Resources
Real, specific guidance — not generic tips. Written the same way Margin gives feedback: honest, concrete, and aimed at helping you write something true, not something safe.
Getting started
How to Start Your Common App Essay
What to actually do when you're staring at a blank page and seven prompts that all sound the same
How to Actually Choose a Topic
Most students don't get stuck because they have nothing to write about — they get stuck because they think the topic has to be impressive before it's worth writing about at all. Comes with a free tool that matches your material to the right Common App prompt
How Many Drafts Should a College Essay Take?
Coming soon — the honest answer, and why the number matters less than you think
Diagnosing what's wrong
Why Your College Essay Sounds Generic
The specific, nameable reasons an essay reads like everyone else's, and what to do instead
What It Actually Means to "Sound Like Yourself"
If a later draft feels safer but less alive than an earlier one, that's often a sign some real voice got edited away, not improved.
For parents
How to Help With Your Kid's College Essay Without Taking It Over
The difference between helping and hijacking is smaller than it looks — and it's not about caring less.
Support
If You Need Support Right Now
Real, current crisis and support resources — no essay required, no need to wait for anything to be flagged.
More guides on brainstorming, revision, supplemental essays, and scholarships are on the way.
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Essays, scholarships, and thoughtful guidance for students and families — sent occasionally, not constantly.