Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Brennan Barnard writes about the nuances of college admission. The college essay or “personal statement” gets a lot of airtime in ...

With affirmative action outlawed, and use of SATs in decline, selective colleges are paying ever more attention to essays. ChatGPT poses a challenge. Seventeen-year-old senior Ethan Rivera is finding ...

BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots, artificial intelligence and automation are impacting our work and lives.

Five years ago, I began my Common Application essay with the following sentence: “To quote Ferris Bueller, ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ...

After affirmative action fell, students began rewriting their application essays to emphasize race. The moment led a reporter and former essay coach to reflect on the power of the personal statement.

This article is featured in the 2025 Winter Carnival Special Issue. On April 2, 2024, The Dartmouth staff published a book titled “50 Dartmouth Application Essays That Worked: Crafting a Compelling ...

As high school seniors prepare their college essays, they are often pressured to compose a story about their monumental, life-altering experiences — the more dramatic, the better! However, the reality ...

As the college essay program manager for Write the World, a nonprofit writing organization for teens, I oversee a group of advisers who guide students through the essay writing process. I have seen ...

A brilliant college essay topic doesn’t just showcase intelligence — it reveals personality, curiosity, humor, resilience, or the wonderfully weird way someone sees the world. Over the years, certain ...

Each year, we ask teenagers to send us their application essays about work, money or social class. Here are four, from California to Cambodia. Left to Right; Sydney Carroll, Sam Smith, Haley Song and ...

This Q&A first appeared in Write at the Edge, a newsletter from Mallary Tenore Tarpley featuring tips and best practices for seasoned and amateur writers who want to hone their craft. Subscribe to ...