Category: Articles

When high school seniors sit down to start the Common App personal statement, the first question that usually pops up is: What should I write about? The honest answer is this: the topic itself matters far less than what the topic lets you reveal about yourself.

Take soccer, for example. One student might write about scoring the winning goal in the championship game. It’s exciting, sure — but if the essay stops there, it’s little more than a highlight reel. Another student might also write about soccer, but instead of focusing on the victory, they describe the months of practices in the rain, the moment they encouraged a discouraged teammate or the lessons they carried into other parts of life about resilience, teamwork and leadership. Same topic, completely different essay. The second one gives admissions officers a glimpse of who the student is, and that’s exactly what they’re hoping for.

Colleges aren’t looking for you to have cured cancer or climbed Mount Everest (though if you did, definitely mention it). What they are looking for is how you think, how you handle challenges, and what values drive you. In other words, the story matters less than the self it reveals.Bottom line: if your essay shows your interests, the initiative you took and the impact the experience had on you, you’ll be in great shape. In the admissions world, those are called the 3 I’s — interest, initiative, and impact — and they’re a powerful framework to keep in mind as you write.

Do’s

• Do focus on growth. Choose a story that shows change — how you learned, adapted or saw the world differently.
• Do keep your voice. If you’re funny, let that humor come through. If you’re reflective, lean into it. The best essays sound like the student who wrote them.
• Do show, don’t tell. Details make your story vivid. Don’t just write, “I worked hard.” Show us the late nights, the setbacks, the small wins that kept you going.
• Do connect it back to you. The essay isn’t about the soccer game, the move or the part-time job — it’s about what those experiences reveal about your character.
• Do revise (a lot). The first draft is just raw material. Great essays usually go through rounds of trimming, reshaping and polishing. 

Don’ts

• Don’t try to impress with a “perfect” story. Struggle, failure or everyday moments often make stronger essays than polished “success” tales.
• Don’t use words you’d never actually say. Admissions officers read thousands of essays; they know when the thesaurus did half the work.
• Don’t forget reflection. A well-told story without reflection is just a story. Show how the experience shifted your perspective or prepared you for what’s ahead.
• Don’t repeat your résumé. If it’s already in the activities section, don’t just list it again. Use the essay to add dimension beyond stats and titles. 

The Bottom Line

The Common App essay isn’t a test of how dramatic your life has been. It’s a window into how you think, how you grow and what you’ll bring to a college community. Pick a topic that lets you shine in those ways, and you’ll have the right essay — no matter what the story is about.

Starting college is like stepping into an entirely new world. Suddenly you’re surrounded by unfamiliar faces, free to make your own choices and responsible for managing your time, money and workload. It’s exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming, almost like being handed the script for a play you’ve never rehearsed. The good news is that plenty of students have walked this path before you, and there are tried-and-true strategies that make the transition smoother. Think of them as small habits that compound into big wins: keeping you ahead academically, helping you build friendships and networks, and making sure you actually enjoy the ride.

1. Go to class (yes, every class).
   It sounds obvious, but skipping “just one lecture” often snowballs quickly. Even if attendance isn’t required, professors notice who consistently shows up — and that can matter when you need help or flexibility later. Simply showing up is the easiest way to stay on track and earn goodwill.
   
2. Get organized early.
   Use a planner, a calendar app, or even a giant wall sticky note, whatever works for you. As soon as you get your syllabi, make a master list of what’s due when. Nobody’s going to remind you that a paper is coming up or that an exam is around the corner. Success in your first semester isn’t about being perfect; it’s about avoiding unpleasant surprises.
   
3. Find your study sweet spot.
   Some students focus best in the library, others in coffee shops, others in dorm lounges. Experiment until you find where you work best, then make it your go-to study zone. Remember: professors assume you’ll spend about two hours studying for every hour in class. Having a reliable study routine is what makes that realistic.
   
4. Get to know your professors.
   Introduce yourself after class, stop by office hours and ask questions. Professors are people — and most want to see you succeed. Building a relationship makes it easier to get support when you need it and may even lead to opportunities later, like internships or recommendation letters.
   
5. Balance academics and life.
   College isn’t just about grades; it’s also about growth and connection. Join a club, play intramurals or check out campus events. A lot of the most meaningful learning happens outside the classroom, and the friendships and networks you build can shape your entire experience.
   
