In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Find out if the school you're applying to uses the common application. If so, be sure to select one of the current year's common application essay questions. Most college application prompts can be identified as one of several "types" of question: Tell us about an event in your life that changed you. Be sure to answer this type of question with a specific, detailed narrative and follow it with analysis. Tie it in to who you are now, and be sure to add details about how you think it will shape your future. Tell us how you would contribute to the diversity of the student body. Remember that there are different kinds of diversity: racial, gender identity, sexual orientation, and family history. If you are a first-generation college student in your family, that may contribute to the school's diversity. Find the student body statistics on the college's website to see if there is a way you would stand out. Tell us why you want to attend this school. Be specific and complimentary, but try not to use too much flattery. Use the schools website to find specific programs that are unique to the college that you are interested in participating in. Be sure to tie your goals at college in to your personal strengths. Rewriting a prompt in your own words ensures that you really understand it and know what it is asking you to do. If any questions come up while doing this, consult a teacher, guidance counselor, or parent for a second opinion. Do not just select the topic that jumps out at you on the first read; give the topics some time in your mind. Narrow the list down to a couple of options that you think would make good essays. Pre-write a list of ideas or draw a mind map for each of the selected topics. While there may be many topics that you could write a successful essay about, if you choose the one that just "feels" right, you're more likely to put an intuitive personal spin on your essay. Instead of selecting the essay prompt first, try writing down a list of personal accomplishments, attributes, and stories that you want to include in your essay and then selecting the topic that will help you shine as an applicant. The key to being successful at a college essay is standing out and providing the student body of the college with value of some sort. Avoid generic topics or stories and try to really find something to say that highlights who you are as an individual. Integrate your strengths and goals into the answer for the question, but be sure to answer the question as well. Find out if there are any overused or cliche experiences that may not be successful as a college essay. An example of an overused topic is a charitable mission trip. Your guidance counselor may help you determine what has been overdone. This is a common mistake in college admissions essays. You can be in such a hurry to tell the admissions committee all of your accomplishments that your essay reads more like a list. Use concrete examples with personal relevance to back up all of your claims. For example, don't just say "I have strong leadership skills." This is telling. Instead, use a formula such as this: "My experiences in ____ have developed strong leadership skills." Then write about how you organized cookie sales for your Girl Scouts troop or served as a camp counselor in the summer (or whatever is germane to your claim). Determining what seems to be important to the college (such as diversity, community service, or personal integrity) and emphasizing that quality in yourself can make you seem like a good fit for the school. Search the college president's page for a "strategic plan" for the coming years. Look at the college mission and vision and try to weave these into your personal values. Check the website for special programs or initiatives such as service learning, global leadership, or environmental conservation and integrate these ideas into your own.
Summary: Read any available prompt very carefully. Rewrite the essay prompt in your own words. Think carefully about the list of topics. Select a topic that you feel the strongest connection with. Use a backwards approach. Say something meaningful and unique. Show, rather than tell. Read through the college website.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Start with a sheet of paper that's 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) by 11 inches (27.9 cm). Place one of the halves on a flat surface in front of you. Discard the other half or save it to make a second origami boomerang. Use your finger to make a crease along the fold. Unfold the piece of paper. Bring the edges of the paper to the center crease when you fold the sides in half. Make a crease along both folds with your finger. Leave the sides folded in. Bring the top edge of the paper down to the bottom edge. Make a crease along the fold with your finger. Leave the paper folded in half. Crease the folds with your fingers. Go over these creases several times so they're really defined. Unfold the corners. When you're finished, you should have a thin horizontal rectangle with 2 triangles pointing at each other in the middle. This is the flap of paper that's closest to you. After you unfold it you should see a diamond in the creases on the lower half of the paper.
Summary: Use scissors to cut a sheet of blank paper in half lengthwise. Fold the piece of paper in half lengthwise. Fold the paper in half lengthwise on both sides of the crease. Fold the paper in half crosswise. Fold the top left and right corners to the center crease. Unfold the crosswise fold you made and turn the paper so it's horizontal. Unfold the flap of paper on the bottom half.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Your friends may have heard whether the person likes you or not. Even if they haven't, they'll probably be better at guessing than you are. That's only because when it's you in the situation, you have a harder time stepping back and analyzing it, and you may feel a little self-conscious thinking about a girl liking you. Therefore, asking a good friend can help you analyze the situation better. One way to see if a girl likes you is to watch how she treats you on social media. Of course, you first need to friend her. Once you do, watch how she interacts with you. If she seems to pay extra attention to you, she may like you. For instance, maybe she "likes" everything you post or tags you in a number of her posts. For instance, if she writes "Cute!" on a selfie you posted, it may be she's flirting with you. If a girl likes you, she's going to find reasons to be near you. Even if you've never talked to her, you'll look up, and she'll be at the next table in the library or a few benches down at the basketball game. It's not that she's stalking you. Rather, she's probably hoping you'll notice her. This approach may include things like walking through your line of sight or talking to people near you. If you're trying to figure out if someone likes you by analyzing everything she does, she may not be that into you. If someone likes you, you'll generally know it in your gut, with the exception of very shy people. However, if you're not sure, it's always best to give it a shot by talking to her. The worst she can say is "No!" If you notice that she seems to go up and talk to everyone, but avoids talking to you, she may just be nervous about talking to you. In other words, she doesn't talk to you because she likes you, and that makes her scared. Another step you could take is to talk to one of her friends, particularly if you have a class with one of them. A simple, "Hey, you're Jess's friend, right? Can I ask you something? Do you think Jess likes me?" is really all you need. You can also watch how her friends react when you're around the whole group of them, including the girl you like. For instance, they may start whispering to each other, teasing the girl, or even pushing her in your direction.
Summary:
Ask your friends what they think. Watch for signs on social media. Notice how often she's around. Pay attention to what your instinct is telling you. Pay attention to when her shyness hits. Use her friends to your advantage.