Writing the first draft of your personal statement is probably the hardest part of the whole application process. Here’s how to let yourself go.
Author Archive | Linda Abraham
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Linda Abraham is the founder and CEO of Accepted, the top-tier admissions consultancy that helps you unlock your competitive advantage. Linda has written or co-authored 13 ebooks on the college admissions process. In 2007, she co-founded the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) and became its first president. For the last 20 years Linda and her highly credentialed, experienced team have helped thousands of applicants get accepted to top colleges and graduate schools worldwide, including but not limited to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Kellogg, and MIT. She has been featured in The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, US News, The Sunday Times of London, Businessweek, Poets & Quants and MBA Podcaster.
Job title: Linda Abraham

How to Demonstrate Passion in Your Essays
What do you think of when you hear the word passion? Definitely not an accountant. But adcoms are looking for passion in their applicants. So how are you, a computer expert, a bio major, or even an accountant, going to create an essay that demonstrates the passion they’re looking for? When you think “passion,” […]

10 Tips for High School Seniors Getting Ready to Apply to Top-Tier Colleges
These ten quick hints will help make the application process as stress-free as possible. 1. Create a spreadsheet that includes all of your school choices and your “to do” list: Writing essays, keeing track of supplements, gathering transcripts (many schools use a service like parchment.com — I have found this service provides an easy and […]

The President Wrote My Letter of Recommendation!
Would that be enough to get you in the school of your dreams? Read on to find out! “Wouldn’t that be great. I’m in!” Or are you? Let’s think about it: Would a letter of recommendation from President Barack Obama, POTUS himself, ensure your acceptance? I’m sure a letter from President Obama would get […]

3 Mistakes Successful College Applicants Don’t Make
What’s the best (and least painful) way to succeed? Learn from the mistakes of others! Today, our friends at Accepted share 3 common mistakes you need to avoid. The preparation for successful college application does not happen overnight. In fact, it is the culmination of years of work throughout high school. The most successful college […]

Flaws Make You Real
Many college admissions committees ask you to write about your flaws. You may think this is a trap, but it’s actually a stealthy method of asking you to evaluate your personal growth. Accepted is here with more on how to handle this tricky essay question. A speaker recently told a story about traveling in Asia […]

The Successful Applicant to Highly Selective Colleges
Putting together your college application means doing more than just going through the motions. To learn more about what makes you stand out to an admissions committee, check out this post from Accepted. I work with really smart high school students every year. These students have excellent grades in challenging curriculums, strong test scores and […]

Resourceful Essay Recycling
Tired from writing endless personal statements? Check out Accepted’s top tips for thoughtfully recycling and adapting your admissions essays. You’re applying to six different schools and each one requires 2-7 essays/personal statements which equals…a whole lot of writing. How can you draft so many essays and still maintain a fresh and original voice in each? […]

When Your Grades Take a Nosedive
Here’s a good read from our friends over at Accepted.com. Let us know what you think in the comments. 🙂 Your high school path suddenly takes a detour. Your grades, which had been steady and consistent, take a nosedive. Perhaps it’s due to illness, personal or family issues, or a learning disability that eventually made […]

4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
Here’s a great new post from our friends over at Accepted! Enjoy! Schools want to see that the applicants will actively participate in and contribute to their student bodies and alumni communities, not to mention the greater community and society. Yet grandiose, declarative statements and promises to be a superlative do-gooder are unpersuasive. So how […]