Let me start by saying, high school students, that I don't envy you. In fact, in my line of work, I find myself saying, "Wow! I'm so glad I went to high school when I did, and not today"... probably at least once per day.

You've worked hard for four years -- and now you've got a shot at a UC education! 

Yet on top of your AP classes, SATs, ACTs, and other commitments, the UCs are asking for four essays this year! Many students have little experience writing about themselves, and have no idea how to start.

Want to apply to HLS, but not sure where to start?

​How about with these free online info sessions, scheduled throughout October, November and December?

Dear Frustrated Applicant, 

As you probably know, the UC application got two times harder this year than it was in previous years. Instead of asking for two essays, they're asking for four. Yes, they're shorter -- but, really, that makes it even harder to craft a beautiful essay.

The good news is, whether you're applying to Berkeley, UCLA, Santa Barbara, UCSD, Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Merced, or any combination thereof, you only need to fill out one application. 

To help you get started, I'm sharing an excerpt from my upcoming book about college admissions about how I would answer the third essay prompt.  If you need additional advice or feedback, contact me or check out my Services and Prices page.

The University of California system is one of the best in the country. As such, admission to any of the nine UC schools (Berkeley, UCLA, Santa Barbara, UCSD, Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, and UC Merced) is competitive. 

This year, the UCs launched a new application -- instead of asking students to answer two, 500-ish word essays, they're asking for four 350-word ones. Which is at least twice as much work! Twice as many hook sentences. Twice as many conclusions. Twice as many carefully-crafted stories. 

To help you get started on this application, I have included a free chapter of my upcoming book on college admissions -- it should help you get started on your application. If you need additional advice or feedback, contact me or check out my Services and Prices page.

A student recently asked me, "How do volunteer work and service-related clubs look on applications? Do they, too, strike admissions officers as a sign of a complacent student whose main goal is to look good? What kind of specialized service opportunities TRULY give kids an edge in college and beyond?"