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Free Webinar & Live Essay Review
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 · 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET

Stand Out on the Common App:

Insider Tips to Writing Better Essays

A Common App essay should do more than summarize what you have done. It should help an admissions reader understand how you think, what you value, and what makes your perspective distinct. Join Thomas Caleel, former Director of MBA Admissions at Wharton, and Stephanie Pluta, former UVA Admissions Officer and Admittedly’s Essay Team Manager, for a practical insider session on making your draft stronger before you submit.

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What You’ll Learn

Most seniors have a draft, a topic, or a growing sense that their current essay is not quite working. In the first 20 minutes, Thomas and Stephanie will give students a clear framework for understanding what matters before moving into the live essay review.

✓ 1.The One Job of the Common App Personal Essay (CAPE). In a complete application, the essay should reveal a dimension of the student that grades, activities, and honors cannot. Thomas and Stephanie will explain the difference between writing to impress and writing to help a reader understand you.
✓ 2.The Three Tests of a Strong Draft. Students will leave with a simple lens for assessing an essay: Is it specific? Does it include real reflection? Does it add something new to the application rather than repeat the résumé?
✓ 3.What to Revise First. Before polishing individual sentences, students will learn how to identify the highest-impact changes: clarifying the central point of view, replacing generic language with detail, and creating a stronger connection between the opening, the reflection, and the final takeaway.

Your Common App essay deserves more than generic writing advice.
Register below to join us live on Tuesday, September 8 at 5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET and learn directly from admissions and essay experts what makes a draft memorable, authentic, and strategically useful within the rest of the application.

 

Want your draft considered for the live review? After registering, email your current Common App essay to marketing@admittedly.co with the subject line “September 8 Live Essay Review.” A limited number of submissions will be selected. A work in progress is welcome; submitting an essay does not guarantee selection.

About the Presenters

Thomas Caleel

Founder, Admittedly; Former Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid, The Wharton School, UPenn

Stephanie Pluta

Essay Team Manager; Former Admissions Officer, University of Virginia

Don’t Miss This

This is an opportunity to learn a concise admissions-reader framework and then watch it applied to real Common App drafts. Students will see
the difference between a good idea and a clear, reflective essay, and leave knowing exactly what to look for in their own revision.

Reserve Your Free Spot
Thomas Caleel

Before founding Admittedly, Thomas spent more than 20 years shaping admissions strategy at the highest levels of education. As the former Director of MBA Admissions at Wharton, he reviewed tens of thousands of applications and made final admissions decisions for one of the world’s most selective schools. He brings the admissions-reader perspective on what an essay contributes to a complete application and what makes an applicant memorable on the page.

stephanie

Stephanie has more than 18 years of experience in college admissions advising, essay coaching, and education. After serving as an admissions officer at UVA, she taught History and Latin while continuing to guide students through college applications. She specializes in narrative development, brainstorming, and revision strategy, helping students uncover the story that is already theirs to tell and communicate it with clarity, specificity, and confidence.