6. Learn how to manage your money. 
   Open a student-friendly bank account, track your spending, and set a budget, even a loose one. Financial stress can creep up quickly if you don’t keep an eye on it, and learning to manage money early is as valuable as any class. 

7. Take care of yourself.
   With no one enforcing bedtimes and dining halls offering endless options, it’s tempting to push limits. But showing up to class exhausted hurts your performance, and ignoring healthy habits can catch up with you fast. Prioritize sleep, nutrition and exercise — you’ll feel better and perform better.
   
8. Ask for help — early.
   Whether you’re struggling with coursework, stress or homesickness, reach out. Every campus has resources: tutoring centers, advisors, counseling services, resident assistants. College isn’t meant to be done alone, and many of these supports are free. The people running them genuinely want to help — let them.

Choosing a college isn’t just about chasing prestige, test scores or rankings. It’s about finding the place where you’ll live, learn and grow for the next four years — a place that feels right for you. That means looking beyond glossy brochures and national lists to ask: Where will I feel challenged, supported and inspired? The answer will be different for everyone, which is why thinking carefully about what matters most to you — size, location, academics, cost and community — can make all the difference.

So, what should you think about when you’re hunting for the perfect fit?

1. Size & Community
Do you picture yourself in a tight-knit community where everyone knows your name, or on a large campus buzzing with thousands of people, where every class brings the chance to meet someone new? Smaller schools often mean more personal attention; larger ones usually offer a wider range of opportunities. Neither is better, it’s about choosing the atmosphere that will help you feel comfortable and thrive.

2. Location
City lights or quiet nights? A campus in the heart of a big city can give you culture, internships and endless things to do. A rural or suburban campus may offer more space, a stronger sense of community and a traditional college feel. And don’t overlook the climate — will you embrace snowy winters, or would you rather head to class with a surfboard under your arm?

3. Academic Fit
One of the most important factors is academics. Does the college offer majors you’re excited about? What about learning opportunities such as internships, labs, study abroad or fieldwork? Make sure the school fits not only what you want to study but also how you want to learn.

4. Cost & Value
It’s not the glamorous part, but affordability matters. The “perfect” school isn’t a great fit if it leaves you buried under $200,000 of debt. Every college is required to have a Net Price Calculator that estimates your potential financial aid. And don’t assume you won’t qualify; many students are surprised by the aid they receive once they apply.

5. Culture & People
Every campus has its own personality, and you’ll want to find one that feels right for you. At Southeastern Conference and Big Ten schools, Saturdays can feel like the Super Bowl. At places like Pratt or RISD, creativity takes center stage, and an art show can be the event of the week. Schools such as UW–Stevens Point and Macalester are deeply committed to environmental issues and attract students who love the outdoors. Visit campuses if you can, and pay attention to the vibe. You’ll know when it clicks.

Over the course of two days in February and May, the Hormel Inspired Pathways program team hosted a series of eight instructional sessions with 100 employees at the Jennie-O facility in Barron, Wisconsin before and after their shifts. The goal of the virtual visits: help employees utilize the company’s Inspired Pathways Scholarship and Advising Program, and better understand the ins and outs of college applications and financial aid.

Some of the topics the Inspired Pathways team covered: 

• Community college scholarship details
• Navigating FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Wisconsin-specific financial aid questions
• The difference between a college’s “sticker price” and final costs
• The many ways families can utilize the Pathways program to help their student get into and afford 4-year colleges.

If you would like to arrange a virtual visit for your facility, reach out to advising@hormelinspiredpathways.com or call/text 507-481-0142. 

With students able to easily apply to 15-20 schools at a time, demonstrated interest has become a key tool for colleges to gauge applicant engagement.

Effective ways to demonstrate interest:

• Attend virtual events or in-person tours.
• Attend information sessions, either remotely or in person, especially those tied to specific majors.
• Email admissions reps with thoughtful questions about your fit and interests.

At public universities, these touchpoints help admissions officers differentiate among similarly qualified students and can essentially serve as a tie-breaker. At private colleges, interest can have a much bigger impact on being admitted. For private schools it is critical to admit the exact number of students they need, and students who make their interest clear help that process.

Bottom line: It never hurts to reach out and to demonstrate your interest in a college. To have the most positive impact, make sure you’re doing so in a way that allows your potential future college to track it. Events you have to register for are best, and even things like opening their emails can help. 

