Most applications are not very good

Most applications that even top universities receive are not very good. Why?

Kevin MartinApril 12, 2016Reflections, Process

Focus – Factors within your control

I like to divide college admissions into two categories: factors you can control and those you cannot.

Kevin MartinApril 10, 2016Process, Reflections

Essay C: Your ticket

Let's take a quick look at the new Apply Texas topic: your ticket to anywhere.

Kevin MartinApril 9, 2016Essay C

Essay A: Your background

“What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.”

Kevin MartinApril 9, 2016Essays

Essay B: Identity, Interest, Talent

“Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.”

Kevin MartinApril 7, 2016Essays

New Apply Texas Prompts

It appears Apply Texas has changed their prompts. The essay topics are reviewed every two years.

Kevin MartinApril 6, 2016Essays, Process

Demonstrated interest

Does UT-Austin care whether a student shows interest or not? In short, no. Taking an official visit or talking with an admissions officer is not used as a criterion in admissions.

Kevin MartinMarch 30, 2016Process

Résumé and major fit

How do you demonstrate fit for your major? What does fit even mean?

Kevin MartinMarch 10, 2016Resume, Process

Integrating your essays and résumé

Think of college admissions as a game of strategy. I like to think of admissions as chess. The best chess players position their pieces most effectively to gain control of the middle of the board.

Kevin MartinMarch 10, 2016Resume, Essays

What not to include in your résumé

In previous posts, we have covered résumé formatting and strategy. In this post, I touch on some things you may want to reconsider.

Kevin MartinMarch 9, 2016Resume

Quantifying your accomplishments

All of the time, I review résumés where I wish the applicant would tell me more. One way to provide the reviewer with more information is to quantify your accomplishments.

Kevin MartinMarch 5, 2016Resume

Formatting the résumé

There are no correct or incorrect ways to format the résumé. Here, content counts.

Kevin MartinMarch 3, 2016Resume

Résumé strategy

This is the first in a series of posts dealing with the résumé section on Apply Texas, the expanded résumé, and how admissions reviewers assess your activities and accomplishments in regards to your choice of major and fit into the university.

Kevin MartinMarch 2, 2016Resume, Process

Should I appeal?

Kevin MartinFebruary 26, 2016Appeals, Process

Receiving your admissions decision

This year, UT received a record of over 47,000 applications for around 18,000 spaces.

Kevin MartinFebruary 20, 2016Process, Statistics

How do recommendation letters work?

What makes for effective recommendation letters?

Kevin MartinFebruary 13, 2016Recommendation Letters

Are some majors more competitive than others?

When I worked for UT, I received this question perhaps more than any other; answering it is complex. The official line and what I was required to tell future applicants is that all majors are equally competitive. But it simply isn’t true.

Kevin MartinFebruary 12, 2016Process