Montana State University
This summer and fall I'll be doing a series on colleges and universities here in Montana. I'm doing this for two reasons: first, I'm hoping this information will be helpful to my Montana clients looking for options close to home; and second, for lots of reasons Montana schools are becoming increasingly attractive for students outside Montana.
Yesterday I toured Montana State University. I was struck once again by what a great university we have here in Bozeman. Obviously a main draw to MSU is the local area, with its world-class skiing, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater paddling, rock climbing, ice climbing, and more. From the MSU campus you can access trails leading all the way into Yellowstone National Park and beyond.
Life on campus is a draw, as well. The Rendezvous Dining Pavilion, a 30,000 square-foot facility that seats 830 people, recently won the grand prize for large-school residential dining facilities from the National Association of College and University Food Services. The campus itself is beautifully landscaped, with views of four different surrounding mountain ranges.
Popular and high-quality majors at MSU include mechanical engineering, nursing, computer science, business, political science, and mathematics. I'd also like to give a special shout-out to the programs in kinesiology and exercise science. I meet regularly with a personal trainer at a private health club in Bozeman who is a rising senior double majoring in these related programs. I never cease to be impressed by the breadth and depth of her knowledge, and she has been able to earn her degree while receiving credit for her real-world experience as a professional trainer. Whenever I have questions, she has an extensive network of people who can help her answer questions about human anatomy and physiology, and she always seems to have creative solutions to problems that crop up. The type of education she's receiving exemplifies the type of hands-on learning that MSU is becoming increasingly known for.
If you'd like to learn more about Montana colleges and universities, or college admissions more generally, reach out to me to schedule your free consultation today!
Free College Info Session
I'll be giving a FREE college information session for the Bozeman community on Thursday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cold Smoke Coffeehouse on Huffine. The address is 64 Willow Peak Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718. I hope to see you there!
This event is pitched to high school students and their families. Topics I will cover include preparing for college, choosing a major, building a college list, studying for standardized tests, planning college visits, paying for college, and more. Please come with your questions about the college process--that's what I'm here for!
Please come to the back conference room at Cold Smoke for this information session. Looking forward to seeing you!
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Summer college tours
I have often heard the conventional wisdom given to high school students and their families that they should avoid touring college campuses in the summer because campuses will be "dead." To an extent this is true. It is true that few, if any, classes meet during the summer, and there won't be concerts, poetry readings, and sporting events on par with what happens during a regular semester.
I've attended open houses, group tours, and information sessions at dozens of colleges. I have toured at all times of year, including summer and college breaks. Here are my thoughts:
Yes, colleges are quiet during the summer. And yes, absolutely, you should take summer college tours. Here's why.
Most students and their families do not have enough time during the school year to devote to touring an appropriate number of colleges to build a strong college list. Some high schools do allocate days for seniors to visit colleges, but this type of travel is often difficult to squeeze in once the school year begins—especially if it involves getting on a plane. And in most cases, an excused absence doesn't relieve the student of the responsibility to make up schoolwork they've missed.
College tours are essential to a thorough and thoughtful college admissions process. Students who take several college tours come to understand their college preferences and confidently choose the right schools to apply to. They engage deeply in the admissions process. They don't procrastinate on their applications as much as students who are passive about building their college lists. They devote more time to their college essays. They work harder in school to improve their grades because they are able to visualize themselves at the colleges and universities of their choice, and are motivated to get there.
Please do tour colleges in the summer. Build college tours into the travel plans that you already have. It will be relatively quiet on campus, it is true, but I guarantee the experience will be well worth your time.
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The future of legacy admissions
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision ending affirmative action in college admissions, a civil rights group is now challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni. The vast majority of Harvard's donor-related and legacy applicants are white, and being a legacy student makes an applicant roughly six times more likely to be admitted.
It's unclear whether or not the new Harvard case ultimately will have any impact on legacy admissions, or whether or not the Supreme Court will choose to weigh in. My own best guess, though, is that colleges and universities that value diversity and equity in their admissions process will have an increasingly difficult time justifying legacy admissions in a post-affirmative action world.
For most of my clients, I don't at this time recommend making any major changes to their college lists or their application strategy based either on the recent affirmative action decision or the possibility of legacy admissions being diminished or eliminated. The main scenario where I might recommend shifting one's strategy might be on the personal statement, where applicants have the option to tell about a personal circumstance or challenge that they have overcome. Depending on the individual student's experience, this could be an appropriate place to discuss one's race, ethnicity, disability, or some other identifier.
