Much dreaded and oft misunderstood, the college essay is an essential component of your admissions package – and for good reason. The college essay (or personal statement) is your opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee in your own voice. It allows you to communicate what is most important and integral to YOU, and in doing so, what makes you different from the other applicants.

This guide provides a broad overview of everything you need to know to write a strong college essay. We will primarily be addressing the Common App Personal Statement, which is the main application essay used by over 800 colleges. However, these same principles apply to all of the essays you may be asked to write for your applications.

The college essay is very important. Some competitive universities now base 50% of admissions on what you write in application essays. Nowadays, many applicants have perfect grades, test scores, and a score of impressive extracurricular activities on their resume, but a great college essay allows you to stand out from the crowd.

The general rule of the thumb is that the college essay (common app personal statement) should be around 500 words, and no more than 650. Concise and powerful is always preferable to long and rambling. Remember, admissions officers are reading thousands of essays each application cycle. You don’t want to lose their interest by writing an overly long essay.

Here’s the thing: your college essay essay can be about literally anything, providing you present the topic in an engaging and original way. There is a famous 

A good topic for your essay should also be something that is personal to you (It’s called the “personal statement” for a reason). A common mistake students make is to write an essay about something that interests them, which may be very interesting and engaging, but fail to relate it back to themselves and their experience.

What are the most common college essay topics?

If you’re asking this question, you’re not thinking about the essay in the right way. A good essay topic should not be something “common.” Rather, the best essay topic is one that is original and unique to you.

It is commonly said that students should avoid “the 5 Ds” when selecting a college essay topic: 

Death, Divorce, Disease (including Depression), Drugs, and Dating

. This is not to say that these topics are not important or worthy of being written about. The problem is many students fail to realize just how common they are as inevitable, albeit difficult components of the human experience. Your parents’ divorce, the death of your grandfather, or your addiction problem are no doubt important to your personal story, but they are not unique to you. When it comes to any of the 5 D’s, the admissions committee has almost certainly seen it before.

This leads to the larger and more important point. When it comes to the college essay, the main rule is to 

. It is paramount that your essay be original and unique to you. So in theory, you could write your essay about any of the 5 Ds, provided you approach it from a new angle that the admissions committee has never seen before. This is easier said than done, but it is nonetheless true that an original voice and perspective can transcend even the most commonplace subject matter.

There are still some topics and themes that should generally be avoided, either because they verge into the realm of cliché or may potentially put off the admissions committee:

Going on a service trip abroad and “discovering poverty.”

Illegal activities or anything that shows compromised judgment - you don’t want to be seen as a liability by schools.

The 5 D’s - Death, Divorce, Disease (including Depression), Drugs, and Dating.

The word “passion.” The root of the word passion means to suffer. if you haven’t suffered for your passion, don't use the word. You should still write about your passions, but show us it’s your passion instead of telling us.

For more information on college essay do’s and don’t, check out this 

A great college essay should be engaging, personal, concise, and well-written.

College essay expert Justin Taylor sums up the essential component of a successful college essay with the acronym 

 - Colleges are interested in learning about what motivates you. What do you love more than anything? What is the source of your genuine enthusiasm and drive? Your core “want” will be the driving force behind your college essay.

 - Colleges want to hear your authentic voice come through in your essay. Write about what genuinely interests you, about genuine experiences you’ve had, and be your genuine self. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t, or try to sound “impressive.” Remember, the admissions committee is trying to get to know YOU. If you stay true to yourself, you can’t help but be original.

 - All great college essays have an “ah-ha” moment (or multiple!). What have you learned from your experiences, good and bad? What do your interests and passions reveal about your essential self? The personal statement is an exercise in self-reflection. Colleges want to see that you are someone who is continually learning and growing.

For more information on how to write a WOW college essay, check out our article on the topic 

How to come up with a college essay topic

Coming up with the right topic for your essay is probably the most important part of the process, and also the hardest. How can you possibly sum up your entire being in 500 words?

