College applications are an intriguing web of interrelated threads, each highlighting a part of the story, yet all weaving together if the final product is to be cohesive and beautiful. Your student is given opportunities to show multiple dimensions of their lives via their personal statement as well as the Honors and Activities section. Recommenders [read more] …
college essays
Dangerous Words
The words students use on college essays, short answer questions and quick single word answers within the college application are extremely revealing. Which, of course, is why they were asked in the first place. Students (and homeschool parents serving as counselors) can unwittingly drive a nail in the coffin of a college application by the [read more] …
An Essay that Delights
I’ve read thousands of college application essays as a consultant. Admissions Officers have read hundreds of thousands. They play an important role as a university decides who will be admitted to the next freshman class, yet the sheer number of essays that must be processed annually make it challenging for the reader and for [read more] …
Managing the Senior Year
If your student has just started their senior year and summer has been busy, you have likely found yourself in the situation of staring down the gun barrel of college applications. It is the time of year that parents begin to panic and kids wonder where the time will come from to actually write essays [read more] …
The Summer Writing Season
The time is here for rising seniors to get serious about college applications and essays. The early time frame shocks many people, but this is a time-consuming process. The best essays are written, put aside, and then revisited after they’ve grown cold. At that point, students often see their mistakes or understand that the essay [read more] …