One final point: I expect legacy status—which already was being de-emphasized at some selective colleges following the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal—to continue its trend toward being a diminished factor in college admissions, especially at highly selective colleges. So if you've been counting on your student attending Dartmouth, Harvard, or Cornell because you or someone else in your family attended there or made a substantial donation to the college, it's likely that this tradition could be reduced, or eliminated altogether, in the near future.
If you'd like to learn more about college admissions and writing college essays, visit my website and schedule a free consultation today!
The end of affirmative action
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that college admissions programs that consider race as part of their admissions process are unconstitutional. This decision will have sweeping implications for college admissions, and may affect my advice to clients applying to college. Allow me to explain.
First, though, let me offer a few words of perspective. Colleges and universities have been anticipating this decision for some time now. Most admissions departments have been planning for race-based affirmative action admissions programs to go away. Many colleges count diversity, inclusion, and equity among their core values, and this decision does not change that. The trend toward reducing the role of standardized testing in college admissions has been part of an effort to improve access to higher education to include students who do not have the resources to pay for a course, or hire a tutor, to study for the SAT. So I encourage families not to overthink what might happen.
That said, I do think there may be a few things students of color can do to enhance their college prospects in a post-affirmative action world:
1. At least two of the Common App personal statement prompts allow students to reflect on an identity that is important to them, or describe how they've overcome an obstacle. If a student has a compelling story to tell that highlights their race or ethnicity in one of these ways, this is an opportunity to tell admissions committees that story.
2. In an effort to ramp up their racial and ethnic diversity, colleges in the future may offer more scholarships that consider race and/or ethnicity. The Supreme Court's decision, as most legal scholars understand it, targets admissions, but not scholarships. Consider applying for these.
3. Take another look at HBCU's. Most experts think these schools will see an uptick in applications in coming years. These institutions tend to offer lots of support internally to help underserved students succeed academically.
If you'd like help navigating the college process, use the contact form on my website to schedule your free consultation!
#collegeadmissions #collegecounseling #collegeadmissionsconsulting
Chasing prestige vs. chasing merit
There is an adage in the world of college admissions that goes something like this: you can either chase prestige, or you can chase merit, but you can't chase both.
What does this mean? Assuming that your family does not have a college fund large enough to cover costs at one of the nation's most expensive colleges—a number that can approach $100,000 a year once you factor in room, board, travel, and other costs—your family will need to take finances into account when your high school student is deciding which college to attend.
If your family income and assets are low enough, you may qualify for need-based financial aid. In such instances, and if your student's grades and test scores are strong, it may be strategic to "chase prestige" at some highly selective colleges, which tend to be generous with their need-based financial aid awards.
If your family is in more of a middle income bracket where you do not qualify for significant need-based financial aid, you may find it advantageous to "chase merit" at schools where your grades and test scores are in, say, the top quarter of their incoming freshman class because these colleges may be quite generous with merit-based scholarships.
There are a number of ways to determine how generous a college is with merit scholarships. You can look up the list of merit scholarships on a college's admissions website and find out what they offer. For example, Vanderbilt University, one of the most selective colleges in the country, has merit scholarships unlike some of its peer institutions. However, Vanderbilt acknowledges right on its website that only 1% of all admitted students get one. Compare that to the University of Alabama, which has a long list of scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state applicants. Another strategy is even more direct: call the admissions office and ask, "What percentage of admitted students get a merit scholarship and what is the average merit scholarship offer?" I also have this information for hundreds of colleges, and am happy to share what I know.
If you'd like to learn more about financial planning for college, use the contact form on my website to schedule a free consultation today!
Maintaining family harmony
As an independent college admissions counselor, the most common theme I hear in my conversations with parents is how stressful college admissions can be. Helping to make the process more streamlined and less taxing on families is one of the most important, and most rewarding, parts of my job.
I have a few suggestions for families that I believe can help make college admissions more emotionally calm for both students and their parents:
1. Schedule a time (I suggest weekly or biweekly) for a family conversation about college. During this time it is fair game for parents to inquire about college lists, deadlines, essays, scholarships, finances--all of it. The flip side is that they also agree not to nag their child about college during other times. Most students will be more forthcoming, less avoidant, and less grumpy when they know this conversation is coming. It will make other family times more enjoyable.
2. When doing college visits, set aside time after the info session, campus tour, and department visits (maybe in a coffee shop in the college town) to debrief. The College Spy sells a deck of cards with helpful question prompts for these conversations.
3. Take what you hear from other families with a grain of salt. Try your best not to be drawn into their obsession with college rankings, admission rates, and competition. Each student's unique educational journey deserves to be honored and valued for what it is.
