Thank Your Third Grade Teacher: She Was Right About the Thesaurus

Every word counts, when there’s a word count.  A common complaint amongst college essay writers is the the wish for more words.  The tedium of examining, re-examining, thinking through each word chosen when writing a college essay can be a test of patience, as much as a test of intellect.  The Thesaurus, dictionary and books…

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The Truth About College Essays

College essay writing is difficult enough already without believing the myths about what makes a strong college essay.  Creative Marbles latest video dispels two urban legends about college essays: one, that a dramatic event is THE ONLY topic that creates a compelling college essay, and two, that a personal statement drafted with sophisticated written language…

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A Moment of Impatience Can…

Anxiety can cause anyone to make otherwise irrational decisions.  “People are constantly spoiling a project when it lacks only a step to completion”, declared Lao-Tzu in the 6th Century BC.  Lao-Tzu’s observation might give today’s college applicants some perspective about why they’re wanting to impetuously click the “submit” button in the days before the application…

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The Growing Pains From Applying to College

Completing college applications challenges the patience and confidence of any applicant.  However, given a lack of experience, many applicants don’t expect to be tested.  Applying seems simple–fill in a few boxes, write an essay quickly and painlessly, then click “submit.”  Unfortunately, the actual experience is more complicated.  Writing an autobiography, which summarizes seventeen years of…

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