Hi, Reader!

I spent last week at Texas A&M running a two-day essay workshop for 36 students. They walked in stressed. And I'm not going to lie: I was a little stressed, too. That's a big group. And there's just one of me.

I needn't have worried. They locked in, caffeinated up, and walked out with full drafts.

That's the exact energy I want for you this month. Not "I have to have this perfect by August." Just: I'm sitting down, and I'm getting started.

My Talk With Admissions

Before I arrived on campus, I got to Zoom with A&M Admissions and ask what they hope students are thinking about as we hit the middle of summer. Here's what they told me: We don't want students to have regrets when they submit their applications. We want them to be able to say, "I told them who I am and what I'm about, and I didn't leave anything on the table."

I loved this. They're not looking for perfection. They're looking for authenticity. They're looking for effort.

My Tips for You This Week

If you're applying in August and you haven't made your Common App account yet, that's step one. Do that this week.

Then go check your target schools' supplemental essay requirements. Some, like Texas A&M and University of Miami, have already updated theirs for this cycle. Others, like UT Austin, are still finalizing and haven't confirmed yet (I asked UT admissions last week). That's normal for July, even if it is a little frustrating. Luckily, a few missing prompts doesn't mean you have to wait to start writing your other essays.

In Other News ...

• Common App's 2026-27 application shuts down July 28 and reopens Aug. 1. Existing accounts roll over, but not all information does. Here's what you need to know.
• ​The UC system also opens its applications Aug. 1 for the new cycle.
• ​ACT's next national test date is July 11, with score release around July 21.
• If financial aid is on your radar, Sallie Mae's 2026-2027 loan applications are officially open.

Important Dates in the Next Week

Check out my full calendar here.

A Closing Thought

What A&M told me applies everywhere, not just College Station: The students who don't get the outcomes they want maybe the ones who go one-and-done with their drafts. They open the Common App the day they want to submit, type straight into that 650-word box, and stop the second they hit the limit.

Don't do that. Write your draft outside the application. Google Doc, Word, notebook, whatever. Type at the computer. Use voice to text while you're walking the dog. Hand write it on your iPad or in your seventh-grade English notebook (#nostalgia). Don't stop until you've gotten everything down, even if that's 10 pages. Get all of it out first.

Then cut for space. Then edit. Then edit again.

That's how you end up with an essay that says everything you wanted it to say, not just what fit.

Happy Writing!

Julia

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