4. Hire me! No, really. I know this is self-serving, but it's also the truth. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the expression of relief on a parent's face once we've settled on a package and our work together has begun. Having the peace of mind knowing another person has your back through this process is incredibly empowering and comforting.
5. It's all going to work out. Despite everyone's best efforts and intentions, your student might not be admitted to Princeton. But when we do this process right, they're going to be accepted to a great school that is the right fit for them. It will feel like it was meant to be.
Ready to get started? Use the contact form on my website to schedule your free consultation today!
College knowledge: Fordham University
This week I attended a webinar featuring Fordham University in New York City, and wanted to offer some of my thoughts about how it compares with other colleges and universities in the Big Apple.
Fordham has two campuses: one located in the heart of Manhattan in Lincoln Center, which is where Fordham's performing arts programs are housed, and one in the Rose Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, where the campus feels slightly less urban and more collegiate, and where some of the more traditional college programs are located.
Fordham differs from universities such as New York University, Columbia University, and Pace University in that it is less selective on the admissions side, less intense academically, and more religious. Founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1841, the university still retains its Jesuit traditions in the sense that good teaching is highly valued, personal relationships are emphasized, and the school motto is "wisdom and learning." That said, only about 33% of Fordham students are Catholic, meaning that the overwhelming majority are not. In part because of the school's location in one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, the overall student population is diverse in terms of religion, ethnicity, race, and national origin.
Fordham is probably best known for its performing arts programs, but it also has strong programs in business, history, biological sciences, psychology, economics, communication studies, and film and television. One business administration major says that "Fordham offers a good balance between academic rigor and a relaxed atmosphere," especially since students often collaborate on homework and projects. And because students have the option to take classes at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses, they become experts of New York City and all that it has to offer in terms of arts, culture, and entertainment. It's a great choice for students who want to experience the city fully, but without the stress and intensity of a school like NYU or Columbia.
To learn more about individual colleges and to start your own college journey, use the contact form on my website to schedule a free initial consultation.
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Summer and personal statements
Congratulations to all high school students for successfully completing another year of high school! If you'll be a high school senior in the fall, I'd like to offer a suggestion for a task to work on this summer. If you are planning to apply to colleges in the fall and either don't know yet where you'll be applying or plan to apply to at least one school that uses the Common App, the summer before senior year of high school is the ideal time to write your Common App personal statement.
For any student approaching the Common App personal statement, I offer these top 5 suggestions:
1. Read the prompts posted on College Board's website, but you don't need to obsess over them. The prompts are written in such a way that you can write about almost anything and it will most likely fit one of the prompts.
2. Tell a story. Vivid details and experiences will make your essay come alive much more than general statements of what you learned, or what you achieved. Good storytelling will enable you to find these specifics.
3. Make sure that your essay allows admissions committees to learn something about you. While it can be a humble gesture to write about your admiration for someone else, it doesn't really allow the admissions committee to learn very much about your personality or your character. This is one time when it really is okay to talk about yourself.
4. Use the space you have. The Common App personal statement is capped at 650 words. Use them! The essay prompt says to write between 250 and 650 words, but a 250-word essay is going to feel pretty skeletal to most readers.
5. Get feedback. Many applicants are reluctant to let anyone else see their essay. This is a mistake. Find someone you know and trust who can give you specific feedback and offer suggestions for revision.
If you'd like help figuring out what you want to write about, how to get started, how to draft your essay, and how to polish it for submission, use the contact form on my website to reach out. I thoroughly enjoy working with students on their college essays during the summer!
#collegecounseling #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions #collegeadmissionsconsulting #iec #ieca #personalstatement
College visit: Georgia Tech
Today's stop in the Confluence College Admissions Consulting spring tour is Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech. Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the 450-acre Tech campus is a tree-filled, meticulously landscaped green oasis in the middle of a dense urban environment.
Courses at Tech are extremely—perhaps even notoriously—rigorous and challenging, and classes tend to be large: 32% of courses enroll more than 50 students. This demanding course load prepares students for high-paying jobs as engineers, architects, entrepreneurs, and computer scientists.
One program in particular that I'd like to highlight is the Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project, a unique interdisciplinary undergraduate research program focused on the impact of urban habitats on honey bees. Tech's hives are located on the roofs of the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons and the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on the school's campus in midtown Atlanta. City planners and designers are increasingly incorporating sustainable food systems into urban architectural projects and developments, raising questions about the suitability of these environments for food production. One factor affecting crop yield in urban gardens is the availability of animal pollinators. Bees function as pollinators for most food crops and are also exceptional model organisms for understanding complex biological systems. Unfortunately, bee populations are threatened by pesticide use, habitat fragmentation, and disease. A greater understanding of honeybees is of great ecological, economic, and academic interest, and undergraduate students at Georgia Tech get to have a significant role in cutting-edge research.
