“Brevity is the soul of wit.” Polonius, Hamlet, William Shakespeare Being concise, we can communicate with intelligence and clarity. When writing, especially without the chance to explain our meaning as is possible in conversation, brevity ensures readers can more likely grasp our ideas effectively. Since most college essays are limited in word count, then students …
As many English teachers are assigning the college essay as a classwork grade, students can maintain two separate drafts: one for their class assignment and another for their college application. Writing for a grade can constrain a teenager from writing with the candor characteristic of a personal narrative. While class assignments are a valuable opportunity…
First, students try and organize their thoughts, often encountering writer’s blocks: After bailing out their thoughts, finally underway with drafting then students encounter: And, then in frustration, this results: Much to the consternation of their parents. Creative Marbles was founded by teachers who appreciate helping students craft insightful essays, first in the academic classroom, now…
Many parents of rising high school juniors and seniors are often concerned their teens seem less concerned about selecting colleges, than they do. Inexperienced and given the complexity of considering life’s big (and philosophical) questions, such as, “What’s my life’s purpose?”, many teens simply avoid or grunt monosyllabic answers about college choices. Thus, parents can…
Parents of rising high school seniors typically are proud, excited, and anxious in the summer before submitting college applications. Commonly, parents worry about quality of their teen’s college essays, as their teens do everything else BUT work on the college essay. Some tips to frame any fears and support teens through this important transition: Quality…
As we previously discussed here and here and here, as well as contrary to popular belief, studying computer science is not necessarily a guarantee of a high paying job upon college graduation. Yet, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Computer-Science Majors Graduate Into a World of Fewer Opportunities: Computer and information science is…
Searching for “The Ideal College”, students often seek the most elite admissions possible. Many believe a seemingly “prestigious” or “ranked” college equates to greater professional opportunities after graduation, as well as seek the “reward” for a lifetime of effort to best the academic meritocracy. But I want all this work that I’ve done in high…
The Summer Squeeze: Balancing Fun and Future Most students are planning to unwind during summer break. But with college applications looming in the fall, reminded by seemingly every adult, many sense pressure to be “productive.” Yet, truthfully, a strategic retreat to reflect on your abilities and aspirations creates a foundation for the nitty-gritty work of…
Families often simplify the college selection process when categorizing campuses as “Reach,” “Target,” and “Backup” based on perceived chances of admission. Appliants and their families overlook the complex matchmaking between what a student needs and the unique opportunities of a particular college: However, separating colleges by admissions chances, students fail to understand that college admissions…
Being waitlisted for college admissions prolongs hope, colleges banking on applicants’ desire to be admitted. And, students offered an “extended” waitlist option weeks after the enrollment deadline, which can seem like a further complication in an already opaque admissions process, can be particularly frustrated. “Extended” waitlists can further dispel the pretense that the admissions process…
In Spring, High School Seniors can be conflicted, experiencing “Senioritis”, needing more effort to complete everyday homework, but also coping with the anxiety of waiting for college responses. In some cases, such a lack of motivation can lead to strategic missteps, from which the consequences can be destructive, especially for college admissions. All college acceptances…
The quest for college admissions can be likened to a matchmaking process—seeking a college that resonates with one’s character and abilities, which requires understanding oneself. Oscar Wilde’s poem “Hélas!” provides a template for self-reflection, particularly apt for soon-to-be college applicants. Although Wilde speaks of love and its loss, college applicants can heed the lesson inherent…
The typical understanding of the college admissons process is backwards. Many families approach the college admissions process as “How can I help my kid be worthy of being select-ted?”—a misguided understanding at best and moreso an anxiety-provoking, potentially moral-compromising “Arms Race“-like reality for too many families. Yet, the college admissions process is ultimately a process…
Pronouns serve as replacements for other words and often refer back to information mentioned earlier in a text. However, when composing autobiographical college essays, teenagers who often use pronouns can unintentionally hinder their goal: conveying their experiences clearly to admissions officers. Using pronouns, teenagers assume: Yet, admissions officers are human and, like anyone, their attention…
High schoolers tend to write passive constructions in academic writing, often needing to fulfill assigned word counts requirements in order to earn the highest grade. Students can often dilute their intended meaning with verbosity. Yet, for college essays, students need to write in an active tense, self-assured and self-aware, as they are essentially writing their…
