15 05, 2023

Top 5 College Admission Essay Books

By |2023-06-11T07:45:21-04:00May 15th, 2023|college, College Admissions, Harvard, Ivy League, Ivy League Advice, Ivy League College, Princeton, Standford, UPenn, Yale|1 Comment

Top 5 College Admission Essay Books

Crafting a compelling college admission essay is a critical aspect of the application process. The essay provides an opportunity for you to showcase your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations.

To help you excel in this crucial task, I have compiled a list of the top five college admission essay books available to help you succeed.

These resources offer valuable insights, expert advice, and sample essays from successful applicants to some of the most competitive universities in the U.S. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, ideas, or just practical tips, the following books will guide you toward creating a great essay that will captures the attention of admissions officers at all the top schools.
1.”50 Successful Stanford Application Essays: Write Your Way into the College of Your Choice” by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe
Link: Buy here on Amazon!
How to write Stanford Essays
Gain valuable insights into the application process at Stanford University with this collection of fifty successful essays. The book offers a diverse range of essay topics, writing styles, and approaches that have impressed admissions officers. By analyzing these exemplary essays, you’ll discover effective strategies to craft a compelling essay that aligns with Stanford’s values and showcases your unique perspective.
2. “50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays”
by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe
Link: Buy here on Amazon!
Successful Ivy League Essays
This book presents a compilation of fifty successful essays that helped students secure admission to Ivy League universities. With a focus on top-tier institutions, the essays offer valuable guidance and inspiration. By reading through this collection, you’ll gain insights into the qualities and characteristics that admissions officers at Ivy League schools seek in applicants’ essays, helping you craft a compelling narrative that stands out from the competition.
3. “50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, 5th Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice” by Staff of the Harvard Crimson
Link: Buy here on Amazon!
Harvard Application Essays
Drawing from the experiences of successful Harvard applicants, this book provides a wealth of valuable essay examples. These essays cover a wide range of topics and writing styles, offering inspiration and guidance for crafting a standout essay. By studying the successful strategies employed by previous applicants, you can gain insights into what Harvard admissions officers are seeking and effectively convey your own unique story.

4. “The Ivy League College Admissions Guidebook”
by Jillian Ivy

Link: Buy here on Amazon!
The Ivy League College Admissions Guidebook
Written by a former Harvard admissions interviewer and Harvard graduate this comprehensive mini guidebook provides insider tips and expert advice specifically tailored to the Ivy League college admissions process. From essay writing strategies to tips on building a competitive profile, this book covers every aspect of the application journey. With a focus on Ivy League institutions, the guidebook offers valuable insights to help you navigate the complexities of admission requirements, boost your chances of acceptance, and present your best self to admissions committees.
5. “Paying for College, 2023: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College” by The Princeton Review
Link: Buy here on Amazon!
Paying for College
And, even though it’s not about writing your essays, financing your college education is a crucial consideration. This comprehensive guidebook from The Princeton Review equips you with the necessary knowledge to navigate the financial aid process effectively. Learn about scholarships, grants, loans, and other strategies to maximize financial aid and make college more affordable. By understanding the financial landscape, you can better plan your educational journey and ensure that your college experience is financially manageable.

In conclusion, crafting a strong college admission essay is a vital component of your application process.

These top five college admission essay books provide invaluable guidance, insights, and examples to help you create a compelling and memorable essay that showcases your unique qualities. From understanding the expectations of Ivy League institutions to maximizing financial aid opportunities, these resources cover various aspects of the college admissions process.

Remember, the essay is your opportunity to let your voice shine and make a lasting impression on admissions officers.

Take advantage of these recommended books to gain inspiration, learn effective writing techniques, and gain a better understanding of what top colleges are looking for in applicants.

By investing time and effort into honing your essay writing skills, you can enhance your chances of securing admission to the college of your dreams. So, pick up these books, immerse yourself in the wisdom they offer, and embark on your journey to college success. Good luck!

[Want more help with your own college admissions essays? I’m a former Harvard interviewer and Harvard grad. Contact me today for a free consultation at

IvyCollegeEssay.com

and get into the school of your dreams!]
Check out other helpful blog articles here:


  1. How to Get Into Harvard

  2. How to Get Into the Ivy League (Tips for Parents)

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23 02, 2015

Thinking About Transferring to Another College? What You Need to Know…

By |2022-10-04T09:21:30-04:00February 23rd, 2015|Berkeley, Boston University, Brown, College Admissions, Columbia, Common App, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Harvard, Ivy League, Michigan, MIT, NYU, Princeton, Standford, UCLA, UGA, UPenn, Yale|0 Comments

Deciding to transfer schools is a big decision when you’re in college.  Whether you’re in your first or second year, transferring will entail making new friends and living most likely in a new city. You will make sure that your current credits transfer to make it all worth your while.

That said, there’s a lot that can come out of transferring, especially if you truly don’t like your current school.  I fully believe that there is no reason to stay somewhere you don’t like once you have given it a good try.  Instead you should try to salvage what you can of your college career. Pick yourself up and find a better place, so you can still have great memories and great friends. And (most importantly to the admissions committee) a much better academic experience that better aligns with your goals.

And, that’s where I will start:  What You Really Need To Know For a Great College Transfer Application.

1. You need to make it about the academics

Colleges understand that perhaps you don’t have any friends, or just don’t feel “connected” at your current school.  Maybe you’re going to a community college and want to go to a 4-year program. Or maybe you just want OUT, anywhere that isn’t where you are, or perhaps anywhere not so close to home.