One way to start is to look at the prompts provided by the Common App. Check them out 

These prompts may trigger some ideas for a topic, but don’t worry too much about answering any of them directly. There is still the last prompt that permits you to write about pretty much anything that’s important to you. If none of the prompts speak to you, try answering these questions for yourself and see what you come up with:

What are your passions, big and small? What do you (or could you) stay up until 4am (or get out of bed at 4am) to do, nerd out about, perform, study, build, create?

What daily/weekly/monthly rituals and routines do you enjoy to relax or connect to yourself? Be as specific as possible. “Journaling” is okay. “Journaling in the back of my car in the rain” is much better. “Talk to my friends” doesn’t say enough. “Talking to my friend Susie at the end of the week” is better. (do not put “veg out” activities like play video games, tik tok, watch TV/youtube, eat snacks, and sit on the couch) Get to 10.

List 10 people who or situations that challenged you. Be honest. Tell me what you learned from the challenge when you answer “because.” Omit siblings, divorces, service trips, and the pandemic.

List your 10 favorite places and/or objects (that are not your car or phone). Be specific. If it's your friend’s house, what room? If it’s your bedroom, what part of your bedroom? When you answer “because,” include 1 story about that place or object.

If you complete this exercise, you’re bound to come up with something to explore deeper. This is also a great way to brainstorm topics for the many supplemental essays other than the personal statement you will be asked to write for your applications.

We always recommend that students begin writing their essay the summer before senior year. Get the essay done early so there’s one less thing to worry about in the fall, when you’ll also have to juggle normal school, standardized tests, and the rest of your application essays.

Once you’ve landed on a topic, write as much as you can without editing. Aim for 500 + words. This is the initial thought dump that will provide the raw material you can then shape into a finished product. It’s important to remember that it is very normal to write multiple drafts of your college essay, and maybe even change your topic a few times before landing on one that works. Don’t let being a perfectionist prevent you from getting started.

For more tips on how to start your essay, read our article 

Only you can write your essay, but it’s very common for students to get help from expert advisors who know what the admissions committees are looking for. IVY’s 

 have helped countless students write smash-hit college essays, resulting in multiple offer letters from their top schools. They can help you come up with a great topic and make sure your final draft is hitting all the right notes.

. Work with one our expert essay coaches and complete a polished first draft in just one week!

Application essays now make up more than 50% of admissions criteria! Ready to write an outstanding college essay coached by one of our world-class tutors? Get the essay done.

College Essay 101

New York City has 9 specialized public high schools designed to serve students who excel in academics and/or the arts. Due to their specialized nature, these high schools have selective admissions processes that involve either an admissions test, an artistic portfolio, or audition. If you’re currently in middle school and live in NYC, it’s a great time to start thinking ahead about your high school plans, and whether applying to one of these specialized high schools makes sense for you. 

The 9 specialized high schools of NYC are:

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College

High School of American Studies at Lehman College

Queens High School for the Sciences at York College

Though Bronx Science, as the name suggests, was initially founded as a specialized math and science school, students with a variety of interests attend. The course load here is well-rounded and rigorous: above all, the school is now known for its academically gifted and hard-working students. Bronx Science offers its students 37 out of a possible 38 AP courses (the only one not offered is AP German Language and Culture), as well as a variety of quality extracurricular clubs and activities (including the top Speech and Debate team in the country!). As a part of its IDEAS institute, scientifically-minded students can engage in robotics competitions, hackathons, and other programs that encourage students to make their ideas come to life. For more information on Bronx Science, see 

, Bronx Science is ranked #2 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

Like most of the other high schools on this list, Brooklyn Latin is known for its academic rigor and quality course and extracurricular offerings. Brooklyn Latin has a particular strength and focus in the humanities and classics. Students here must take Latin, English, History, and a modern foreign language all 4 years of high school. Socratic dialogue and public speaking skills are fostered and encouraged. Students here wear uniforms, to resemble English boarding schools, and are required to take IB courses (which are similar to AP courses, but are recognized internationally). For more on Brooklyn Latin School, see 

, Brooklyn Latin is ranked #54 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

