Dear Friend,
I trust you all had a great Fourth of July as we celebrated our precious heritage of freedom from tyranny. I hope you took the time to think about the founding of our country – that most unique experiment that had never been attempted in history and that produced such a beacon of hope to the entire world.
My great grandparents escaped the famine in Sweden and arrived at Ellis Island to start a new life. I’ve always wondered what it must have been like to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty after days at sea. Last fall my daughter had the privilege of seeing that wonderful monument of welcome for the first time, from the prow of a boat in New York Harbor. It was a very emotional moment for a young woman who treasures her heritage and loves her country.
Proud to be an American!
Jeannette
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[High School] Strategically Applying to College
Many of my clients who are rising seniors have gotten smart and are working away at their college essays now while their friends are kicked back enjoying the holidays. They know that getting the jump on college applications the summer after the junior year will save a great deal of time and stress during the busyness of the senior year and ensure a much better application and increased chances of acceptance at their favorite college. I just love helping students with this part of the application!
What are the goals for the college application essay?
Regardless of the essay prompt, your student must always keep in mind that the entire purpose of writing the essay(s) is to communicate who they are in a very direct and personal way with the admissions officer. They want to capture the officer’s attention with the first sentence and compel them to read further.
The essay must first give the officer a window into the student’s world and establish the unique characteristics of the student. Some people call this a hook, some a marketing plan, some refer to it as telling your story. But it’s not the whole story, just a tiny slice of life that advances your student’s positioning efforts in a captivating way.
Dangerous Essays
While your student should write an essay based on their positioning efforts, there are some essay topics that are so overused that it is next to impossible to find a fresh approach. It is best to avoid these topics.
The Jock essay – While sports are important to many students, it is best to avoid the classic “what I learned from winning/losing the big game.” Most high school students can tend to be melodramatic on this topic and it gets old in a hurry. Last summer I went to . . – This often turns into a personal narrative of what I learned about myself. Most 18-year-olds are just not mature enough to handle this topic without sounding trite. Missions trip – Mission trips are becoming so commonplace that the topic just gets overused. While we would all agree that these experiences can be life changing, the essay is just usually an emotional response that overstates life lessons. Summarizing your high school career – This essay is a deadly mistake. The admissions staff has the details of your child’s high school career in other places. To repeat it in the essay wastes a valuable opportunity to present fresh material, not to mention that it’s downright boring.
I highly recommend Barron’s Writing a Successful College Application Essay.
In it the author states “…present your reader with a little something to remember you by, a gift - an idea to think about, a line to chuckle over, a memorable phrase or quotation… Send your readers off feeling good or laughing, weeping, angry, thoughtful, or thankful, but above all, glad that they stayed with your essay to the end.”
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[Younger Years] Saving for College
Did you know that you may save $2,000 (after tax) per year, per child, that grows tax free? If you start when your child is born and save $2,000 a year for 18 years, you would only invest a total of $36,000. However, at 12% growth, your child would have $126,000 for college tax free.
Dave Ramsey recommends saving in an Education Savings Account (ESA) or an Education IRA.
He also says there are three “Nevers” of College Saving:
Never save for college using insurance. Never save for college using savings bonds (they only earn 5-6%) Never save for college using pre-paid college tuition (only earns 7% inflation rate).
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Resources: Financial Peace University
Last summer I had my family all under the same roof for an extended period of time (probably the last time ever) and we used the opportunity to work through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. The home study version was excellent and helped all of us look at finances in a new way. It had a profound impact on my young adults and I am grateful that they will have the wisdom to avoid the financial mistakes that my husband and I made. Check them out here http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/
Highly recommended!
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About Us
Jeannette Webb is the founder of Aiming Higher Consultants, a firm dedicated to helping Christian students gain admission to great colleges. She has a heart for assisting parents as they train their children for excellence. Jeannette works to empower families to make thoughtful choices for their younger children, to confidently navigate the difficult high school years, and then ace the college admissions process.
If you liked today’s issue, you’ll love her personalized consulting services that help you map out a holistic plan for your student.
While Jeannette is best known for her clear-sighted counseling, her clients feel that her biggest gift to their family was permission to be themselves.
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