Whatever your reasons, what you tell the college admissions committee needs to focus on your ACADEMIC reasons for transferring, and not your social ones.  Successful applicants always have an academic reason for wanting to go elsewhere.  For example, perhaps you can’t major in Biophysics where you are, because your school just doesn’t offer that major. You have to settle for a more general degree in Biology. It will limit what you really want to be studying.

Or, perhaps there is a professor at another school who is doing research on EXACTLY the topic. And speciality you’re interested in, and that’s why you “need” to transfer in order to take advantage of the best opportunity you can.

Perhaps it makes more sense if you want to study economics to be in a big financial capital like New York. Or perhaps you’re an English major but really want to be a Journalism major. And your school “just doesn’t offer that.”

Those are the reasons that will get you in: something ACADEMIC that is logical and makes sense.  Basically, you want the admissions committee to read your essays and say, “yes, that is a very logical and appropriate reason for wanting to transfer.”  It’s that response that will get you in.

[I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer and a Harvard grad.  I currently run the college admissions consulting firm: www.IvyLeagueEssay.com  Looking to transfer colleges?  Contact me for a free consultation today!]

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21 09, 2014

The Common App: How to Write a Great College Application

By |2022-10-04T09:35:21-04:00September 21st, 2014|Berekeley, Brown, college, College Admissions, Columbia, Common App, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Ivy League, Ivy League Advice, Ivy League College, MIT, NYU, Princeton, Standford, Stanford, UCLA, UPenn, Yale|3 Comments

The Common App Essay

How to Write a Great College Application!

The season is upon us: college applications, and right now is a good time to start working on your Common App.  You’re a month into the new school year, you’ve settled in, and now the Common App essay is staring you in the face. Here is what should you know about How to Write an Ivy League College Application Essays:

Where do you begin?  You know you have to start writing it…but HOW?

You try to forget about it, but you can’t.  How can you write the absolutely best college admission essays possible when you have no idea what to write about or where to begin??

Similarly, neither do you know what the college admission committee is even looking for, nor what will make a really strong college essay and application.  This holds true for all colleges and universities, but ESPECIALLY if you’re applying to the Ivy League.

Oh yeah, and did I mention your entire future appears to depend on this?

Don’t worry though, because I am going to walk you through the process.

I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer + Harvard grad, and I know how to do this well.  I’m going to tell you how you can master the Common App essay and application and make the most of your college applications.

To be more to the point, I’m going to help you get into the best schools possible.

This includes the Ivy League: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, UPenn, and Cornell. The top. I mean, what if you want to go there?  How can you tackle the Common App and catapult your way to the apex of education?

Let’s start with the questions.  These are the choices for your Common App Essay:

  • Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  • Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
  • Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
  • Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
  • Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Which one to choose, you say? Which one will be the best one to write about?  Here’s what I say:  go with the one that is going to contain the most EMOTION.  Emotion is powerful, good or bad, and the examples you choose, if they have a certain emotional weight to them when you think about it, that will add weight (and admissions committee engagement) to your essay.  In other words, emotion or powerful experiences (which is really what I mean) serves to ENGAGE your reader, and an engaged reader is going to not only remember your essay, but feel that you truly conveyed a mood, and environment, and an experience.

In other words, they will feel they got to know YOU just a little bit more than if you had written about something “less powerful” that didn’t engage. This is all you should know about How to Write an Ivy League College Application Essays.

Go with the powerful emotions.  The experiences and examples for any of the above, that convey some kind of emotion, and make you feel. Because that is going to translate to your essay.

More tips and advice to come…

[I’m a former Harvard University admissions interviewer and a Harvard graduate.  I currently run the College Admission Essay firm: IVY LEAGUE ESSAY, out of New York, and specialize in helping students get in to the top schools and the Ivy League.  Please contact me for a free phone consultation today: www.IvyCollegeEssay.com ]

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Navigate the highly competitive landscape of Ivy League admissions with my expert one-on-one guidance. As a Harvard grad and former Harvard admissions interviewer, I specialize in helping you to craft excellent Ivy League college essays that reflect your unique strengths and ambitions. With my experience in college essay consulting, including extensive work with transfer students, and Harvard transfer essays, in particular, alongside a full library of Ivy League acceptance essays and Ivy League essay examples that get results, you’ll be on the road to Ivy League success. I offer insights into Ivy League essay prompts, essay writing strategies, how to choose your Common App topic, and more. With Ivy College Essay, your journey to Ivy League college essays that truly work starts here.

In the highly competitive landscape of Ivy League admissions, the importance of your Ivy college essays cannot be emphasized enough. Your college application serves as the key to the most competitive universities in the U.S. Ivy College Essay can help you get there and get into the school of your dreams!

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Craft Ivy League college essays that reflect your own uniqueness and strengths, leveraging Ivy League essay strategies and advice that will impress the admissions committees. My experience and techniques as a Harvard grad and college essay writing consultant will help you navigate your Ivy League application essays. Together, we can transform your essays into strong Ivy League admission success.

College Essay Consulting

I specialize in college essay consulting, working with high school and transfer students to Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Yale, UPenn, MIT, UCLA and more. Working on your Princeton transfer essays or striving to get that Cornell Ivy League admission? Discover the advantage of working with someone with the highest level of Ivy League essay experience, so your Ivy League essays standout and showcase the best of who you really are. My college admissions essay consulting firm gives you the right insights and strategies to refine your college application essays, get accepted, and get in.

Ivy League Essay

Whether you’re looking for college essay examples for Harvard or trying to pick the best topic for your Common App essay for Ivy League schools, my experience ensures you’re on the right track. Via expert essay consulting from a former Harvard admissions interviewer and Harvard grad, my college essay advice and strategies will equip you with the tools you need to navigate this year’s Ivy League admissions cycle with the confidence that you can succeed.

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