Every September, I conduct a college essay-writing workshop that seems like one giant Dr. Phil show. I start out with 60 anxious high school seniors, and end the class with nearly all of them reassured, sporting a “can do” attitude and the beginning of a good essay.

The stakes have never been higher. Each year, the number of applicants increases as the percentage accepted to selective schools decreases. Yet many parents and students have not altered their goals: Ivy League and other schools at the top of national rankings continue to be where their egos are invested, despite the odds.