Brooklyn Technical High School has a particular focus on STEM subjects, especially those of an applied nature, and in many ways operates more like a college than a high school. At the end of their sophomore years, students are placed into one of 18 possible majors (decided based on a combination of a student’s preferences and demonstrated proficiency), which determines more selective courses students take in their final two years. It is the largest high school in the US by student population, and also has the largest AP program. This school is a great choice for students who are highly motivated and interested in the applied sciences. For more on Brooklyn Technical High School, see 

, Brooklyn Tech is ranked #15 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

LaGuardia High School is unique among the specialized high schools in that its focus is on the arts. That being said, academic strength is still required for acceptance here, and the school’s core academic courses are an important part of each student’s experience. Attending students have a visual or performing arts major (vocal music, instrumental music, visual arts, dance, drama, or technical theater), and spend time every day on both normal high school courses and courses related to their major. The goal is to marry conservatory style arts concentration with a full, traditional academic course load. For more on LaGuardia High School, see 

, Laguardia is ranked #43 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

HSMSE offers both a challenging and comprehensive general academic program as well as particularly rigorous and high-quality course offerings in STEM disciplines. Students are required to take engineering courses, and take at least 5 courses in mathematics over their four years of high school. At the end of their sophomore year, students apply and are selected for one of three major concentrations (math, engineering, or medical research). Since the school is partnered with the Goethe-Institut, German is especially encouraged as a foreign language course, and students who take German have the chance to study abroad in Germany. It’s designed to be a small school of around 500 students, which allows students to get personal attention from dedicated teachers. Additionally, though small, the student body is extremely diverse, and the school has a variety of extracurricular offerings for students to participate in. For more on HSMSE, see 

High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College Ranking

, HSME is ranked #8 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

HSAS is one of the newest and smallest specialized high schools, and focuses especially on American history. Students take American history courses three of their four years of high school and are required to take the AP US History exam. The school is partnered with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which facilitates affordable trips outside of the city for students to visit historical sites, conduct research from primary sources, and attend talks by renowned lecturers. For more on HSAS, see 

High School of American Studies at Lehman College Ranking

, HSAS is ranked #9 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

Like HSAS, Queen High School for the science is relatively new and small among the specialized high schools, and is the only specialized high school in Queens. Though its emphasis is on the STEM disciplines, all students here take a variety of challenging courses beyond the sciences. All students at QHSS take AP classes, and many also take courses from York College professors that entitle them to college credit. As the high school is located on York College’s campus, QHSS students are entitled to use the college’s library, cafeteria, and gym. For more on QHSS, see 

Queens High School for the Sciences Ranking 

, Queens High School is ranked #53 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

Staten Island Technical High School offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, with a special emphasis on engineering and the sciences. This curriculum includes a pre-engineering program and a work-based learning program, which give students the chance to have hands-on engineering experiences, preparing them for higher education as well as the workforce. Since SITHS was founded during the Cold War, Russian is the only foreign language that students can take. Though this school has a very strong focus on engineering and technical subjects, its students have the option to partake in any of 15 AP courses offered (including several history and English language courses), and can partake in a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities, including strong athletic and theater programs. For more on SITHS, see 

Staten Island Technical High School Ranking

, Staten Island Tech is ranked #3 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

Stuyvesant is one of the largest and most well-known of the specialized high schools in the city, recognized for its impressive alumni, rigorous academics, and quality course and extracurricular offerings. Students here are well-rounded, taking four full years respectively of history, English, science, and mathematics, and at least three years of a foreign language. The school offers students 31 of possible 38 AP courses to choose from, and administers more AP exams than any other high school in the world. Students here are admitted to the very top colleges and universities, and each year its graduating class sends several students respectively to schools like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT. For more on Stuyvesant, see

, Stuyvesant is ranked #1 for Best Public High Schools in New York. 

How to Apply to a Specialized High School: General Rules

For eight of the nine specialized high schools (excluding LaGuardia), you must take the SHSAT to be considered for admission. In fact, your 

SHSAT scores are the only admission factor

. The schools do not consider your grades or other test scores, so it’s crucial to be well-prepared for the SHSAT. The test is normally taken in the fall of 8th grade.

