Write Yourself In by Eric Tipler

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.