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Create a free account to save your progress and access your application from any device. All your drafts, scores, activities, and college list are stored securely.
Full Roadmap
Step-by-step guidance through every section of the Common App.
School and Major Strategy
We help you figure out which major fits your goals and which schools are the best match, from state schools to the Ivy League.
Game the System
Learn how admissions officers actually read applications and how to position yourself for maximum impact.
Balanced College Lists
We create personalized lists ranging from safety state schools all the way to Ivy League reaches.
How to Use This Platform
- Start with Honors and Activities. Use the Draft panel to brainstorm freely, then click AI Fill to get a polished Final version within the character limits.
- Head to Personal Statement to explore prompts, develop your hook and vehicle, and build your narrative before drafting.
- Fill in Testing with your SAT, ACT, and AP scores.
- Complete at least 3 out of 5 Honors and 4 out of 10 Activities before using College Match to get an accurate chance estimate.
- Use Rec Letters to understand how to build the relationships you need before asking.
- Finish with Additional Info and Circumstance. Less is more.
Common mistakes to avoid: Do not just list your awards. The rest of your application already does that. Do not be vague. Admissions officers read thousands of essays. Yours needs to feel human, specific, and memorable.
The Anatomy of a Great Essay
The Hook
Your opening line must grab the reader immediately. Start in the middle of a scene, with a striking statement, or a vivid sensory detail. Never start with "I was born" or a dictionary definition. The reader decides in the first three sentences whether they are interested.
Vehicle and Metaphor
A vehicle is the concrete story or activity you use to reveal something deeper about yourself. A great essay is not about chess. It is about how chess taught you to think three moves ahead in life. The vehicle should be specific, surprising, and uniquely yours.
Going Full Circle
End where you began. Reference your opening image or line in your conclusion to give the essay a satisfying sense of closure. This technique signals craft and intentionality. It shows you planned your essay, not just wrote it.
Select a Prompt
Your Essay (650 words max)
0 / 650 words
Essay Concepts
Brainstorm ideas before committing to one. Grade each concept with AI for uniqueness and practicality.
Enter your courses by year. Click the + button below each grade level to add a course. Credit hours and final grade are optional but helpful.
GPA and Class Rank
out of
Non-A Grades
If you have grades below an A (plusses and minuses are negligible), please enter them below for proper evaluation.
B
Below A range
C
Below B range
D
Below C range
F
Failing
How this works: Use the Draft panel (right) to describe the honor freely. Click the arrow button to have AI condense it into a polished, under-100-character Final version using strong college application language. Press AI Evaluate on each honor to get a prestige score with context.
How this works: Use the Draft panel (right) to describe the activity freely. Click the arrow button to get a polished version in the Final panel using strong admissions language within the character limits. Press AI Evaluate on the final panel to get a score on impact and uniqueness.
Can't think of 10 activities?
SAT
Superscoring allowed. Your highest section scores from different test dates will be combined.
SAT Total: -
ACT
AP Exams
Report up to 15 AP exams. Score 1 to 5 or mark as not yet taken.
Exam
Score
Your job is to make it as easy as possible for your recommenders to write something exceptional. Give them your resume, a brag sheet, and specific stories you would like them to highlight.
Required Letter Types
Counselor Letter Required by all colleges
Every college requires a letter from your school counselor. Make sure you have met with them at least once and shared your goals, challenges, and plans. The counselor also writes the school profile, so your relationship matters even if you feel like a number.
Teacher Letter 1 Required
Should be from a core academic subject teacher (English, Math, Science, History, or Language). Choose someone who has seen you grow and go beyond what was required. Junior year teachers are usually best since the relationship is fresh.
Teacher Letter 2 Required
Same rules apply. Aim for a different subject than your first teacher to show breadth. Ideally one sees your analytical side, the other your creative or collaborative side.
Extra Letter Highly Recommended
This can come from anyone: a coach, employer, mentor, community leader, or family friend. Choose someone who knows you deeply and can speak to qualities that your teachers and counselor cannot. Do not double up on what is already said.
How to Build Strong Recommender Relationships
- Sit in the front or middle of class. Visible students are memorable students.
- Visit office hours at least two or three times. Ask genuine questions about the material or your future.
- Participate actively in class discussions. One insightful comment per week is enough to stand out.
- Do exceptional work on at least one memorable assignment, something they will want to mention in the letter.
- Tell your teachers early, at least six to eight weeks before deadlines, and make the ask in person, not by email.
- Send a thank-you note after they submit, and then a college decision update when you hear back.
- Provide your recommenders with a brag sheet: bullet points of your proudest moments, goals, and why you are applying to these schools.
Which Letters Matter Most by Major
STEM, Pre-Med, Engineering
Prioritize math and science teachers. A research mentor or lab supervisor as your optional letter is extremely valuable.
Humanities, Social Sciences, Law
English or history teachers should be your first picks. A community organizer or debate coach works well as the extra letter.
Business and Economics
Economics or math teacher paired with an employer or entrepreneurship mentor as your extra letter.
Arts and Performing Arts
A creative writing or arts teacher, paired with a director, coach, or professional artist who has worked with you.
What is Additional Information?
This section is your chance to add context, elaborate on something, or share something important that did not fit anywhere else. This is not a place to repeat what is already in your application. Think of it as bonus space, not required but powerful if used correctly.
Good uses: A gap in your transcript you need to explain. An activity that needs more space. An unusual circumstance affecting your record. Research or projects that deserve elaboration.
Format tip: This can be paragraph form or bullet points. But regardless, every word must earn its place. Admissions officers are reading hundreds of applications. Be direct, be specific, and do not waste their time.
Good uses: A gap in your transcript you need to explain. An activity that needs more space. An unusual circumstance affecting your record. Research or projects that deserve elaboration.
Format tip: This can be paragraph form or bullet points. But regardless, every word must earn its place. Admissions officers are reading hundreds of applications. Be direct, be specific, and do not waste their time.
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AI Fill
The Golden Rule of Circumstance
The circumstance section exists to give colleges context for things in your application that might otherwise raise questions: a dip in grades, a semester with fewer activities, a gap in your record.
Only address something here if it must be addressed. If an admissions officer would notice it and wonder, explain it. If they would not notice, do not bring it up. You would only be drawing attention to a weakness that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Write from a place of honesty and forward momentum. Do not dwell, do not over-explain, and do not make excuses. State the circumstance, briefly describe the impact, and pivot to what you learned or how you moved forward. Keep it under 300 words.
Only address something here if it must be addressed. If an admissions officer would notice it and wonder, explain it. If they would not notice, do not bring it up. You would only be drawing attention to a weakness that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Write from a place of honesty and forward momentum. Do not dwell, do not over-explain, and do not make excuses. State the circumstance, briefly describe the impact, and pivot to what you learned or how you moved forward. Keep it under 300 words.
0 / 300 words
AI Fill
Search and Add Colleges
Your List (0/20)
Profile Summary
Fill in your test scores, honors, and activities to see your profile summary here.
Recommended List Structure
4 to 6
Safety / Likely
6 to 8
Target / Match
3 to 5
Reach