"Keep in mind that the admissions officer is some dude lying on a couch reading your essay at 10 PM." As high school seniors prepare their college essays, they are often pressured to compose a story ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write on the human/political issues surrounding college admissions. The college essay has been a common, central part of ...

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think. By Nell Freudenberger Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either ...