Lessons learned: 2025-2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Figure out how to effectively recycle supplementals from one school to the next. Operative word is effectively. This both takes and saves time.

I agree. This is especially important if your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplemental essays.

This part of the process was MUCH more difficult than DD (and then we, her parents) expected!!

Next time (with DC2), we will help him up front in ways that should not be necessary, but I think are . . . by creating a chart of some sort showin EVERY supplemental essay for the schools on his list, and helping him strategically figure out which ones line up and which ones are truly unique.

It seems absolutely ridiculous, which is why it never crossed our mind to consider this with DC1. They applied to 12 schools, each with at least 2 supplemental essays, some with as many as 5. The idea of STARTING the process in August with a chart that included 40 essays to be written would have caused DD's head to explode. But I do think it would have helped save time and effort in the long run . . . .

More details for those who are interested:

While it seems at first that there are only a few types of supplementals (Why X college, Tell us about a community you're a part of, Describe a life experience that impacted you and will influence your involvement at X college) every school finds a way to put their own spin on it. And schools mix and match their questions in different ways such that straight cut-and-paste from other applications doesn't really work.

Sometimes the topic is almost exactly the same but the word limit is 200 instead of 500 (or the reverse), which means a ton of editing to the point that it becomes an entirely different essay.

Sometimes the topic seems to be the same on the surface, but is actually asking for something different. (I'm thinking of one supplement that asked about community, but on closer read it actually focused on CONVERSATION - something about how the kid learned to engage with others in conversation etc. So the straight-up community essay from School X was not at all a fit because the examples were completely off topic.)

And sometimes a school has two supplements are similar to those your kid wrote for other schools, but they overlap in weird ways, so your kid needs to deconstruct and rearrange parts from multiple essays to make it all work as a whole. Again, complete pain in the butt.

Bottom line: If your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplements, ENCOURAGE THEM TO START EARLY!!

And consider having them create blocks of ideas/examples that can be moved around independently to serve different purposes. It involves a level of forethought and planning that is truly ridiculous, IMHO.

(The other option is to apply to fewer schools . . . or to seek out schools with fewer or no supplemental essays. There are some great schools that fall into this category. A quick Google search will bring up lists of supplement-free applications. Just double-check (ALWAYS) on the school's website AND the Common App to be 100% certain. Sometimes schools "hide" a supplement in a weird place - DC almost missed a few because they didn't show up in the same section of the common app as the others. Again, ridiculous.)

Or ask AI to adapt the 3-4 supplements you write to match other schools prompts, then sit down and spend 1 hour humanizing it back to your voice. Saved days. You can also pay someone to write them for you after you meet with them for 1-2 hours and sketch out your answers to each “type” of prompt. Cost is about $1200 an essay.

Both of those methods sound highly unethical. I can't believe we're now paying $1200 for random adults to ghostwrite our children's essays.

It’s so ass backwards that these supposed wunderkinds with apparently unlimited financial resources are the ones who can’t figure out how to write a few short essays. Not impressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AI is now astonishingly good at this, if you know how to use it.

AI has been a massive time and money saver for DC and extremely happy with the result.

Lame

[Anonymous]

My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AI is now astonishingly good at this, if you know how to use it.

AI has been a massive time and money saver for DC and extremely happy with the result.

Meaningless without disclosing the result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

I love this. "Aim Medium" sounds smart. There's too much chasing, and colleges rely on hype and panic to get kids to apply in a panic to far too many schools just to help them create a mirage that they must be good quality because they are desirable and everyone wants to get in. The truth is, students are now apply to 10-15 schools each! And of course they can only attend 1 so really it's not an accurate picture of demand. Enrollment is a much better picture of demand.

[Anonymous]

Why not ED to a school no one in your high school matriculates to?

We are at a VA public high school with a lot of middle class families so lots of people go in state (nothing wrong with that!). We can afford full pay for a private college had our junior is thinking about EDing next year to a Claremont College that our school never sends anyone to. Is that a horrible idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Figure out how to effectively recycle supplementals from one school to the next. Operative word is effectively. This both takes and saves time.

I agree. This is especially important if your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplemental essays.

This part of the process was MUCH more difficult than DD (and then we, her parents) expected!!

