College Applications: Start To Finish

01. Hello and Welcome!

02. College Admissions Timeline

03. How Do You Apply To College?

04. Early Decision Vs. Early Action

05. How To Organize This Process

06. Please Be Nice To Yourself
1.1 Choosing Schools

1.2 Diseplling Myths About Safety Schools

1.3 The Truth About Ivies

1.4 Why Is Geography Important?

1.5 Schools Not on the Common App

1.6 Applying Outside the US

1.7 Organizing Your List and Getting Ready
2.1 Choosing Your Prompt

2.2 8-Minute Timed Write

2.3 Save for Supplements

2.4 Avoid These Topics

2.5 Is This the Right Topic?

2.6 First Draft

2.7 Easy Essay Structure

2.8 Second Draft

2.9 How To Brainstorm

2.10 Ivy League Writing Tips

2.11 Tenets of Good Storytelling

2.12 Who Should Edit My Essay?

2.13 How To Catch Errors

2.14 Basic Editing (Common Word Errors)

2.15 Basic Editing (Punctuation)

2.16 Advanced Editing

2.17 When Is It Done?

2.18 Formatting
3.1 Why Are Supplement Essays Important?

3.2 Secret Supplements

3.3 Double Dipping

3.4 “Why Our School?”

3.5 Your Unique Identity

3.6 “How Have You Been Of Service?”

3.7 “How Will You Contribute?”

3.8 Navigating College Websites

3.9 What Are Colleges Looking For?

3.10 Location-Specific Prompts

3.11 Arts Supplements
4.1 The SAT and ACT

4.2 The Activities Section

4.3 Your High School Transcript

4.4 The Busy Work

4.5 Letters of Recommendation

4.6 The FAFSA, Scholarships, and Financial Aid
5.1 Does Everything Look Good?

5.2 Reading Over the PDF

5.3 Payment

5.4 Celebrating Dos and Don’ts
6.1 When Will I Hear Back?

6.2 Will They Request More Information?

6.3 How To Win or Lose With Grace

6.4 Making Your Decision

6.5 Following Up and Saying Thank You

6.6 Dos and Don’ts for the End of the School Year

6.7 You Can Change Your Mind

6.8 Thank You, The End
7.1 Help, I’m Stuck!

7.2 Do Grades Matter?

7.3 Does the Interview Matter?

7.4 What To Expect From College Counselors
In this course you'll find Common App essays that show deep vulnerability and honesty, as well as supplemental essays that colleges love. Take a look and see the level of meaning, of authenticity, of bravery that you can bring to this process.

We coach dozens of students every year. They come from all over the world and each of them has a different set of goals for their college experience. With their permission, we've included samples of the work that made their dreams come true: each student matriculated at the school they wrote for in these samples.

College Applications:
Start to Finish

The college application process is complex, and college admissions are more competitive than ever. This 64-video course will teach you everything you need to know about the parts of the application, how to organize the process, and which pieces are the most important. It also includes samples of our students' work (used with permission!) that got them into their dream schools, including Ivy Leagues.

Join our CEO and Head Tutor Nathaniel Dolquist (Yale '15) as he gives you the tools and strategies that help our students get into their top-choice schools. The writing strategies he offers are currently taught at Yale and have transformed our students' applications from indistinguishable to memorable and authentic. Our aim is to make the college application process as stress-free as possible. It doesn't have to be a slog if you strategize!

Students who have worked with us have gotten in early to their top schools, won hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money (one student in 2024 received 14 offers of admission and $596,000 in total scholarship money). Unlock your authenticity with these 64 videos and get into your dream school.