SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Because ACT Writing is optional, many students are unsure whether they need to add the extra 40 minutes to the test. However, there's a simple answer to whether you should take the ACT with writing or without writing: it depends on whether the colleges you want to apply to require a writing score.

This guide will walk you through how the ACT writing section got started, how to determine whether you should take the ACT with or without Writing, and some other considerations you may want to keep in mind.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University is a prestigious private university ranked within the top 25 universities nationwide. To apply here, you'll have to submit your transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and a few essays. But what do you actually have to write for your Emory essays?

Below, we present to you this year's Emory University essay prompts and offer you tips for figuring out which prompts you should choose for your application. We will also look at admissions officers' feedback for real Emory essays that worked.

Let's get started!

The University of Central Florida, commonly known as UCF, is one of the largest colleges in the United States. Over 60,000 students are enrolled at UCF, but that doesn't mean it's super easy to get in—UCF has an acceptance rate of 36 percent, meaning they accept less than half of students who apply.

To set yourself apart from the crowd, you'll want to write a stellar UCF application essay. Don't think that the fact that these essays are optional means they're not important; they're an additional opportunity to show why you'll be a great addition to the student body!

In this guide, we'll cover all the details of the UCF essay prompts, including how to answer them, what UCF is looking for, and a step-by-step guide to make your essay as strong as it can be.

Villanova University is a private, Catholic research university in Pennsylvania. With a 20 percent acceptance rate, it's considered moderately competitive—but even that level of selectiveness has an average GPA just shy of 4.0.

But acceptance to Villanova isn't just about your test scores and GPA; you'll also need to nail the Villanova supplement essay, rounding out your application with a strong representation of yourself.

In this guide, we'll cover all of Villanova's essay prompts and how to best answer them, including potential topics and pitfalls.

If you want to go to Penn State, then the Penn State essay is one of your big chances to show how you’re different from other students in your application for admission. In order to really make this component of the application work to your advantage, you’ll need a solid strategy for writing a concise, unique, and persuasive Penn State essay!

Writing your Penn State admissions essay might seem intimidating at first, but we’re here to guide you through the process. This article will help you write a stellar Penn State essay by: 

• Explaining purpose of the Penn State Essay
• Outlining the three steps to writing a solid Penn State Essay
• Providing a breakdown of Penn State essay examples
• Giving you three practical tips for writing an exceptional essay

Let’s dive in!

The University of Michigan is one of the highest-ranked universities in the nation and is therefore a popular choice for many students, especially those in Michigan and the Midwest. At present, U-M's got a relatively low acceptance rate of just 20%.

If you're planning to apply to this coveted university, then you'll need to know how to write your best University of Michigan supplemental essay possible. Read on to learn what the University of Michigan supplemental essays entail and to get some advice on answering the various prompts. We also give you real University of Michigan essay examples and general tips for producing a great college essay.

If you're applying for admission to UNC Chapel Hill, you'll have to write a total of three essays as part of your application. Your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays are a great way to tell the admissions committee more about yourself while also showing your interest in UNC and your dedication to your education.

In this article, we'll break down what the UNC essay prompts are, what you should talk about in each, and offer tips for writing great UNC supplemental essays.

Brown admits around 5% of its total applicant pool every year. If you want to be one of those admitted students, you'll need to write amazing Brown essays as part of your application.

In this article, we'll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your Brown University application and teach you how to write a Brown supplement essay that'll help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.

One of the essays you'll have to write when applying to Columbia University is the "Why Columbia" essay. In this essay, you'll need to convince the admissions committee that Columbia is your dream school and that you'd be a great fit on the campus.

The "Why Columbia" essay question can be intimidating for students. You might be wondering: what should I mention in it? What does the admissions committee want to hear from me?

In this article, we'll break down the "Why Columbia" essay, explaining what the prompt asks and what the committee wants to hear. We'll also show you a real, successful "Why Columbia" essay example and explain why it works. Finally, we'll suggest potential topics for your essay and offer tips on how to write your own college admissions essays.

In 2021/2022, MIT admitted only 3.96% of students who applied to the school. With such a low admissions rate, it may seem like getting accepted is close to impossible, but we're here to help!

In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know to complete the MIT application, including when every important MIT application deadline is, what exactly you need to submit with your application, what admissions officers are really looking for when they review your application, and how you can make each part of your MIT application stand out from the pack.

All applicants to Washington University in St. Louis have to submit a supplemental essay as part of their application packet. That means that in addition to the essays you write as part of your Common Application or the Coalition Application (WashU accepts either one), you'll have to submit a third essay that you write specifically for Washington University in St. Louis.

Because WashU's acceptance rate is highly competitive—only 13% of students are accepted every year!—you'll need to write a stellar WashU supplement to give yourself the best shot at getting in. But what does a good WashU supplemental essay look like?

This article is going to explain everything you need to know about the Washington University supplemental essay, including:

• Explaining what the WashU supplemental essay is and how to choose the correct essay prompt
• Separate walkthroughs of both the general supplemental essay prompt and the Beyond Boundaries supplemental essay prompt
• Tips and tricks for writing an excellent Washington University supplemental essay

So without further ado, let's dive in!

So you've decided to apply to Michigan State University. You've made a great choice—not only is it one of the top public universities in the nation, 94% of undergraduates land jobs or go onto graduate school after graduation! Additionally, more than 25 of its undergraduate programs are ranked in the top 20 nationally, including the best supply chain management and logistics program in the country. And like most top schools, the MSU application requires you to submit an application essay.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about writing and submitting the Michigan State admissions essay, including:

• A discussion of the Michigan State admissions standards,
• Where to find the Michigan State application, and
• Five tips to write a Michigan State admissions essay that will get you in.

So let's get started!

Do you want to be a Blue Devil? If so, you'll need to submit strong Duke essays as part of your application.

Duke requires its applicants to answer two essays, one as part of the Common or Coalition app, and one "Why Duke" essay. Students will also have the option to answer up to two more personal essay prompts, but they aren't required.

We're going to break down all the prompts for you and walk you though how to write amazing Duke supplement essays. So let's get started!

Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia boasts impressive academics, competitive sports team, and a long list of notable alumni. Though about 17,000 students attend UVA, the school has an admissions rate of 19%—meaning you'll have to work hard if you want to be a Cavalier.

One of the best ways to boost your chances of admissions is by writing great UVA essays as part of your application. In this article, we'll break down what the UVA essay prompts are and how you can write responses to each prompt that will make you stand out.

Are you hoping to become a Blue Devil? The Why Duke essay is a small but important part of your Duke application. This is the place where you explain exactly why you love Duke so much. However, there are thousands of students who want to attend Duke, and only a small percentage of them get in. What can you do to make sure your Why Duke essay sets you apart and helps you get accepted?

Keep reading to learn what the Why Duke essay prompts are, exactly what Duke is looking for when they read them, and what you should write about to convince Duke you'd be an asset to their school. We also include a Why Duke essay example so you can see what an actual essay response looks like.