The fifth of five new Common Application essay questions asks students to: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. Applicants must choose only one of the five questions to answer as their college essay, which will be shared amongst all…
Tag: High school senior
Aspiration Is Bigger Than A Job
One of the University of California (UC) application essays asks students to: Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community or school – and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. Dreams and aspirations can often be challenging to define for many college applicants. Describing dreams or…
Ahead of the Curve: October 29, 2013
From the News: College Financial Aid Drops – Families Pinched, San Francicso Chronicle October 23, 2013 Is College Tuition Too High? Of Course (Not), Higher Education Data Stories Blog October 15, 2013 So Many Students – So Little (Counseling) Time, Sacramento Bee October 28, 2013 From Clients: On-going Common Application Technical Issues: From recommenders not…
Common Application Essays Part 6: Essay Prompt 4 Explained
The next podcast in our Common Application Essay series defines the fourth of five essay prompts. Applicants must choose only one of the five prompts to help structure their essay. Yet, considering topics for all five essay questions, before focusing on one, can help applicants write the most meaningful essay possible and remain competitive across…
Losing Sleep Over College Affordability Concerns? You’re Not Alone.
Families attempting to determine college affordability can be subjected to acute bouts of insomnia. The predicament of framing the pros and cons of each college choice for their children can be, at times, daunting for parents. Parents face the dilemma of defining the value of a future outcome–a college degree with all of its attendant…
Extended Early Application Deadlines
Some college admissions offices around the country are extending early application deadlines, as a result of the technical issues the Common Application website is currently experiencing. The following is a partial list of the colleges and the new deadlines: Barnard University, November 8 Boston University, November 15 Dartmouth University, November 8 Duke University, November 8…
OH NO! Common Application Technical Glitches?!?
The Common Application unveiled a new interface this Fall, which is currently experiencing a range of technical issues. The New York Times recently highlighted several issues from difficulties with payments and submitting letters of recommendation. Stressed clients have also been calling and texting, after encountering similar challenges. Don’t worry. After a query of college admissions…
Do You Want to “Monkey Around” With Your College Essay?
Asking a trusted adviser to read college essays can help improve the final product. Cartoon from The New Yorker, July 23, 2007
Common Application Essays Part 5: Essay Prompt 3 Explained
Knowing the definition of the prompt can help applicants select topics that most effectively highlight their qualities and give understanding to their qualifications for admissions. Our latest podcast defines the third of five new Common Application essay prompts, that asks applicants to: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted…
Learning with a Purpose
Let the semester unfold slowly–looking to make adjustments to your learning process–as your interactions with both the teacher and your other classmates set the tone for your learning experience. This is easier said than done, especially in the later years of one’s youth, when influence creep seems to be in full swing with the attendant…
“The Three D’s: Death, Disease & Divorce”
When beginning to write college application essays, students often worry about having lived an “ordinary” life, under the assumption that a dramatic event is a compelling topic to persuade college admissions officers. A few years back, a stressed-out Senior, with tears welling in her eyes, exclaimed to her dad, “Why couldn’t you have died?!? Then,…
Ahead of the Curve: October 5, 2013
In the News: Financial Literacy, Beyond the Classroom New York Times: October 5, 2013 How to Be a College ‘Resimuter‘ Washington Post: October 2, 2013 UC’s Twist on Crowdfunding Inspires Students San Francisco Chronicle: September 18, 2013 From Our Clients: Quarter Grades/Midterms–conversations with teachers to identify academic areas for improvement, as well as what the student…
Go Slow. You’ll Know.
Knowing is not that difficult, in theory. Inherently, we know. Yet, in reality, acquiring knowledge can take practice to refine. To gain knowledge is a process, repeated over and over. First, calm down. (Not always simple to do, or just a matter of some deep breathing.). Then, listen. (Again, not always easy, especially when feeling…
Common Application Essays Part 4: Defining Prompt 2
Knowing the meaning of the essay question can help college applicants write the most insightful college essays possible. Luckily, we, at Creative Marbles Consultancy, have done the defining work. Over the last decade, we’ve complied a stack of hand-written, dog-eared yellow pads full of words, along with a growing library of digital photos of our…
Gaming College Admissions?
Nervous anticipation arising from predicting who’s going to get into which college doesn’t only affect Seniors, community college transfer students and their parents. The sense of foreboding can extend to parents of middle school age students, who are thinking backwards to choose a high school that seems more advantageous to meriting the college acceptances they…