One of the most memorable essays college admissions counselor Alexis White worked on with a student wasn’t about a harrowing personal challenge or a rewarding volunteering experience.

Many college applications require a personal essay, which can be daunting for students to write. But a few simple tips, some introspection and insight into what admissions officers are looking for ...

"I can't help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more," says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

The sheer number of works written about these experiences made them a cliché in the college admissions community. Instead, Kim advises writing an essay about something personal: "We always said ...

Oakridge Leaders, led by Ryan Abramson of Langhorne, PA, provides helpful ideas for dealing with the college admissions ...

When Jeffrey Wang was a high-school senior in Connecticut in 2014, he wasn't sure what to write about for his college application essay. He thought about writing his essay on a subject he enjoyed ...