It is very important that you also research all the schools leading up to this time, and determine your preferences. On the day that you take the SHSAT, you will be required to rank the 8 schools that take the SHSAT in order of your preferences. You will automatically be placed into the school that you rank highest on your list, among those whose cutoff SHSAT scores you meet. So, for example, if you score high enough to get into Stuyvesant (which historically has the highest cut-offs), but you ranked Bronx Science higher on your list, you will only be admitted to Bronx Science.

, you will need to audition or submit a portfolio for the programs in which you are interested (each major has different audition/portfolio criteria, which is why you’ll need to apply separately for each). Historically, the auditions take place and the portfolios are submitted in person, but for the past few years, due to COVID, both have been taking place virtually. Fortunately, you can also use your LaGuardia application materials to apply to any other audition-based high school in the city with the relevant arts programs. Like the SHSAT, your LaGuardia High School audition or portfolio should be submitted in the fall of your eighth grade year.

You should get your SHSAT results and a letter indicating whether you received an offer to a specialized school in the following March. For more information on the specialized high schools and the admissions process, see 

Since SHSAT scores are the defining metric for acceptance to most of the specialized high schools, it’s crucial to be well-prepared and confident going into this test. Though you won’t register for the test until September, it’s a good idea to use your summer break as a time to study. In fact, here at Ivy, we recommend that students planning on taking the SHSAT in the fall of 8th grade start studying in the spring of 7th grade (although it certainly doesn’t hurt to start earlier).

The NYC Department of Education provides a preparation guide each year, such as 

. This guide is a good starting point to familiarizing yourself with the format and content of the test.

 before diving fully into your studying journey is a great way to get a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses, and develop a customized plan towards mastery. At Ivy Tutors Network, we can administer this 

, provide a comprehensive report to help you understand the results, and help you create a strategic plan for your test prep.

. Regular and consistent practice will not only help you master the material, but also essential testing skills like time management. This practice should include additional timed practice tests to simulate the testing experience. Ivy Tutors Network can proctor these tests, and our experienced 

 can over them with you afterwards to help you understand every question you got wrong.

 for 7th and 8th graders. These classes cover all the foundational content on the test as well as testing tips and strategies. The small groups match students at similar levels, so students can both get individualized attention from our tutors and learn from one another.

Though the SHSAT may seem daunting, starting preparation early and thoughtfully can make success achievable and manageable. Ultimately, the test rewards students who are consistent and dedicated in their study, which are qualities that also help students succeed at these academically rigorous specialized schools. 

And you don’t have to go on this journey alone! Our 

 are experts in helping students master the SHSAT, and can guide you each step of the way! 

Specialized High Schools in NYC

SHSAT ELA practice can be daunting. We know what you’re thinking. How can I possibly read and understand all these complex passages with words I’ve never seen before – under a time limit too! While the 

 is certainly difficult, it’s not impossible. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best ways to practice and prepare yourself for the ELA section of SHSAT.

There are two categories of ELA questions on the SHSAT: 

assesses students’ knowledge of syntax and grammar, and their ability to correctly edit and revise passages.

 tests students’ ability to read and understand prose and poetry passages in English and correctly answer multiple choice questions that focus on comprehension and analysis.

The SHSAT contains 9–11 revising/editing questions. These are divided between standalone questions and a series of questions based on a single passage. For the standalone questions, students are given a sentence or short paragraph in which they must identify a grammatical error and/or suggest how to revise it. The passage questions are less about grammar and more about how to structure writing to increase coherence and flow. Students will be asked to add, remove, or move around individual lines to make the passage more logical.

Independent reading is the single best way to practice for the reading comprehension portion of SHSAT. When students read regularly, they become better at retaining information, acquire a greater vocabulary, and also develop the skills to read passages more quickly without missing important information. Students are encouraged to read in a wide variety of genres: novels, newspaper articles, scientific periodicals, poetry etc.. But reading anything is better than nothing!

