The Katalyna blog
The questions everyone asks, answered straight.
Every cycle, the same worries fill admissions forums: how many schools, whether to apply early, what to do about aid. Here are practical answers, with no guarantees and no hype.
4 posts in Essays · Show all
How to write a "Why this college?" essay that couldn't be about any other school
The most common supplement is also the easiest to get wrong. A simple test for specificity, where to find real details, and what admissions readers skip past.
Personal statement ideas when you think your life is boring
You don't need a dramatic story. How to find an essay topic in an ordinary life, and why small, specific moments work better than big ones.
Using AI on your application essay: where the line actually is
Policies differ by school and detection is unreliable, so the real question isn't whether you'd be caught. Here's what help is legitimate and what costs you the essay.
Put the advice to work on your own list.
Katalyna turns these answers into a plan: matched schools, deadlines, aid comparisons, and honest essay feedback.