Admissions officers never deny students admission to their respective colleges, they only deny pieces of paper. Spend time making sure your “paper” speaks to who you are.

-Zaragoza Guerra, Former Senior Admissions Officer from MIT

The essay is the part of the application over which you have the most control. Use it! Spend some real time thinking through your topic. Are you sharing something important about yourself with the admissions committee? Are you telling a story anyone could tell, or is it specific to you? Have you highlighted a way in which you will add to the campus community or something about yourself that is unique? The more time you take to think through what you will write about, the more likely your essay will positively impact your chances of being admitted.

-Beth Heaton, Former Senior Admissions Officer from University of Pennsylvania

In my 20 years in the field, I have rarely seen when an extra letter of recommendation helped a student. In fact, it usually detracts from the required letters of recommendation. Elite colleges generally want to hear from the student’s college counselor and two academic teachers from 10th or 11th grade. Sending in extra letters from alumni, employers, coaches, or even college professors are not as powerful as one might think. Even if the college indicates that a student is permitted to send in extra letters, think before you act. When the rubber meets the road, an admissions officer tends to focus their time and energy on the required elements of the application.

Look closely at the testing requirements for each of the colleges you are considering applying to and make sure you have a plan to complete all of the necessary tests in time.

-Kara Courtois, Former Senior Admissions Officer from Barnard College