In short, Georgia Tech is not for every student—but it can be a great fit for those ready for significant academic challenges who want to make meaningful contributions to the world of science and technology.
To learn more about individual colleges and start your own college journey, use the contact form on our website to schedule a free initial consultation.
#collegeadmissions #collegecounseling #collegecounselor #collegeadmissionsconsulting #iec #ieca
College visit: Warren Wilson College
Our next stop on the Confluence College Admissions Consulting spring tour is Warren Wilson College. A small college of about 900 students, Warren Wilson is located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, and makes full use of its beautiful physical and cultural environment.
One of my favorite features of Warren Wilson College is its student work program, in which all students are required to participate. At Warren Wilson student learning and work are one and the same. Under the guidance of a college supervisor, students have the opportunity to join one of the 70+ student work crews on campus, some of which may relate directly to the student's academic program, or may connect more broadly to the student's personal or career goals. Crews include such diverse offerings as forestry, carpentry, ceramics studio, photography, blacksmithing, and garden. Many Warren Wilson graduates point to their experience on student crews as the most important learning they did as college students, which has continued to shape their lives through adulthood.
One of Warren Wilson's most popular majors is outdoor leadership, It’s a liberal arts discipline that combines outdoor skills (backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, and rock climbing) with theory and practice in interpersonal communication, behavioral science, counseling, and being a leader. Some graduates go into program leadership and administration at outdoor centers, working for park services, colleges and universities, or non-profits. Others become instructors for at-risk youth, people with disabilities, or corporations who visit adventure camps and park services. And some go into the adventure travel and tourism industry, working as guides and program directors for eco-tours, travel companies, resorts, and hotels.
Graduates of Warren Wilson tend to be passionate, confident, self-sufficient people: people who are capable of tackling all sorts of DIY home improvement projects, successful communicators, and entrepreneurs capable of finding creative ways of earning a living.
To learn more about individual colleges and universities across North America, and to begin your own college journey, visit the Confluence College Admissions Consulting website, and reach out to us to schedule a free one-hour consultation.
#collegeadmissions #collegecounseling #collegecounselor #collegeadmissionscounseling #collegeadmissionscounselor #collegeadmissionsconsulting
College visit: Emory University
Over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some of the schools I visited during my three-week spring college tour. Today I'm spotlighting Emory University, which sits on a beautiful campus in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Emory has a distinctly southern feel to it, and offers some of the strongest academic programs in the region.
Emory's English and creative writing programs in particular are nationally recognized. Award-winning Novelist Salman Rushdie is a former faculty member at Emory, and a large portion of his archives are held there, along with those of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. Current faculty members at Emory include award-winning author Tayari Jones and well-known African-American literature scholar Valerie Babb. If you're keen on studying writing and/or literature with some of the world's leading literary researchers, thinkers, and writers, Emory would be an ideal place to do it.
"Faculty members make teaching a priority and set aside a significant amount of time for mentoring and helping students with both the course material and with life in general," says one student. Opportunities for mentored research are available in all fields, and a chemistry major reports, "Many students find research opportunities through professors they had during their freshman year."
In addition to the fields mentioned above, Emory is known for strong academic programs in business administration, biology, economics, nursing, and neuroscience. Emory is a highly selective university, and with good reason: graduates of Emory go on to do exciting things, and are well compensated for their work.
To learn more about individual colleges and to start your own college admissions journey, use the contact form on the Confluence College Admissions Consulting website, or send us a DM, to schedule a free initial consultation.
#collegeadmissions #collegecounseling #collegecounselor #collegeadmissionscounseling #collegeadmissionscounselor #collegeadmissionsconsulting
#iec #ieca
College visits: South Dakota School of Mines & University of Kentucky
Yesterday I visited the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. UK is home to 22,000 undergraduate students, but the campus feels surprisingly compact and easy to find one's way around. It's the quintessential modern university: well-kept grounds, state-of-the-art facilities and classrooms, and beautiful residence halls.