Next time (with DC2), we will help him up front in ways that should not be necessary, but I think are . . . by creating a chart of some sort showin EVERY supplemental essay for the schools on his list, and helping him strategically figure out which ones line up and which ones are truly unique.

It seems absolutely ridiculous, which is why it never crossed our mind to consider this with DC1. They applied to 12 schools, each with at least 2 supplemental essays, some with as many as 5. The idea of STARTING the process in August with a chart that included 40 essays to be written would have caused DD's head to explode. But I do think it would have helped save time and effort in the long run . . . .

More details for those who are interested:

While it seems at first that there are only a few types of supplementals (Why X college, Tell us about a community you're a part of, Describe a life experience that impacted you and will influence your involvement at X college) every school finds a way to put their own spin on it. And schools mix and match their questions in different ways such that straight cut-and-paste from other applications doesn't really work.

Sometimes the topic is almost exactly the same but the word limit is 200 instead of 500 (or the reverse), which means a ton of editing to the point that it becomes an entirely different essay.

Sometimes the topic seems to be the same on the surface, but is actually asking for something different. (I'm thinking of one supplement that asked about community, but on closer read it actually focused on CONVERSATION - something about how the kid learned to engage with others in conversation etc. So the straight-up community essay from School X was not at all a fit because the examples were completely off topic.)

And sometimes a school has two supplements are similar to those your kid wrote for other schools, but they overlap in weird ways, so your kid needs to deconstruct and rearrange parts from multiple essays to make it all work as a whole. Again, complete pain in the butt.

Bottom line: If your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplements, ENCOURAGE THEM TO START EARLY!!

And consider having them create blocks of ideas/examples that can be moved around independently to serve different purposes. It involves a level of forethought and planning that is truly ridiculous, IMHO.

(The other option is to apply to fewer schools . . . or to seek out schools with fewer or no supplemental essays. There are some great schools that fall into this category. A quick Google search will bring up lists of supplement-free applications. Just double-check (ALWAYS) on the school's website AND the Common App to be 100% certain. Sometimes schools "hide" a supplement in a weird place - DC almost missed a few because they didn't show up in the same section of the common app as the others. Again, ridiculous.)

Or ask AI to adapt the 3-4 supplements you write to match other schools prompts, then sit down and spend 1 hour humanizing it back to your voice. Saved days. You can also pay someone to write them for you after you meet with them for 1-2 hours and sketch out your answers to each “type” of prompt. Cost is about $1200 an essay.

Both of those methods sound highly unethical. I can't believe we're now paying $1200 for random adults to ghostwrite our children's essays.

$1000 generally in my area.

How? When an adult wrote the essays, they don't have the kids' authentic voice.
How did they fare? Got in T20s?

Yes to T20.
It's "editing". Keep kids' stories/hooks and create a much more detailed and vivid depiction of Why Major and Why School that goes much deeper beyond classes or professors or clubs. Hard to explain. Kid had a great draft. The final product was so much tighter, bespoke, and detailed. Unique to kid too. Sounded like DC bc it used her original, only better.

Ask around in your circle.

And you paid $1000 per essay? How many in total?

20, so $20k.

$1000 for a 250-300 word "why us" or "community" style essay?

How did you find this person? I did this for my own kid and did an amazing job -- would love to earn some money helping other kids.

Ethically, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not ED to a school no one in your high school matriculates to?

We are at a VA public high school with a lot of middle class families so lots of people go in state (nothing wrong with that!). We can afford full pay for a private college had our junior is thinking about EDing next year to a Claremont College that our school never sends anyone to. Is that a horrible idea?

I love the Claremont colleges. I think it’s a great idea, as long as that’s your child’s first choice and they love it. If it’s Pomona, it’s extremely hard to get into so have an ED2 lined up. The others will be safer bets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Figure out how to effectively recycle supplementals from one school to the next. Operative word is effectively. This both takes and saves time.

I agree. This is especially important if your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplemental essays.

This part of the process was MUCH more difficult than DD (and then we, her parents) expected!!

Next time (with DC2), we will help him up front in ways that should not be necessary, but I think are . . . by creating a chart of some sort showin EVERY supplemental essay for the schools on his list, and helping him strategically figure out which ones line up and which ones are truly unique.

It seems absolutely ridiculous, which is why it never crossed our mind to consider this with DC1. They applied to 12 schools, each with at least 2 supplemental essays, some with as many as 5. The idea of STARTING the process in August with a chart that included 40 essays to be written would have caused DD's head to explode. But I do think it would have helped save time and effort in the long run . . . .

