No one is surprised to see resilience or resourcefulness on the list of top qualities to highlight in a college essay, but they don't expect to see likability and humility. Never underestimate their importance. Read below from Janine Robinson of Essay Hell: Get personal. To me, personal stuff is the information you usually keep to yourself, or your closest friends and family. So it can be challenging, even painful, to dig up and share. Try anyway. When you open up about your

While the college essay process is stressful to many, it is exciting to me. We're in the heart of essay season-and I love drawing stories out of my students. It allows me to really get to know them, which helps me refine their college lists in terms of major or social environment. Look for essay advice and suggestions from college admissions officers over the next few weeks. Writer's block? I'm here to help you pull your ideas together at lesscollegestress.org. Tip #1-If som