , including Advanced Placement exam results and International Baccalaureate scores.

Joy St. John, Harvard’s director of admissions, said there may be fewer students taking the SAT or ACT than in the past, and accessing those tests can create barriers for international applicants.

“We hope that promising students faced with such challenges will still apply, using alternative forms of testing,” St. John said in a statement Thursday.

Levine said having a wider scope of application materials allows admissions counselors to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of different metrics, which is overall beneficial to the system.

“Regardless of how you think about it, there’s no such thing as a perfect measure of who you should accept,” Levine said.

Daniel Kool can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @dekool01 .