When doing independent reading, here is an exercise that can help hone your comprehension skill for the SHSAT:

Choose a short to medium article or story.

Read it. Don’t try to remember everything on the first read, but do try to get a clear idea of the topic or main events of the passage. While reading, underline any words you don’t know.

Write a few lines summarizing the main idea of the passage. For nonfiction, what’s the topic? What does the author have to say about the topic? For fiction, who are the characters or narrator in this excerpt? What happens between them/what events take place?

For each paragraph, write a few lines summarizing the main idea/events of the paragraph.

Look up the vocabulary you don’t know and write them with their definition in a devoted section of your notebook so that you don’t forget.

We recommend doing this several times with multiple different passages. The exercise is simple, but will train you to consistently read for comprehension with whatever text you encounter.

It may sound overly simple, but the best way to practice for the SHSAT poetry section is to read poetry! This is easier said than done, as most students don’t read poetry outside of a school setting. To practice poetry analysis, you can visit 

 and look at the poem of the day. Read it once, then read it again, this time trying to take in the literal meaning of what the speaker is saying. Jot down a few lines summarizing the main ideas of the poem. Then read a third time and pay attention to how the metaphors, word choice, repetitions, and rhyme scheme deepen and contribute to these ideas. How do these figurative elements enhance or complicate the meaning of the poem? Choose a few of these divides and write down your insights. Believe it or not, you just analyzed a poem! See, that wasn’t so hard after all!

Here are some essential grammar concepts that you should know for the SHSAT:

 - Can you tell if your verbs agree with the subject in number?

 - Can you make sure your verbs are in the proper tense?

 - Can you properly use commas to separate dependent clauses, appositives, and items in a list?

 - This is when a phrase or clause is placed in a sentence so that it appears to modify or refer to an unintended word.

SHSAT grammar practice is important, but you should also trust your ear as a native English speaker. There’s a lot of grammar you could learn for this section, but it’s also really short, so studying each rule endlessly may not be the best use of your time. Look out for strangeness as you read. If something sounds off to you, it probably is.

Here are some tips and strategies for making sure you maximize your chances of doing well on the ELA portion of the SHSAT:

 The way the questions on the SHSAT are constructed makes the test particularly difficult for students. Not only does the test require close reading of the passages, but of the questions as well. There will be answer choices that may make accurate statements about the passage, but because they don’t answer what the question is asking, are actually traps. Students need to be careful to choose the answer choice that directly responds to the question as it is phrased, even if it is less vivid and specific.

 If you can’t identify textual evidence for your answer, chances are that it’s incorrect. When practicing, get in the habit of undermining the lines or words in the passage that justify your answer choice.

For some students, it may be beneficial to start with a passage in a genre they find easier to read (non fiction instead of fiction, for instance) in order to rack up as many correct points as possible. You can take the passages in any order, so you can try starting with the genre you like better, or experiment with both ways on practice tests. There are 6 reading comprehension passages with 6–10 questions each (3–4 of these will be information, 1–2 will be literary, and 1 will be a poem).

. Every question on the SHSAT is worth the same amount of points. There is no benefit to answering the harder questions over the easier ones. You should never linger too long on one question. If it’s difficult, mark it, guess and come back later. Blank answers and wrong answers are treated the same, so there is no penalty for guessing. If you don’t know the answer, you should always guess, since there’s a chance you’ll get it right. If you can eliminate 1 or 2 first, all the better.

Ivy Tutors Network has been the industry leader in SHSAT preparation for over 19 years. To see where you are in the SHSAT prep process, start by taking a 

 with us. We’ll send you a comprehensive score report to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses. We can then match you with one of our experienced 

, who will help you develop the best strategies for mastering the ELA portion of the SHSAT.

SHSAT ELA Practice 

We’re happy to answer any test question you may have and to help take the stress out of test prep!

Start with the most experienced and inspiring tutors, focus on test subject matter and specific exam tricks efficiently, reach your highest potential scores, and move on with your life! Test prep isn't only about beating the test, but about developing strong math and English skills, building stamina, and understanding that hard work pays off through a growth mindset.

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