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Write Yourself In
The Definitive Guide to Writing Successful College Admissions Essays
By Eric Tipler
Table of Contents
About The Book
Write authentic, memorable college essays that will help you get into the right school for you with this guidebook from a veteran college admissions expert.
Every spring, over one million high school juniors embark on an annual rite of passage: applying to college. And with college admission rates at an all-time low, getting into a competitive school is now tougher than ever. At the top schools, a strong transcript and great test scores will get your application noticed, but it’s your essays, and the personal story that they highlight, that will get you admitted.
But often, students don’t know where to start. Teens fret over topics because they don’t know what college admissions officers are looking for. They bend over backwards to write what they think colleges want to read, instead of telling their authentic story—which is what admissions officers actually want—in a way that will resonate with their readers. They also struggle because college essays, which are narrative, first-person, and introspective require a different set of skills from academic, expository writing they’ve been learning for years in the classroom.
Seasoned college admissions expert and educator Eric Tipler has seen this firsthand. Teens and their parents spend countless, anxiety-filled hours crafting and refining essays that are often lackluster. In Write Yourself In, Tipler meets students where they are, and provides comprehensive actionable advice in a warm and conversational tone. He demonstrates how to craft a winning essay, one that is authentic, vulnerable, and demonstrative of qualities like personal growth and emotional maturity. Instead of formulas, Write Yourself In gives students step-by-step processes for brainstorming, outlining, writing, and revising essays. It encourages them to seek out feedback at key points in the process, something Tipler has found to be vital to helping students produce their best writing. Further, the book includes sidebars that teach essential components of good storytelling, a “secret weapon” in the admissions process.
In addition to the admissions essay, Write Yourself In also covers the most common supplemental essays on topics like community, diversity, openness to others’ viewpoints, and why their school is a good fit for the student scholarship essays, as well as scholarship essays. Tipler includes sections that address current topics like the widespread use of ChatGPT and the discussion of race in the admissions essay, a facet of the student’s application that will have newfound importance given the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.
Written with both the parent and teen in mind, Write Yourself In is the go-to handbook for writing a great college essay.
Every spring, over one million high school juniors embark on an annual rite of passage: applying to college. And with college admission rates at an all-time low, getting into a competitive school is now tougher than ever. At the top schools, a strong transcript and great test scores will get your application noticed, but it’s your essays, and the personal story that they highlight, that will get you admitted.
But often, students don’t know where to start. Teens fret over topics because they don’t know what college admissions officers are looking for. They bend over backwards to write what they think colleges want to read, instead of telling their authentic story—which is what admissions officers actually want—in a way that will resonate with their readers. They also struggle because college essays, which are narrative, first-person, and introspective require a different set of skills from academic, expository writing they’ve been learning for years in the classroom.
Seasoned college admissions expert and educator Eric Tipler has seen this firsthand. Teens and their parents spend countless, anxiety-filled hours crafting and refining essays that are often lackluster. In Write Yourself In, Tipler meets students where they are, and provides comprehensive actionable advice in a warm and conversational tone. He demonstrates how to craft a winning essay, one that is authentic, vulnerable, and demonstrative of qualities like personal growth and emotional maturity. Instead of formulas, Write Yourself In gives students step-by-step processes for brainstorming, outlining, writing, and revising essays. It encourages them to seek out feedback at key points in the process, something Tipler has found to be vital to helping students produce their best writing. Further, the book includes sidebars that teach essential components of good storytelling, a “secret weapon” in the admissions process.
In addition to the admissions essay, Write Yourself In also covers the most common supplemental essays on topics like community, diversity, openness to others’ viewpoints, and why their school is a good fit for the student scholarship essays, as well as scholarship essays. Tipler includes sections that address current topics like the widespread use of ChatGPT and the discussion of race in the admissions essay, a facet of the student’s application that will have newfound importance given the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.
Written with both the parent and teen in mind, Write Yourself In is the go-to handbook for writing a great college essay.
About The Author
Quincy Britt
Eric Tipler graduated from Harvard (BA) and Yale (MA) and has spent the last nineteen years working with teenagers, first as a high school teacher and more recently as a writing coach, tutor, and college admissions counselor. Eric has taught writing to students from an incredibly wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds: kids from marginalized inner-city neighborhoods, as well as some of the most privileged teens in the country. He taught social studies at Friendship Public Charter School, a charter school in inner-city Washington, DC, and at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, often ranked the #1 public high school in America. He also taught and advised Yale undergraduates as a teaching fellow and served as an Associate Head of College for Yale Summer Session. As a writing coach and admissions consultant, Eric currently works with students at elite private schools in Manhattan and San Francisco, as well as doing pro bono work with families in New York City and rural New York. In addition to teaching and tutoring, Eric writes musical theater and works as a story consultant for Broadway-bound musicals.
Product Details
- Publisher: S&S/Simon Element (June 11, 2024)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668055229
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Raves and Reviews
“High schoolers will find this a boon.” –Publishers Weekly
"Write Yourself In is the book every and any high school student (and their parent) needs. The invaluable guidance, specific examples and roadmap are meant for students to take ownership of this process and Eric Tipler provides the confidence to make them know they can do it! Written with expertise, compassion and empathy this book should live on the shelf of every high school guidance office, tutoring center and counseling department." —Sheryl G. Ziegler, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist and author of Mommy Burnout
"Write Yourself In is full of great, detailed information and step-by-step advice on writing compelling college application essays, but even more importantly provides insight into the entire admissions process."—Jim Jump, Ethical College Admissions columnist for Inside Higher Ed
“Every parent (and student) who wants to stay sane in the college application process should buy this book. Eric Tipler provides parents with a roadmap to follow that puts their teens right where they should be, in the lead and ready to succeed.” —Rebecca Winthrop, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at BROOKINGS
“There's a lot of misinformation out there about the admissions process, and by personalizing it and helping students imagine the human reading their applications, Eric is providing some truly useful insights. Most people don't know how to discuss themselves in a vivid and memorable way, even when they need to compellingly communicate their voice and personality. Eric creates a structured process for students, when they feel rudderless, for gathering their thoughts during the daunting application process.” – Scott Clarke, Former Assistant Director, Yale Undergraduate Admissions
“It’s all here! Drawing upon his rich experiences, Eric Tipler de-mystifies the universally dreaded portion of the college application process: essay writing. He not only provides practical guidance as to “how,” but also, and of equal importance, addresses the “who”, “when,” and “why” of effective essays. An entirely reassuring and informative guide for students and parents - begin reading it early (and often)!” – Dr. Paul Orser, Former Associate Dean of the College, Wake Forest University
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