​Summer is the kickoff for many college admissions essay attempts, as rising seniors finally break free from the academic rigors of junior year with space to let their mind wander and develop a compelling piece.
 
After working with hundreds of students on their admissions essays, we have some suggestions to share for developing and refining an effective college admissions essay this summer.

While visiting every college on a student’s list of schools would be ideal, the truth is most students do not or cannot visit every (or even any) schools before they decide where to apply and attend. Fortunately, college admissions staffs have worked diligently to help expand access to their schools in recent years because of pandemic travel restrictions.

​Students for whom traveling is problematic can also benefit from an array of online and in-person options to fill in the details that an in-person visit would provide. While never a complete substitute for smelling the cafeteria and walking the pavement of a quad, the multitude of resources available to today’s applicants can certainly get every student close to the action and able to learn deeply about most schools of interest without ever leaving home.