More details for those who are interested:

While it seems at first that there are only a few types of supplementals (Why X college, Tell us about a community you're a part of, Describe a life experience that impacted you and will influence your involvement at X college) every school finds a way to put their own spin on it. And schools mix and match their questions in different ways such that straight cut-and-paste from other applications doesn't really work.

Sometimes the topic is almost exactly the same but the word limit is 200 instead of 500 (or the reverse), which means a ton of editing to the point that it becomes an entirely different essay.

Sometimes the topic seems to be the same on the surface, but is actually asking for something different. (I'm thinking of one supplement that asked about community, but on closer read it actually focused on CONVERSATION - something about how the kid learned to engage with others in conversation etc. So the straight-up community essay from School X was not at all a fit because the examples were completely off topic.)

And sometimes a school has two supplements are similar to those your kid wrote for other schools, but they overlap in weird ways, so your kid needs to deconstruct and rearrange parts from multiple essays to make it all work as a whole. Again, complete pain in the butt.

Bottom line: If your kid is applying to 10+ schools, each with multiple supplements, ENCOURAGE THEM TO START EARLY!!

And consider having them create blocks of ideas/examples that can be moved around independently to serve different purposes. It involves a level of forethought and planning that is truly ridiculous, IMHO.

(The other option is to apply to fewer schools . . . or to seek out schools with fewer or no supplemental essays. There are some great schools that fall into this category. A quick Google search will bring up lists of supplement-free applications. Just double-check (ALWAYS) on the school's website AND the Common App to be 100% certain. Sometimes schools "hide" a supplement in a weird place - DC almost missed a few because they didn't show up in the same section of the common app as the others. Again, ridiculous.)

Or ask AI to adapt the 3-4 supplements you write to match other schools prompts, then sit down and spend 1 hour humanizing it back to your voice. Saved days. You can also pay someone to write them for you after you meet with them for 1-2 hours and sketch out your answers to each “type” of prompt. Cost is about $1200 an essay.

Yes to AI. That’s absolutely true if you’re willing to go that route.

I genuinely think AI can be very helpful here as long as DC can edit carefully in their own voice and can eliminate the obvious/telltale signs (m-dash, multiple lists of three things, weave/tapestry metaphors etc.)

My true hope is that continued improvements in AI will force schools to drop this supplant nonsense. Hopefully by the time DC2 applies!!

I thought AI was not allowed?

[Anonymous]

Now we have a tool that any intelligent kid can use to compete with the best essay editors, if you know how to use it.

It it good to see the advantage provided by expensive college essay editing services competed away by AI.

Just expect them to complain "AI essays are so bland and anyone with experience can id them".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

My second aimed mostly medium and got into 11 of 12 schools, including all but one of his reaches. All of his schools were excellent fits for his major. He didn't end up choosing the highest ranked school, at least not according to US News list though maybe he did according to Wall Street Journal list that focuses on ROI?

But this doesn't work well for kids who want a very intellectual or very driven environment. My oldest was a high stats applicant and he wanted to be around peer who were ambitious and would challenge him. I thought we put together a great list in that we had a safety (out of state flagship with honors college), and 4 or so targets that he was very happy with. But all the rest of his apps (15 more) were to reaches. He got into 5 of those and I would not have been able to predict which ones, so it felt like the strategy was appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

My second aimed mostly medium and got into 11 of 12 schools, including all but one of his reaches. All of his schools were excellent fits for his major. He didn't end up choosing the highest ranked school, at least not according to US News list though maybe he did according to Wall Street Journal list that focuses on ROI?

But this doesn't work well for kids who want a very intellectual or very driven environment. My oldest was a high stats applicant and he wanted to be around peer who were ambitious and would challenge him. I thought we put together a great list in that we had a safety (out of state flagship with honors college), and 4 or so targets that he was very happy with. But all the rest of his apps (15 more) were to reaches. He got into 5 of those and I would not have been able to predict which ones, so it felt like the strategy was appropriate.

Original aim medium poster here, and I will gently push back on target schools not having ambitious, intellectual students. Because you will have students like mine who just find the target school a better fit, or who find the specific program at that school the right one, or who are cost conscious, or who were shut out of the state flagship. Also, there's always the possibility that being the "bigger fish" in the pond provides more access to professors and opportunities for internships or whatever else.

