rising senior – Elite4usa.com

Georgia Tech, UNC, UGA, Tulane and others cut supplemental essays for 2026-27, and Yale dropped "Why Yale." Fewer essays does not mean an easier application. Here's how to research and write the "Why Us" essays that remain, why brochure language fails, and what to cut inside 150 to 350 words.

Application Strategy | College Admissions

Supplemental Essays Are Disappearing — Which Makes the Remaining “Why Us” Heavier

ByAndy Lee | Elite Prep Suwanee August 12, 2026

The 2026-27 Common App prompts are unchanged, which means August is for writing, not researching. How to choose a topic, structure 650 words, open the first paragraph, run three to five revision passes, and avoid the trap that erases the student from their own essay.

Application Strategy | College Admissions

Finish the Common App Essay Draft in August — From Blank Page to First Draft

ByAndy Lee | Elite Prep Suwanee August 6, 2026

The Common App opens August 1, but the race is decided before that. Your personal statement draft, activities list, recommendation requests, testing plan, and college list — a practical summer checklist for parents of rising seniors.

Application Prep | US College Admissions

The Rising Senior Summer Checklist — 5 Things to Finish Before August 1

ByAndy Lee | Elite Prep Suwanee July 20, 2026July 20, 2026