For students entering their senior year of high school, application time is just around the corner. Most parents have a basic idea of what the process entails: filling out forms, explaining why a particular school is right for a student, listing work experience and community service involvement, and of course, writing the college admission essay.

What they don't realize is how important it is to have a well-written application. These are not just simple forms for conveying test scores and personal information. They are translations of a student's personality and intellectual abilities, along with their entire high school experience, onto a few pieces of paper. Obviously, encapsulating a person's development throughout four years of high school is challenging-if not impossible-but there are some awfully clever ways to try.

The foremost tool applicants have to express their uniqueness is the college admission essay. Topics range from the specific ("Discuss a book that has influenced you") to the extremely general ("Tell us something meaningful about you"). More often than not, admissions officers will give an open-ended question in an attempt to solicit creative answers that reveal something personal about the applicant. This is because they are inundated with boring, formulaic essays about "profound growth" and "visions of mankind." In a given day, the committee goes over hundreds of essays. When they finally come across one that is quirky, or unusual, or funny, they are overjoyed.

So how does one manage to produce such a unique college admission essay? Through expert writing skills, an imaginative mind, and an ear for storytelling. And if one should be lacking these skills? Luckily, there are people who do this for a living.

The Penn Group, located in midtown Manhattan, is the premier college admission essay and application preparation service in New York. Their staff of professional writers work with students to conceive original ideas and create the perfect essay. They have an extremely high success rate at getting qualified applicants into their top-choice schools, with recent clients going to Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, Duke, and NYU.

The way the service works is simple. Applicants come in for a free consultation, where they meet with the writer who is taking on their project. The applicant may request comprehensive essay coaching or merely editing. From there, the writer begins work on the project, corresponding with the applicant every step of the way. The process may also take place over the telephone or via e-mail.

Some applicants choose to take advantage of the Penn Group's services for the entire application, including assistance with short answers and supplementary essays.

At a time when students around the country are taking every advantage they can get in applying to college, from professional test preparation to personal guidance counselors, the Penn Group's services are especially valuable. There are a limited number of spots at the top universities, and they are not always filled by students who are numerically qualified for that school. The application is where you need to shine. It is the only communication you have with the admissions committee, and the one opportunity you have to express who you are beyond transcripts and SAT scores.

If you are seeking help with your application, or simply want your writing looked over by an expert, call the Penn Group at 1-800-WRITE90 or visit www.college-admission-essay.com.

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