Suzanne Felton

Writer and writing coach offering encouragement and expertise to authors of books, essays, and all other writing projects.

I especially love helping high school seniors craft their college application essays.

08/03/2026

High School Seniors:

Did you know there are TWO types of college application essays?

1) The Personal Essay: the longer essay (≤650 words) that reveals something meaningful about YOU. For schools that use the Common App, respond to one of the seven prompts given (go to "My Common Application" and then "Writing"), and use the same personal essay for every school you apply to.

When writing your personal essay, ask yourself, "Could any other student have written this?". If the answer is yes, go back and write a story that ONLY YOU can tell.

2) Supplemental Essays: additional essays required by some schools (found under specific schools in the "My Colleges" section of the Common App). Supplementals typically have a lower word count than the personal essay and often ask questions like why you want to attend that school. This is where you can show admissions officers (AOs) you've done your research by tailoring your answers to that particular school.

The litmus test for "why this school" questions is this:
Could my answer apply to more than one school?
If the answer is yes, you have more research to do.

The Common App reset on August 1, marking the opening of the 2026-2027 college admissions cycle. Supplemental questions have been posted, and deadline dates have been updated. If you haven't already, it's time to get started on your applications.

Have questions about your application essays? I'd love to help!

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

suzannefelton.com

07/13/2026

College admissions officers read applications holistically, viewing all the parts as pieces of one big picture.

While it’s true there’s no one particular piece (grades, class rank, SAT/ACT scores, etc.) that will get you accepted or rejected, there is one piece that can add depth and dimension to all the others, strengthening the entire package.

The essay section is the only part of your application in which you can tell admissions officers whatever you want them to know about you using your own voice! It’s the place to show them your unique self and why you’re the perfect fit for their college.

When a college receives tens of thousands of applications, and many of those have similar strong grades, scores, and activities, the essay section can be the difference maker.

Need help choosing a topic or refining your essay? I’d love to help!

https://suzannefelton.com/essay-home/

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

06/08/2026

No, I'm not trying to be funny! 🙂

RISING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS:
Choosing a good topic for your personal essay and deciding how to use it to best showcase your unique self takes time, even before you start writing. Once school starts this fall, your time and attention will be divided, and submission deadlines will arrive before you know it.

Summer break is the right time to start writing your application essays.

The Common App personal essay prompts are already set and will not change for the 2026-2027 application season. Writing your personal essay over the summer will allow you to focus on supplemental essays and the rest of your application this fall.

If you'd like help choosing a strong topic and starting the writing process, I'd love to join you on your application journey. Message me directly, or visit my website for more information.

https://suzannefelton.com/essay-home/

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

06/01/2026

Planning to apply to college this fall?

The personal essay (personal statement/main essay/CommonApp essay) will be a key piece of your college applications. Knowing the role it plays in the context of the bigger picture can help you form a strategy for writing an essay that will stand out to admissions officers and strengthen your entire resumé.

Writing your personal essay this summer will get you ahead of the game.

Need help getting started? Have an idea but don't know where to go with it? I'd love to help.

Visit my website to download a FREE GUIDE to the role and importance of the personal essay, subscribe to my monthly newsletter, or schedule a discovery call to see if essay coaching is right for you (or all of the above!).

https://suzannefelton.com/essay-home/

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

05/26/2026

RISING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND PARENTS:

Thinking of applying to college this fall? If you haven't already, now is the time to start thinking about your applications. For writing tips and general information about the current college admissions landscape, subscribe to my monthly newsletter:
https://suzannefelton.com/college-essay-newsletter/

Need help getting started on your essays? I'd love to join you on your application journey!

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

05/01/2026

Class of 2027:

May 1 is is National College Decision Day, the standard deadline for college commitments. For the high school class of 2026, this means they have decided where they will be headed just a few short months from now. Class of 2027, that will be you one year from today.

Your junior year isn't over yet, so it may seem early to be talking about College Decision Day for you, but it's only 365 days away.

Three-hundred-sixty-five days that will fly right by. Believe me.

It’s not too soon to get started on your college admissions journey. One thing you can begin now is your personal essay, which can serve as an anchor for all the grades, test scores, and achievements you will compile into a complete application package this fall.

To help you create an application strategy and choose a strong topic for your personal essay, I’m hosting a one-hour virtual workshop on two dates this month:

1) Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 8:00 PM (EST)
2) Thursday, May 28, 2026, 7:00 PM (EST)

To register, visit suzannefelton.com/essay-workshop/

You can also visit my website, https://suzannefelton.com/essay-home/ to:

- download my free guide to understanding the role and importance of application essays, and
- sign up for my monthly essay coaching newsletter.

So, rising seniors, finish this year strong, and look forward to all that lies ahead!

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne Felton, Writing Coach

P.S. Feel free to message me directly with any questions.

04/20/2026

For the longer version, join me for a one-hour virtual essay brainstorming workshop in May!

RISING SENIORS APPLYING TO COLLEGE THIS FALL:

Take advantage of the time between the end of AP exams and the start of summer vacation to get a jump start on your college applications by choosing a straight fire topic for your personal essay.

Two dates to choose from:
Tuesday, May 19 @8:00 PM (EST) or
Thursday, May 28 @ 7:00 PM (EST

Register at:
Register here: https://suzannefelton.com/essay-workshop/

Feel free to message me with your own questions.

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

04/13/2026

AI is changing the way the world works.

It’s happening as you read this.

It’s influencing every aspect of our lives,

changing the way we work, learn, and make decisions.

Whether you’re a fan or not doesn’t matter.

AI performs faster and more efficiently than any human can,

and it’s improving itself by the second.

Its applications are endless.

Thinking about it can make your head spin.

What does this mean for writers?

Are we becoming obsolete?

Should we all just give up?

NO.

This is not the end.

This is an opportunity.

A call to action.

As the world becomes more and more automated, the human element will become more important than ever.

We are the human element, and we can do what AI never has and never will.

AI has never smelled freshly baked bread or felt wet grass under bare feet.

AI has never watched a child take her fist steps or held the hand of a grieving friend.

AI has never been moved to tears by a love song.

AI can’t feel pain.

AI doesn’t know what it feels like to fail.

AI doesn’t have to work harder, and it doesn’t know how great it feels to finally achieve a lifelong goal.

AI can crunch numbers and return facts faster and more accurately than any human, but AI has no wisdom.

ChatGPT hasn’t been there.
Claude hasn’t done that.

YOU HAVE.

AI is no substitute for human experience.

SO DON’T LET IT BECOME ONE.

Writer, you are needed now more than ever.

Tell your REAL stories.

Use your REAL voice.

Tell us what YOU think, what YOU feel, what YOU have learned.

Remind us why there’s no substitute for the human experience.

It’s time for us to GET REAL.

Feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by the AI revolution? Need help finding your voice amid all the noise? I’d love to help.

Blessings and best wishes,
Suzanne

suzannefelton.com

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