Sarah O'Neill Blog Pennsylvania

 By Sarah O’Neill Coatesville Supreme Editing Ready, Set, Interview: Your College Guide to Nailing the Conversation So, you’ve hit submit on all your Regular Decision (RD) applications, and now you’re waiting. What’s next? Twiddling your thumbs for the next few months? Hardly! It’s time to prep for those interviews that might be coming your way. Some schools, like Princeton and most of the Ivy League, make a point of interviewing candidates — especially if there’s an alumnus nearby ready to play 20 questions. Your interviewer could be a current student, a former student, or even someone from the admissions office. Regardless of who you meet, it’s time to shine. But why do colleges even want to interview you? Glad you asked: Reason #1: Your application looks stellar… but eerily similar to someone else’s. The interview makes your file more personal and memorable. Reason #2: There might be a question or two about your application that the admissions team would like you to clarify. T...

  Ah, it’s that time! Sandwiched between the carefree younger days and the college countdown, everyone dreads the year (before applying to college). But fear not! If you’re overwhelmed by SATs, GPAs, and acronyms that seem like secret codes, here’s a guide to help you prepare for college without losing your mind. 1. Embrace Your Inner Detective: The College Search Begins Think of this time as you are on a detective mission. You’re Sherlock Holmes (plus the large magnifying glass), and your task is to amplify the perfect college fit. Start by haunting college websites — check out virtual tours, read about their traditions (like Tufts University’s campus llama visits), and stalk their social media pages like CSI. Bonus tip: Create a “College Crush List.” It’s like a bucket list but with schools, you’re swooning over. Just remember: You’re looking for a healthy relationship, not a toxic one. No one wants to be ghosted by their dream school. 2. Turn Your Hobbies into Hustles (A.K.A. Re...

By Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing As a college admissions consultant, I am often asked: does writing still matter? With the advent of bot-generated writing, everyone is up in arms. But, I am here to tell you that writing is still an asset, it is still a sought-after medium for original storytelling, and it is still valued in the college admissions community. Let’s talk about some contests that are still vital and up and running as you prepare to apply to college. Even if you are not a future Humanities major, if you can earn a Gold Key in Scholastic, you can enrich your resume and heighten your chances of being admitted to top schools by showing originality of thought and a multidimensional side of yourself. Scholastic Writing Contests and Categories From their Website: What is the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards? “The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization...

Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing Expert Advice Every year I am approached with questions regarding the Common Application Essay — that primary, subjective piece that is required for over three hundred schools that participate in the Common Application process. This excludes schools like UC and MIT. But, for most schools, it gives a “voice” to the application beyond test scores, GPAs, and those objective measures that, let’s face it, are still needed. When I first began editing admissions essays over ten years ago, both the personal statement and supplementals, the questions consisted of: What topic resonates most with admissions officers? What style should I use? Can I be funny? Can I discuss religion or politics or are they off-limits? Do they care about grammar and structure? While these questions are STILL concerns, a new set of inquiries have dominated during this sticky time of generative AI such as: Do admissions officers care if I use platforms to check my gramma...

Sarah O’Neill Chester County Teacher Supreme Editing  There are a few reasons why you may have been deferred for your Early Decision school. Below is a list of reasons and an action plan on what you can do about it now. First, in college admissions, “deferred” refers to when an applicant who applied under an Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) plan is not accepted or rejected immediately. Instead, the admissions committee postpones its decision and reviews the application again during the Regular Decision round. This means the applicant is GOING TO BE CONSIDERED for admission, but the application will be evaluated alongside the larger pool of regular applicants. While being deferred can feel deflating, rest assured that it still offers a chance for acceptance! Top 10 Reasons Why You Might Have Been Deferred 1. High Competition The truth is, colleges, on average, receive thousands of ED applications every year. They definitely like ED applicants because the student is forced...

  Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing Regular decision deadlines to submit applications to your dream schools are usually in early January. With such a deadline just around the corner, let’s think about what you can REVISIT and improve upon in this round that might have kept you from your EARLY DECISION school. Revisit Your Personal Statement (aka the Common App Essay) One aspect of your college application that you can still control 100% in this process is the essay portion such as the supplemental essays and the main essay, the Common Application 650 word piece. If you were rejected or deferred for admission from your ED choice, now is the time to revisit that essay. Follow these steps: 1 — Spend ample time reading and re-reading the piece to be sure it is authoritative, shows you doing something, and offers plenty of reflection. This will assure colleges that you will bring something unique to their campus. 2- You also need “other eyes” on the piece. I suggest you show ...