Ahead of the Curve: August 9, 2014

Inspired by CMC Clients: OMG College ESSAYS! College essays are often feared. Topic selection can confound students, who’re under the impression that a traumatic-dramatic-life-altering experience makes a compelling college essay. However, choosing the “perfect” topic is not necessary to begin writing.  Simply start putting words on the page.  Then, students will have some thoughts to edit and…

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The Chronicles of Procrastination

Bravado When first given an assignment, especially a project due beyond the end of the week, we’re often overly confident that we’ll complete the assignment in stages, so there won’t be a last-minute-panic-tear-streaked-temper-tantrum-tazmanian-devil-whirling-dervish kind of effort in the 24 hours before the deadline. We pridefully chalk up previous “all-nighters”, as “all in the past”, determined…

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Sometimes You Gotta Go Slow to Go Fast

Parents are often afraid that summer vacation will render their children’s minds into mush. Plus, the indulgence in what can be considered mindless activities, like playing video games, for hours on end is a seeming threat to a kid’s long term college admissions competitiveness. Realistically, most students brains, nor their chances for college admissions, were…

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Colleges Without Makeup, The Supplement

Social media can give information about the culture of a college campus – beyond the smiling, shorts-clad undergraduates playing Frisbee on the ubiquitous green quad.  Of course, any effective search starts with what a student wants in their own college experience, making some self-reflection a priority. About the University of Chicago – from @UofC_Overheard: Theory…

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Tough Love

As regular readers recall, the news about stagnant American household median income is not a new story, more of an evolving story about how more American middle class families are adjusting to life with less income.  Lifestyle adjustments are just one possible shift in American households.  More often, I’m hearing parents ask questions about how…

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