☀️ AUGUST 2025 ☀️

🎓 5 Things You Need to Know Now

1. The New Common App Is Live The 2024–2025 Common App opened August 1. Start strong: review your account, reconnect colleges, and finalize your essay draft(s)!
   

2. Supplemental Essays Are Here Colleges have released their updated prompts. Check each school’s requirements early so you’re not surprised later.

3. ACT & SAT Fall Testing = Now Registering ACT and SAT deadlines are coming fast. September and October are popular test dates—register early to secure your spot. Late registration is still available for the Sept 6 ACT. And if you hurry - you can still get in the late registration for the August 23 SAT.

4. Rolling Admission Has Begun Many colleges—especially large public universities—are already accepting applications. Early birds really do get the worm! ALERT: If Pitt is high on your list - get that application asap - they read them as they arrive.

5. College Reps Will be Visiting Your High School Soon!
   Pay attention to your counseling office’s calendar. If a rep from one of your school’s is visiting, go meet them! Your regional rep is likely the first person who’ll read your application! Don’t miss these key opportunities to connect and stand out.

Follow Us on Instagram @emblemcollegecoach for our latest news and tips!

Essay Tips from Wake Forest University

Colleges are happy to tell you exactly what they want if you know where to look! Here is advice straight from the admissions team at Wake Forest University…

“You’ve completed your essay and are ready to submit it, BUT before you do, reread your work and consider a few things:

• Does your writing address and align with the entire prompt?

• Did you write in a way that highlights your strengths as an applicant?

• Does the piece reflect the thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and energy that you put into it, or does it feel rushed and lack heart?

• Did you focus only on personal challenges instead of personal growth and resilience?

• Finally, does your essay communicate an authentic and unique perspective?”

If you’re not sure about your essay - reach out to us - we’ll be happy to give you some honest, unfiltered feedback!

“Bootcamp For the Win”

How thrilled we were to get that text from a parent at the end of our July Common App & Essay Bootcamp!? (Very:)

We’ve been so grateful for all the positive feedback and we’d like to offer some of our own…A huge THANK YOU to the amazing students from 8 DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS, who made this bootcamp a total success.

Over 4 evening sessions they got SO. MUCH. DONE. From the first section of the Common App, through the gauntlet of the Activities Section, all the way through a final essay draft. They were insightful, motivated, and simply a joy to work with.

So, THANK YOU to our July Bootcamp class. Don’t forget to book your follow up meetings, and we can’t wait to follow your journey!!

📅 Rolling Admissions, Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision: What’s the Difference?

Confused about college application types? Check out our NEW BLOG HERE to learn the key differences between Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Rolling Admissions—and why applying Early Decision isn’t always the best option…

✉️ How Can Opening Emails Get You Accepted at Your Top Choice School?

“Demonstrated Interest” is something many schools track to evaluate if you are as “interested” in them as they might be in you. Bottom line…if a college is deciding between two students, they’re more likely to choose the one who is more likely to choose them. And one of the main ways they determine that is by looking at reports on the emails they’ve sent you. Did you open them? Did you look at them? Did you click on anything? All of this is automatically tracked.

So - what do you need to do?

• For your top choice schools (at a minimum) register for information on their websites.

• Follow colleges Instagram page, if you like a certain department or club - follow their Instagram! These actions will trigger emails.

• When you get emails, open them.

• Don’t just open 10 emails in 20 seconds. Open one a day, or one every other day. When you open them - look at them. Click a link. Spend more than 5 seconds.

In the case of colleges tracking demonstrated interest - every click counts!