The personal essay is an essential component of your application. How compelling it is — or isn't — can make or break your acceptance.

If you’re reading this, chances are your goal is to get into an elite school such as Stanford, Yale, or Harvard. A quick investigation into these schools reveals that the increasing number of ...

There’s something both enticing and paradoxical about calling your book of personal revelations The Unspeakable, especially when you tack on a winking subtitle like And Other Subjects of Discussion.

I assign lots of writing in my first-year writing course, but I’ve gotten out of the essay business almost entirely. Because of this, I am pleased to see the utility of the college “essay” up for ...