My Favorite College Application Resources

Applying to college can feel overwhelming — fast. But I'm here to help!

On this page, I've curated a collection of some of my favorite, most reliable college application resources — the ones I've bookmarked myself because I've used them so often and the ones I regularly recommend to my students and families. Here, you'll find help with application portals, the personal statement, scholarships, writing, and much more.

You don't need to use every resource here (think of it as a menu to select from, not a checklist). But whether you're just getting started, stuck on an essay opening, or polishing that final draft (finally!!), these links are designed to offer you a clear step forward instead of adding more noise to the process.

Affiliate disclosure: A few links on this page are affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through them, I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend resources I know well, use often, and trust with my own students.

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Application Portals

Common App

AXS Companion — Open Resource. This is a free resource, and anyone can use or share it widely. No login or account is required, and no student data is collected or used. The AXS Companion includes about 50 modules, so students can use it for end-to-end assistance or on an ad hoc basis to manage only those sections that are confusing to them.
How to Fill Out the Common Application (2025) | COMPLETE Walkthrough

Texas Applications

My Texas A&M and UT Austin Application Resource Guides include all my favorite links for preparing the UT and A&M applications, and they also come with my Google Doc outline strategies for brainstorming and structuring the essays (the same docs I use with my 1:1 students).

Low-Cost Essay Writing Resources

My favorite books on Amazon that support students with their college applications.
College Application Hub (free) — The College Essay Guy’s (CEG) best support for all aspects of the college application process. (I'm a big fan of CEG resources, partly because I'm a Family Liaison, writer, and occasional coach on his team.)
How to Write a Personal Statement (Tips + Essay Examples) — In this blog post, the CEG team describes what differentiates the personal statement from other college essays and what function it serves in your college application. They also share what qualities can help a personal statement stand out, how to find a stronger topic, how to set yourself up for an easier writing process, and even share some essay examples.
How to Write a College Essay: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide – CEG’s step-by-step (free) guide to writing a personal statement.
CollegeVine — Do a search for specific colleges, and you’ll get good information on what each college is looking for in their supplemental essay.
College Essay Advisors — Again, great information in their blogs, and they have some good YouTube videos as well.
Collegewise — Helpful planning guides and essay assistance.

The Personal Statement

Paid Courses Through College Essay Guy

If you’re feeling like you don’t want to go it alone when it comes to brainstorming and writing, these resources can help you feel a little more supported.

College Essay Guy Application Review. (starts at $597) Get detailed feedback on your entire college application.
How to Write the College Application & Supplemental Essays (live in September-October 2025, then on-demand). ($297) This is a live, step-by-step video course from the College Essay Guy for creating a stand-out college application and tackling the most common college supplemental essays. Use code JULIA10 for 10% off.
UC Personal Insights course. ($297) A step-by-step course for helping students write outstanding responses to the University of California Personal Insight Questions.
Summer College Essay & Application Program ($450) —This is an on-demand video course on writing an outstanding college personal statement and supplemental essays. Use code JULIA10 for 10% off.
How to Write a Personal Statement Online Course for Students ($297) — This is an on-demand video course through College Essay Guy (CEG) on writing an outstanding college personal statement. Ethan also hosts one live session a year (September-October 2025). Use code JULIA10 for 10% off.
Summer College Essay & Application Program ($450) —This is a NEW two-part live and on-demand video course through CEG on writing an outstanding college personal statement and supplemental essays. Use code JULIA10 for 10% off. I highly recommend this course! Students who sign up using this code (and then share with me their confirmation email) will get my “ResuMEH to ResumYAY” student resume writing course for free (valued at $127).
Advanced Personal Statement Course for Students ($297 or pay-what-you-can) — CEG’s online video course provides students with everything they need to help take their college essay to the next level. Use code JULIA10 for 10% off.

Brainstorming

Stuck on even getting an idea? These resources can help!

Nailing Your Personal Statement Topic in 60 Minutes (under $20) — My downloadable Google Doc brainstorming packet offers some of my top brainstorming activities to help students come up with unique, personal essay topics. An add-on purchase gives you my feedback on the completed brainstorming along with a Loom video with my ideas on what topics to consider.
How to Brainstorm 7 Different Personal Statement Ideas
Is Your College Essay Topic “Good?” | The Jellyfish Exercise
How to Write Your College Essay if You've Experienced Significant Challenges

Openings

Stuck on an opening? Not after you read these!

Writing

Now comes the harder part: Writing. Here’s how to make it a little easier.

Closings

Finally! You’re at the end. But how do you wrap up your writing masterpiece?

How to End a College Essay: 10 Tactics & Strategies

Editing

Over word count? Need to make sure you’re polished to (near) perfection? These resources can help.

Supplemental Essay Guides

Scholarship Resources

Tips for Winning Scholarships

Monica Matthews — How to Win College Scholarships
Get 25% off her ebook with the code SCHOLARSHIP SECRETS
Ethan Sawyer — How to Write a Scholarship Essay: A Complete Guide + Examples

Available College Scholarships

Try finding local scholarships by searching online for “Your Town, State Scholarships.” Also check my Scholarships page.

Sample Essays

College Essay Guy: 27 Outstanding College Essay Examples
Shemassian Academic Consulting: 13 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2021–2022)
PrepScholar: 145 College Essay Examples for 11 Schools + Expert Analysis
My Perfect Words: Successful College Application Essay Examples – Easy Samples
The Costco Essay: Read the College Essay About Costco That Got This Senior Into 5 Ivy League Schools
Not a personal statement, but a nice piece that shows growth and insight.
New York Times Essays on Money: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

You don’t need to use every resource on this page to have a strong college application. Start where you are, use what’s helpful, and come back as new questions pop up.