When Applying to College, Write About "What Makes You Tick"

The Brian Lehrer Show | Dec 13, 2013

January 1 is a common deadline for college applications. Jacques Steinberg, senior vice president of national non-profit organization sayyestoeducation.org, and author of The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College (Penguin, 2003), offers advice for high school seniors, and their families, on getting the applications in on time and writing a superior essay, even with the deadline looming. His main tip for writing an essay is to really show "what makes you tick." And don't shy away from using the common app -- it's "the coin of the realm" for many schools and will give you a chance to show your stuff.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

The World Cup, the Knicks, and LeBron James’s Fate: An All-Time Summer in Sports

The staff writer Louisa Thomas on the U.S. men’s national soccer team, the N.B.A. off-season, and Serena Williams.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

The near-collapsed Midtown building is now stable, but its finances may not be

Experts say the structural failure at the Pfizer Building could cause financial problems and a lingering stigma — but that the city’s housing shortage means renters will probably move in anyway.
Gothamist |

NYC DSA on Their Big Wins, and the Future

NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo talk about the DSA's recent big wins.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Get Lit: Laila Lalami's 'The Dream Hotel,' and Imal Gnawa Performs

All Of It with Alison Stewart |
YOU ARE ONLINE