In 2020, with the onset of the pandemic and the many challenges that came with it, the majority of colleges instituted Test Optional and Test Blind admissions policies. These policies significantly reduced the role of standardized testing in the admissions process. 

However, colleges quickly realized that with only grades and essays to look at, differentiating between tens of thousands of students was much more difficult. After 5 years of these policies, and many attempts to find alternative evaluation methods, many colleges have concluded that they need standardized tests to evaluate large applicant pools consistently. 

The following colleges have reinstituted testing requirements:

Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, University of Texas, all Florida public colleges, Georgia Tech, and Purdue.

This list is expected to grow, so it’s important to plan early. We recommend using the SAT prep program offered by Khan Academy. It was created in collaboration with College Board (owners of the SAT), is completely FREE, and the program’s algorithm tailors practice tests to your needs as you go. 

Supplemental Essays: What’s New

Beyond the Common App essay, also known as the Personal Statement, many colleges utilize  “supplemental essays” designed to help students demonstrate their abilities in and outside of the classroom. The more selective the college, the more weight these supplemental essays carry.  

Here are examples of the most common supplemental essays in recent years, and what they are designed to help colleges understand:

• Essay Prompt: Describe a community you are a part of and your role within it.
  • Goal: To understand the sort of campus community member you will be. 
• Essay Prompt: Why do you want to study your chosen major, what are your short and long term goals?
  • Goal: To understand what really motivates you. Is it passion, prestige, or pay? (hint: you probably want to demonstrate passion)
• Essay Prompt: Tell us why you are applying to our college, what makes it a good fit for you?
  • Goal:To understand how thoroughly you’ve researched the college and how comprehensively you’ll take advantage of its resources. 
• Essay Prompt: How has your background shaped you?
  • Goal: To understand the context of your achievements. (A student who babysits their siblings 20 hours a week won’t be expected to have a long extracurricular resume.)
• Essay Prompt: Tell us about an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you, and why?
  • Goal: To demonstrate a broad set of activities. Colleges want diversity of all kinds, including diversity of interests.

Looking ahead to the 2025–26 season, some schools have indicated that they will be getting creative with prompts like “design your own course,” or “explain what’s commonly misunderstood about you.”

These prompts are designed to help colleges understand:

• Your ability to think creatively, abstractly, and intellectually.
• Who you are as an individual, and what you value about yourself.

Tips for success:

• DO YOUR RESEARCH and tailor each answer to the school. Generic supplemental essays do not impress.
• Tell unique stories. Avoid reiterating ideas you already covered within your Common App essay.
• Set up a meeting with a Hormel Inspired Pathways advisor to discuss essay ideas. The earlier, the better (but it’s never too late). 

The availability of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked a mix of excitement and caution when it comes to college applications. Even those who are concerned about AI’s negative impacts broadly agree that AI can be helpful— for brainstorming, outlining, and proofreading — while simultaneously cautioning that it should never replace authentic student writing.

Some universities now require students to disclose AI use during the admissions process. For instance, Caltech asks applicants to specify how AI was used in their supplemental essays, while Cornell restricts AI to grammar checks only. Other colleges, like Brown, have outright bans on AI-generated content in applications. 

Even though colleges may ask, it’s not all based on the honor system. Colleges can use programs like Turnitin, AI Detector, GPTZero, and others to determine if you’ve used AI to generate your essay. If they suspect AI tools have been used outside of their stated rules, they can deny your application. So make sure to understand each college’s AI-related application rules before submitting–or you may be denying your own application. 

Even if the AI software doesn’t flag your application, human admissions staff are noticing that AI-assisted essays may feel “sterile,” making applicants seem less genuine and leading to higher denial rates. 

Best Practices for using AI in college admissions:

• Only use AI alongside personal reflection, not instead of it.
• Stick to allowed uses: grammar checks, outlining, generating ideas.
• Verify institutional rules: if disclosure is required, be transparent.
• Always revise heavily so the final essay sounds like you.
• Never copy and paste AI-generated text directly into a college application.

Final thought: AI can be a handy tool—but your ideas, voice, and story must show through!

It’s important to recognize that you should build a college list BOTH when graduating from HS and when transferring from community college to a four-year college. Below is a guide to building a college list that suits your goals and aspirations.