But all kids are different, and this strategy absolutely won't work for some students, particularly the very top ones, who rightfully feel like all of their hard work should pay off in admission to a "top" school. I feel strongly that those who are a step down the ladder, like my child, have an easier time with this process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

My second aimed mostly medium and got into 11 of 12 schools, including all but one of his reaches. All of his schools were excellent fits for his major. He didn't end up choosing the highest ranked school, at least not according to US News list though maybe he did according to Wall Street Journal list that focuses on ROI?

But this doesn't work well for kids who want a very intellectual or very driven environment. My oldest was a high stats applicant and he wanted to be around peer who were ambitious and would challenge him. I thought we put together a great list in that we had a safety (out of state flagship with honors college), and 4 or so targets that he was very happy with. But all the rest of his apps (15 more) were to reaches. He got into 5 of those and I would not have been able to predict which ones, so it felt like the strategy was appropriate.

Original aim medium poster here, and I will gently push back on target schools not having ambitious, intellectual students. Because you will have students like mine who just find the target school a better fit, or who find the specific program at that school the right one, or who are cost conscious, or who were shut out of the state flagship. Also, there's always the possibility that being the "bigger fish" in the pond provides more access to professors and opportunities for internships or whatever else.

But all kids are different, and this strategy absolutely won't work for some students, particularly the very top ones, who rightfully feel like all of their hard work should pay off in admission to a "top" school. I feel strongly that those who are a step down the ladder, like my child, have an easier time with this process.

PP you are responding to. I 100% agree.

Also, I didn't mean to sound like I don't think the target schools have "ambitious, intellectual students." I really don't. I meant it when I say that my kid was truly excited about all the schools on his list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest takeaway from this cycle (my 2nd kid to go through this) is aim medium. Obviously this only works if you have a kid who isn't invested in prestige (mine isn't), but everyone will be spared a lot of heartache and anxiety if you focus on schools that are attainable and of interest to your student.

I would also add that we cast a small net, mainly due to DC's top choice being an in state non-flagship school where their stats were on the high end. Applied EA, got in, and was able to spend winter break relaxing.

My second aimed mostly medium and got into 11 of 12 schools, including all but one of his reaches. All of his schools were excellent fits for his major. He didn't end up choosing the highest ranked school, at least not according to US News list though maybe he did according to Wall Street Journal list that focuses on ROI?

But this doesn't work well for kids who want a very intellectual or very driven environment. My oldest was a high stats applicant and he wanted to be around peer who were ambitious and would challenge him. I thought we put together a great list in that we had a safety (out of state flagship with honors college), and 4 or so targets that he was very happy with. But all the rest of his apps (15 more) were to reaches. He got into 5 of those and I would not have been able to predict which ones, so it felt like the strategy was appropriate.

Original aim medium poster here, and I will gently push back on target schools not having ambitious, intellectual students. Because you will have students like mine who just find the target school a better fit, or who find the specific program at that school the right one, or who are cost conscious, or who were shut out of the state flagship. Also, there's always the possibility that being the "bigger fish" in the pond provides more access to professors and opportunities for internships or whatever else.

But all kids are different, and this strategy absolutely won't work for some students, particularly the very top ones, who rightfully feel like all of their hard work should pay off in admission to a "top" school. I feel strongly that those who are a step down the ladder, like my child, have an easier time with this process.

I agree 100% with this. A good friend’s three sons did this. They all applied early to schools they had a good chance of getting into and got in. All three happy. One of mine shot for the moon and ended up at her safety school. She’s very happy now but it was a long, rollercoaster year.

A happy medium might be doing what my other daughter did. She didn’t apply early anywhere but did lots of EA to “Medium” schools as well as to two high reaches. Somehow the universe rewarded her and she got into one of the reaches and is there now, but she probably would have been happy at any of the other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not ED to a school no one in your high school matriculates to?

We are at a VA public high school with a lot of middle class families so lots of people go in state (nothing wrong with that!). We can afford full pay for a private college had our junior is thinking about EDing next year to a Claremont College that our school never sends anyone to. Is that a horrible idea?

No. Try it and see. The worst that happen is that they don’t get in. Then your kid can go in state like everyone else.