College Admissions Archives

A cartoon illustrating a 'Frankenstein Essay' scenario. A student holding a disjointed essay with visible seams and patches, resembling Frankenstein's monster. Surrounding the student are a roommate, a professor, a premed advisor, a friend, and a parent, all giving conflicting advice. The student looks confused and overwhelmed. The background includes a messy desk with books, notes, and a laptop.

How to Get Advice for Your Personal Statement

Obviously, you want to get advice from someone who writes well, can be frank with you, and has some understanding of the field to which you are applying. If you choose to get advice from...

A diverse group of students engaging in a lively discussion in a college setting, representing various ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds, highlighting their unique identities and perspectives.

Ten Tips for Writing a Powerful Diversity Essay

Perhaps no part of college or graduate school applications confuses people more than the diversity statement. Since we began helping applicants in 2008, Gurufi has helped hundreds of candidates craft compelling diversity statements, but so...

A stressed graduate student sits at a cluttered desk with papers, scholarship applications, and a laptop. The student is holding a pen and jotting notes on a notecard, with symbols of leadership, community involvement, and achievements in the background, including a trophy, a community service medal, and a graduation cap. A thought bubble shows images of dollar signs and a graduation gown.

Three Tips for Scholarship Essays

At Gurufi, we know that getting in is often only half the battle! Paying for it can be just as -if not more- stressful as applying. With the average cost of graduate school starting at...

College-aged student handing over CV and personal statement to a smiling professor in a colorful cartoon office setting, with books, laptop, and certificates in the background.

Ten Tips for Getting a GREAT Letter of Recommendation

In the competitive world of applications—whether for college, graduate school, or a new job—a strong letter of recommendation can be a deciding factor in your favor. At Gurufi, where we specialize in personal statements, CVs,...

The Role of Authenticity In Personal Statements

In my eighteen years of helping people earn admission into their dream schools, two kinds of applicants are quite common. The first type sees their application as merely a means to an end. They want...

Cartoon of Frankenstein sitting at a desk, writing a personal statement with a quill, portraying a humorous juxtaposition of a monstrous figure engaged in a scholarly task

What is a Frankenstein Essay, and Why Will It Destroy Your Application?

After nearly 20 years of reading, assessing, revising, and consulting on personal statements, I have seen every variety of mistake an applicant can make. More importantly for you, though, is that I am pretty good...

Choosing Between Multiple Schools

When I checked my email this morning, I remembered why this is my favorite time of year! Two of my favorite clients got into their dream schools, and my back-and-forth emails with a client who...

Why Using A.I. to Write Your Personal Statement is a Bad Idea, Part 2

Colleges and universities are freaking out because students are beginning to use ChatGPT to do their academic work. A recent poll of Stanford students found that 10% used it to create homework that they turned...

DON’T Use ChatGPT to Write Your Personal Statement

Twenty Tips for a Powerful Personal Statement

I used to teach a summer seminar to aspiring MBA, law school, and college students about how to write a powerful personal statement. While transitioning my material to a new laptop, I recently discovered my...