1. Assess Academic Fit

Before anything else, prioritize academics. Determine whether the prospective colleges offer the major you’re interested in. It’s equally important to categorize potential schools based on admission likelihood into Reach, Target and Safety categories.

• Reach Schools (<25% chance of admission): These challenging schools include your dream institutions or those known for their stellar financial aid. While they’re ambitious, it’s wise to apply to two-three to see if you get lucky.
• Target Schools (40-60% chance of admission): These institutions align well with your academic credentials and are the best fit for your goals. Applying to four-six target schools gives you a balanced chance of acceptance without overextending.
• Safety Schools (>75% chance of admission): These are schools where you are very likely to be admitted. Choose at least three that you would be happy to attend, as they often also present scholarship opportunities.

2. Explore Different College Types

Understanding the variety of college experiences available can help narrow your list to those that match your preferences and needs.

• Community Colleges: A guaranteed safety school, community colleges are an excellent cost-effective option that can also provide a pathway to further education. You can use these to start your college career or earn your entire degree, depending on your goals. 
• Liberal Arts Colleges: Known for their small class sizes and close-knit communities, these colleges focus on a broad-based education. They excel in readying students for advanced studies (like master’s, law, and doctorate degrees) and fostering one-on-one faculty relationships.
• Research Universities: These colleges have lots of options in terms of majors and research opportunities. While they offer vast resources, the environment may be more impersonal due to the larger student population, and for some it can be difficult to build connections with professors due to the large class sizes and competition. 
• Public vs. Private: Consider whether a public or private institution aligns better with your financial situation and academic needs. Public colleges often present lower initial price tag rates for in-state students, while private colleges might offer more in terms of personalized attention and financial aid packages and scholarships. They also can differ greatly in terms of culture, which we’ll discuss in bullet 4.

3. Evaluate Financial Fit

Financial considerations are pivotal in the college selection process. Calculate the potential costs of attendance against your budget and available financial aid. Use the Net Price Calculator to determine how much a college will cost. EVERY college is required to have one. The easiest way to find them is to Google the name of the college and the words Net Price Calculator.

*If you expect to receive financial aid from a school, you should be sure to look at the Full-Need Met colleges, this is a list of about 100 colleges with the best financial aid programs in the country. If you have questions about how to find them, ask an Inspired Pathways advisor.*

4. Consider Geographical and Cultural Fit

Think about where you’d like to study. Proximity to home, climate, cultural environment and campus diversity should all play roles in your decision-making. Attending a college in a region where you feel comfortable can greatly enhance your educational experience. This can also be one of the biggest differences between private and public. Public colleges are often representative of the places where they are located, whereas private colleges have a large variety of niche cultures that can differ greatly from one to the next.

5. Visit and Engage

Whenever possible, visit campuses to get a feel for the environment. Attend virtual tours or reach out to current students or alumni to gain insight into the school’s culture and community. With schools like those on the Full-Need Met list, visiting can sometimes even help you get admitted, because it shows that you’re interested in the college

6. Set Up a List Assessment Meeting!

Once you’ve created your list, set up a meeting with an Inspired Pathways advisor. They will review it to make sure that the colleges fit your academic goals, and will help you find additional colleges that may also be a fit. Additionally, they can help you identify private colleges with robust financial aid programs that may end up being much less expensive than local public colleges.

Conclusion

Building a college list is a strategic process that encompasses academic, financial and personal preferences. By exploring a diverse range of options and aligning them with your overall goals, you’ll set the foundation for a promising college experience. 

Members of the Inspired Pathways team recently visited the PLANTERS^® Fort Smith, Ark. location to connect with team members about the exciting college education benefits available through the Inspired Pathways program. 

Over the course of two days, Inspired Pathways advisors engaged with PLANTERS^® team members, providing valuable insights and answering questions on topics like program eligibility, financial aid and the college application process

“Getting additional touch points with team members is so important to ensure that everyone who wants access to the program knows about the opportunities and understands how to take full advantage,” remarked Inspired Pathways Program Director Nate Lockett after the visit. “We were able to speak with dozens of employees interested in the free community college component of the program for their children. And we connected with many others interested in learning more about our advising program and how it can support their child throughout the college application process.”

If you have a child interested in either community college or four-year college, have them submit an application, or reach out to the advisors to learn more about what the college journey could look like for your family.