What We Can Teach Our Children During the Coronavirus Crisis
As a college application essay coach, I deal with many students each year. As a dad, I deal with two. My son is 28 and a career counselor at the University of Washington so my immediate impact on his life has become marginal, to put it mildly. My daughter, however, is a college junior so […]
More Guidelines for Choosing Your Application Essay Topic
five more simple guidelines that will help you find the perfect essay topic
The 2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts: How to write #4
Tips on writing Common Application Essay Prompt #4
Finding an UNCommon College Application Essay Topic
Finding an uncommon college application essay topic is one of the biggest challenges facing high school seniors applying to college. And understandably so. Most high school seniors have a scope of experiences that is markedly similar. Interactions with family, friends, school, sports, and enrichment activities fill up the majority of their days. Essay topics, therefore, […]
Knowing Yourself = Writing a Better College Application Essay
Most college application essay prompts ask students to reveal, in one way or another, who they are and what is important to them. Yet “knowing yourself” (https://www.prolificliving.com/the-greatest-discovery-of-all-getting-to-know-yourself/) is not that easy, especially for a young adult who is still learning about the world and his or her place in it.So, for this blog, let’s put […]
MORE! College Application Essay Writing Tips
Here are two more guidelines that will help you write the best college application essay you can possibly write. Answer the Prompt While this may seem obvious, many students veer away from fully answering the essay prompt, and wind up hurting their chances for acceptance. Admissions Directors are expecting all aspects of an essay prompt […]
Write Your BEST College Application Essay (#1)
Last year, I did a series of blogs called, “Twenty Five Ways to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done.” The blogs included conceptual guidelines for writing an effective essay, as well as many technical writing tips. Longish title notwithstanding, response to the series was extremely positive. For this year, and at […]
THE “#BLACKLIVESMATTER” STANFORD APPLICATION ESSAY
#BlackLivesMatter One Hundred Times For many years, one of Stanford University’s (www.Stanford.edu) college application essay prompts has been, “What matters to you, and why?” It’s a wonderful essay topic and has often been answered with passion and creativity. This past year, a student responded to the prompt by writing “#BlackLivesMatter” (www.blacklivesmatter.com) one hundred times. That […]
Discovering the Essay Topic
Roger’s parents were determined he would write a college application essay that stood out. So they got him essay tutors, sent him to essay workshops, could not get through a family meal without peppering Roger with suggestions for his essay topic. But one day, Roger finally had enough. His mother burst into his room (always […]
Essay Dialogues #5: A Student Reads His Common App Essay In Class
In a high school English class, JACK, tall and confident, reads his Common Application essay in front of the class. JACK: “Helping that family rebuild their home after the fire was — ” SABRINA, knows everything, raises her hand. SABRINA: Ms. Arnold? Can I make a comment? MS. ARNOLD, sixties, was ready for retirement ten […]