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College Admissions Blog

Many of our students have gotten into their dream school just by using these FREE resources! 

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Do NOT Submit Your Common App Without Reading This! | 7 Deadly Sins

I've been meeting with many seniors recently and have seen the same 6 problems repeatedly showing up in your essays.

Kevin Zhen

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Write a STELLAR Common App Essay: The 3-Scene Montage Structure

This structure is perfect for students who want to include a key moment in their essay but don't know how, students who have an incomplete

Kevin Zhen

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The Common App Essay That Got Him Into Yale + Featured on the NY Times | Jeffrey Yu

Welcome back, friends! Today, I have an exciting treat to share with you all! My dear friend (and co-founder) Jeff, has offered to share...

Kevin Zhen

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The 7 Laws of College Admissions

Welcome back my dear virtual little siblings! Today we are here to discuss the seven holy commandments of college admissions.

Kevin Zhen

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5 Common App Essay Mistakes To Stop Doing Yesterday

Hello there, my friends! I'm Kevin Zhen, Exeter grad, Yale grad, amateur breakdancer, and a professional college counselor who’s edited

Kevin Zhen

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The BIGGEST College Essay Mistake You Can Make

After reading hundreds of college essays, I am still utterly shocked at how often this occurs. It happens in 90 to 95% of the essays that

Kevin Zhen

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This SECRET Rubric Got Our Students Into Every Ivy League School

After reading not dozens but HUNDREDS of Common App essays over the past few years, my co-founder Jeffrey Yu,

Kevin Zhen

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The Best Way to Start & End a College Essay in 2024

Every year, two of the biggest issues that I see in college essays are weak hooks and poor conclusions. 

Kevin Zhen

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How to Fill Out the Common App Activities Section in 2024 (The RIGHT Way)

Every admissions cycle, students ask us how to fill out the activities list section of the Common App.

Kevin Zhen

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Shocked at my Yale Admissions File | The Truth About Questbridge, Essays and Recommendations

Hey everyone, my name is Kevin Zhen, a Yale grad and co-founder of the ElevatEd School, where we focus on critical thinking and storytelling

Kevin Zhen

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The Common App Essay That Got Me Into the Ivy League (Yale and Princeton)

Hey there, friend! My name is Kevin Zhen, and in May 2020, I graduated from Yale with a degree in East Asian Studies.

Kevin Zhen

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How to Get Into Harvard with a Potato

Hey there, my dear virtual little siblings! Today, I've got a spud-tacular (wink) plan to get you into Harvard, or any Ivy League school for

Kevin Zhen

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