“I don’t know” is a common answer to a variety of questions, when I talk with teenagers and their families about college and education. What I’ve come to learn is that “I don’t know” has a different meaning, depending on the question.
Tag: College essays
The ‘Tweet and a Quarter College Essay
Concentration isn’t easy in today’s day and age; one must really, pointedly make time and space to focus for anyone, let alone teenagers. Just in communicating with others, teens’ attentions are pulled in multiple directions each day. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 63% of all teens report texting daily, with 60…
Northwestern University’s 2012 Common Application Supplement Essay Defined
Northwestern University includes one essay question as part of their Common Application Supplement. The question is designed to gain insight to the student’s interests and their potential match with Northwestern, which reads: What are the unique qualities of Northwestern – and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying – that make you…
“College Admissions Speculation”: Let the Comparisons Begin
Every Senior and his/her parents want to know, “Which college is going to accept me and which college is going to deny me?”—for although, the Senior and their parents, say out loud that college is about getting a good job, moving away from home etc, a college acceptance or denial also can feel—internally—like a validation…
University of San Diego Supplement Essay Defined
The key to writing a competitive college essay is understanding the prompt. (Sounds simple, but in the heat of writing college essays, while still keeping up with 15 hours a week of extracurricular activities, plus going to school and completing everyday homework, clearly defining the prompt may be overlooked.) Not to worry, we’ve done half the…
College Application Deadlines Making You Want to Scream?
Surviving the college application can test the patience and self-interests and emotional stamina and gumption and understanding and willingness of parents, as much as the Senior. Sometimes, of everyone in the family all at once. As a result, parents may find themselves thinking up choice names for Senior teachers over the past month and into December, as…
The Climb to the Summit is Always the Most Beautiful, Yet Dangerous
The University of California deadline comes to pass at Midnight (U.S) West Coast time, November 30. Plus, a number of highly selective private and flagship public colleges—notable names include the University of Southern California (USC)—have a deadline for Midnight Dec 1. Students and their families scurrying to complete applications within this backdrop are confronted with…
Things NOT to Say to (Or Do And Expect From) A High School Senior During the Holiday Break
Many seniors are in the midst of applying to college. What that may mean to an outsider is an opportunity to enter into a conversation, small talk or a polite (i.e. socially acceptable) inquiry; however, “So where are you applying to college?” may unwittingly trigger a frustrated response or terse answer. (Seniors often tell us that they…
Editing College Essays Can Test Your Last Nerve
To the Senior (i.e. novice college essay author), the college essay editing process–especially when the editor is a third party–can be expletive provoking, feeling like a nit-picking critique of a final product spawned from a laborious drafting process, which can cause tension (or exacerbate it), and get on Senior’s last nerve. Seemingly “together” seniors…
The Deceptive (And Dreaded) Word Count
“I’m 225 words over the count”, “I can’t get all my ideas into the essay, because of the word count” and “You keep asking me to expand my thoughts! What about the word count?!?” are typical concerns we hear from students. Parents’ are equally attentive to the word count; often, their first question about…
College Applications: Beware of Hidden Obstacles
Stress and seniors. For us, at this time of year, the two words are synonymous. Senior teachers are marching forward with their curriculum and homework assignments, seemingly without regard for the time, effort and mental space required to focus on college applications, especially essays. Seniors, in their typical teenage wisdom, are continuing to attend EVERY…
Defining Claremont McKenna: Understanding the Supplement Essay Prompt
The Supplement questions of the Common Application are not only another opportunity for applicants to state WHY s/he is a strong candidate for admissions to ________ university, they reveal more about the college’s values and academic environment the student may join, eventually. As previously stated in earlier posts, competitive essays start with a thorough…
The Inside Scoop about the University of California Essay Prompt #1
126,000 single applications received by the University of California (UC) system for Fall 2012 Freshman admissions. That means at least 252,000 essays were written and included within those applications. (Mind you: These numbers are only for unduplicated applications, and DO NOT include that each application may have ben considered by multiple UC campuses.) …
Applying to College is Simple, NOT.
If submitting college applications and writing college essays were simply–1. fill in the boxes with name, address, phone number; 2. write a short description of one’s experience in an essay format; 3. click the submit button–I wouldn’t have a job. Here’s a few tips for working with the pressures of applying to college:
Unlocking the University of California Application Essay Prompt #2
The most effective communication model yet may be when all parties involved are actively participating. When clarifications are needed, it is naturally asked and answered as many times deemed necessary. Now best communication practices aside, what happens when person A, someone from someplace–an admissions officer–with his/her sum of experiences, is to read person B’s essay,…