Apply these Insider Secrets and Battle-Tested Strategies to Shatter the Myths & Guarantee Success this Semester.
Tips for Tackling the Personal Statement*
Each year aspiring college students anxiously await the release of the Common Application Personal Essay Prompts. As a writing specialist, I am well-aware of the mix of emotions this experience can evoke.
I took the new digital SAT. Here’s what I learned…
By now, many of you have heard that the SAT is changing. Starting March 2024, students in the US will no longer be sitting the current paper-based SAT. Instead, they will take an SAT that is for the first time digital and adaptive.
The College Search: Keep Your Future Career in Mind
Beautiful campus. Fun atmosphere. Perfect size and location. Excellent sports teams. Appropriate cost. When it comes to choosing a college that is a great fit, lots of criteria need to be considered and carefully weighed. One element that can be completely overlooked in the college search is the support each college provides to propel you toward your targeted career when college is over.
The College Interview
Many of you will have the option to do a college interview. Some of you will be required to do them. It’s an excellent way to demonstrate to the admissions counselor or the alumni interviewer that you are confident, capable, and able to articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely. Is it scary? Absolutely! The stakes are high when discussing admissions to college, being awarded a scholarship valued at thousands of dollars, and speaking to someone who is a stranger. Here’s the good news- no one knows you better than YOU!
Parenting in “Unprecedented Times”
As the new academic year begins, parents of children starting college for the first time, or those going back for another year, are helping their children move into dorms and new apartments, and experiencing goodbyes both joyful and tearful. But for some of these parents, this time of excitement and discovery comes with a specific set of fears and anxieties. When we hear about mental health in college, we tend to hear in broad terms about how the stress of university programs, and of the journey into independent living, affects young adults.
Fearless Interviewing for College Admission, Scholarships and Employment
Many teens are terrified and completely unprepared for interviews. Text messaging is the top means of teen communication. The Pew Institute’s research shows that teens text on average 60 times a day (girls average 100 texts per day.) Approximately 63 percent of teens send messages everyday while only 39% make phone calls daily and only 35% of teens say they communicate face to face daily.
The Power of a “Small” Story
A couch. A gazebo. A mouse. Target.
These were the topics of personal application essays that helped the writers earn admission to Stanford, UPenn, UC Berkeley and MIT. These essays contained no lists of accomplishments and no bragging, just good stories that revealed who the students are and what makes them tick.
Helping Your Teen Have a Productive (and fun!) Summer
The end of the school year is in sight and teachers and students are starting to wind down. Teachers’ Facebook posts are beginning to feature margarita close ups, and your teenager may have developed a case of “I’m done caring”.
and then