Expert Advice from the Wow Team

Tips and resources for college essay writing

Encourage your student to step away from the topic and spend time making sure they know what a personal statement is, why they are writing it, how it fits into the application, who reads it, and what admissions readers are looking for.

College Essay Tips: Supporting Students with Disabilities Every so often a colleague sends a question I haven’t seen before. The good thing about having a time-tested process is that even if I haven’t answered that precise question, I can always offer something. Here’s one that came in last fall:   “I will be working with […]

Assuming you are qualified academically for the school, effective essays can make a difference, tipping the balance in your favor when colleges must choose between applicants with similar qualifications.

THE COLLEGE ESSAY EXPERIENCE | Write an Essay with a Wow Coach Here’s a link to the webinar recording, “A Taste of the College Essay Experience.”   If you attended live, thank you!   Susan shared tips for managing the essay writing process, brainstorming quickly, and reviewing essays with ease. AND there was a little writing! […]

Since Wow opened in 2009, the answer to the question, What do admissions officers look for in a college essay? has not changed. The college essay has always offered an opportunity to show someone you may never meet just what kind of person you are.
In general, no matter what prompt you’re answering, your essay should be a story about you, focused on you.
As admission to the nation’s most selective schools becomes more and more competitive, the college essay has increased in significance as well. That means to gain admission to college today, it’s likely you will need to write at least one college essay—and probably more.
Here’s some insight from David Bersell, who has been with us for more than seven years, has worked with hundreds of students, trained countless IECs and school counselors, and supervises training for our team of coaches.
Get a Taste of the College Essay Experience - Find out why CEE is our best college essay training ever. Wow CEO Susan Knoppow will answer your questions about essay coaching, tell you about CEE, and guide you through one of Wow's signature writing exercises.

Photo and text taken from Link for Counselors Publication June 2025. Turn Worried Parents Into College Essay Allies How many times has a parent called you, worried or angry, after reading their child’s college essay? The essay you worked hard on together. The essay the student is proud of. The essay that reflects that student’s […]

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