I read this as a child applying not as a parent which I wish the author understood could be his audience but overall this book did stress me out at times and other times made me feel a lot of confidence in my application. I think it’s needed for this type of book to come out every few years.

WRITE YOURSELF IN by Eric Tipler is an excellent resource, self-described as "The Definitive Guide to Writing Successful College Admissions Essays." It is written in a calm, accepting tone and contains a number of self-reflection and brainstorming exercises. All of that could contribute to reducing anxiety for certain students. Sample essays are included along with a discussion of when it is helpful to use ChatGPT (idea generation) and when not to use it. Also, there are sections written to parents and some directly to students. Tipler, a teacher, writing coach, and admissions consultant, focuses primarily on selective schools and comments in detail on essay prompts for many of them. I particularly liked his review of the top ten qualities that admissions committees value and the personal essay revision checklist. If you know a high school student who will be graduating in 2025 (or even 2026), this could (right now, for planning purposes) be a wonderful early graduation gift. WRITE YOURSELF IN will also be available as an audiobook which might be the preferred mode for certain students. Accompanying worksheets and exercises are available online. Highly recommended.

As a teacher of high school juniors, I found this to be a comprehensive guide to writing high-stakes college application essays. The advice on how to approach more modern, up-to-date topics is worth it alone.

Write Yourself In, by Eric Tipler, is such a helpful guide to writing college essays that will set a student apart from the flood of applicants they'll be judged against. It's a stressful process, and this guide is a must read for everyone going through it. Highly recommend!