Estrela Consulting Blog

At first glance, the Activities List seems like a straightforward section of the Common Application; a simple place to list up to 10 extracurricular activities and describe your personal involvement and contributions.  In reality, it is one of the unique opportunities for an admissions committee to gain an understanding of who you really are as a person and to see beyond your GPA and test scores. ...

College application season has almost started, and for many rising seniors this means that it’s about time to start on the Common Application...which includes the dreaded essay. If you’re like me, then you may have found the idea of writing a personal essay to encapsulate yourself for colleges a little stressful, to say the least. Having survived the process with minimal pain, I can safely say ...

They're here! They're here! If you're like us you've been patiently waiting for the 2020-21 Common App Essay Prompts to be announced. Spoiler Alert: the folks at the Common App have actually decided to keep the same prompts that were used during the 2019-20 application cycle.

It’s August 1st, which means the start of application season for rising seniors! The Common App is an online application used by almost 900 colleges and universities across the country and allows students to apply to multiple schools using one platform.  Ready to get started? Check out our tips for making the process a little bit easier:

For those of us living in the northern half of the U.S., the weather makes summer feel like a LONG way off. But, in reality, it’s already April and school will be out before we know it. Summer is a great time for outdoor BBQs, swimming with friends, and catching up on some ZZZ’s after a busy end of the year. It is also the perfect time to work on your college planning process!