Tell your story and connect with the college of your dreams for admission and financial aid "If everyone wrote essays like this, admissions officers would have to take every student's essay seriously." --Steve LeMenager, founder of Edvice Princeton and former director of admission at Princeton University "With patience, contagious confidence, and plenty of real-life examples, Carol illuminates a process that can help anyone discover and articulate those stories that will help them stand out in their own way, and in their own words." --Shelley Krause, college counselor, Rutgers Preparatory School, and curator of the College Lists Wiki "Because the college essay offers applicants their lone opportunity to demonstrate what truly matters to them, and to share the qualities that make them unique, the stakes could not be any higher. With meticulous detail, Barash delivers a foolproof plan for helping college applicants strike essay gold." --Chad Troutwine, cofounder and CEO of Veritas Prep To write out loud is to write and speak in a way that makes people pay attention. Write Out Loud teaches the Story To College program--with its proven storytelling-based approach, the Moments Method. This program has helped more than 8,000 students from high schools in the United States and around the world create effective, authentic application essays to win admission and financial aid at their top college choices. Write Out Loud enables anyone to masterfully integrate past experiences and future ambitions into successful application essays and interviews. The guided exercises help college essay writers get past the stress and confusion of writing about themselves. Write Out Loud reveals how to find unique topics for compelling essays, shows how to make the transition from a spoken story to a written essay, and provides examples of successful essays. The book also walks students through the Common Application, the online college application form used by more than 500 colleges and universities in the US and abroad. Inside, students will find: The 12 tools of the Moments Method Specific guidance for completing the Common Application Charts and checklists to organize essays and supplements Insight from admissions officers on what characterizes a successful college application essay With Write Out Loud, students build confidence to show their best selves in writing and to gain admission into the college or university they desire.