This summer Megan will focus on different college application essay topics, pinpointing common pitfalls and offering suggestions for strong responses. Today's topic: discuss a "great" book.

— Not all colleges ask about books, but this question appears on a number of school's supplemental essay lists.

— Don't overthink your answer; be genuine. There isn't a right or wrong answer. (Trying to sound impressive isn't the goal.)

— Brainstorm the "why" part of your answer. Your thought process is a significant part of the essay.

— Look at your application essays as a whole and understand how this response fits into the bigger picture.

Questions?

If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for an upcomming show, we'd love to hear from you. You can email us at collegepreppodcast (at) gmail (dot) com

More about the hosts

Megan Dorsey is a parent, educator, and SAT/ACT prep expert. She graduated from Rice University and has over 25 years of experience helping students earn better scores and put together strong applications. Megan lives in Sugar Land, Texas and works with students in-person and on Zoom. You can find out more at CollegePrepResults.com.

Erin Tempest is the founder of Seattle Success Coaching where she and her team help families with a wide range of issues. Let Erin take the frustration out of learning with her academic support, exectuvie function coaching, and social/life skills packages. Her goal is to help parents get back to enjoying their kids. You can find out more at SeattleSuccessCoaching.com.