Those residence halls! They are some of the nicest I've seen. UK has constructed 15 new residence halls in the past ten years, and they've done it according to a very specific blueprint. The residential spaces are all very similar, with choice between doubles and quads, each student having their own private bedroom. The rooms are spacious, well lit, and aesthetically beautiful. Each residence call is equipped with communal study spaces and a game room. And the residence halls are all within easy walking distance of dining halls, on-campus coffee shops, fitness centers, and classrooms. It's a remarkably well laid out campus.
For the student looking for a consummate collegiate experience complete with outstanding Division I athletics, modern facilities, and myriad possibilities for on-campus activities and an active social life, the University of Kentucky is a great choice.
Something incredibly fun about my job as an independent college admissions consultant is that I get to spend several weeks each year on the road visiting colleges. Last week I had the great pleasure of visiting South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The day of my visit happened to be the last day of final exams for the spring semester, so the campus was relatively quiet. Nevertheless, I was struck by how much I observed students doing things, making things, building things. Whether you’re into automotive design or 3D printing or computer science, there’s a maker space for you, friends who’ll want to tinker and experiment alongside you, and ample opportunity to translate your experiential learning into a successful career.
South Dakota School of Mines offers a great education at an affordable price, and consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top value schools. It’s located 20 minutes from the Black Hills, and Rapid City is a friendly and vibrant small city. If you’re a STEM-oriented student looking for great value, this is a small school you should visit!
Congratulations, Danielle!
Today is College Decision Day, meaning that many colleges require first-year students to make their final decisions and submit their tuition deposits no later than today, May 1.
It’s been a really good college admission season for my clients here at Confluence College Admissions Consulting. Every one of my high school seniors is planning to attend college starting in 2023-24, all of them are excited about the colleges they’re planning to attend, and all of them have a viable plan to pay for college. I am incredibly proud of the hard work they put into their personal statements and supplemental essays. I am also pleased to say that none of my clients were content to take my word for it when I advised them to check out one college or another. They did their own research, planned their own college visits (with help from their parents), and corresponded with admissions representatives when they had questions or concerns. Collectively they were offered over $750,000 in scholarships, most of it merit based.
Some of my clients feel shy about sharing their college stories on social media, but suffice it to say that in the fall my clients will be attending an appealing variety of colleges and universities: Drake University, Montana State University, Prescott College, Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Pennsylvania, University of Vermont, and more.
I would like to highlight one student in today’s post. I’ve been working with Danielle since last summer. For her Common App personal statement, Danielle wrote a very funny and unexpectedly moving story about working as a locksmith’s apprentice during the summer after her sophomore year of high school. After being accepted at several small liberal arts colleges, Danielle settled on Gustavus Adolphus College, where she plans to study psychology. Danielle says that she fell in love with Gustavus because of the “Hello Walk,” the sidewalk running through the middle of campus, where it’s tradition for students to greet each other when they pass—whether they know each other or not. She’s excited to be part of a college community where that kind of openness and friendliness is valued and honored.
Congratulations to Danielle, and congratulations to the Confluence College Admissions Consulting Class of 2023!
Supporting students with disabilities
This morning I participated in a webinar hosted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) featuring several folks from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. The main topic of today’s webinar was the support RIT provides for students with disabilities. Perhaps the most innovative program they have is their Spectrum Support Program for students with autism, which helps these students acclimate to life in college, offers coaching when they run into academic and social challenges, and prepares them for the transition to the workforce after graduation.
I came away impressed with RIT’s efforts to support students, which effectively balances removing barriers for disabled students with providing coaching to help them navigate through the world. I am aware of other colleges that do a great job supporting students with disabilities. A particular college or university might work particularly well with students with a specific kind of disability—blind students, for example, or students with ADHD.
If you are—or if you know—a student with disabilities who is considering college, it is important to familiarize yourself with the kinds of accommodations, services, and programs each college or university provides, and what their philosophy is toward supporting students with disabilities. I also think it is a good idea to consider what your own experiences and expectations are. Did your high school provide significant accommodations that helped you to be successful? If so, are you expecting that same type of support in college? How extensive—and how recent—is your documentation of your disability, and how well does that align with the eligibility requirements at the colleges you’re considering? How open are you to receiving coaching in addition to accommodations?
Some students may feel that they want to be less reliant on accommodations for their disability than they were in high school. Depending on the student, this desire may or may not be realistic. I see no harm in a student wanting to work toward utilizing fewer accommodations as they mature, but I also think it is wise for students to choose a college that has options for support if the student needs it.
If you’d like to learn more about the support systems colleges and universities provide for students with disabilities, and how to obtain information from colleges, schedule a free one-hour consultation with me today! Reach out to me using the contact form on my website.
College counseling in a group
Have you considered working with a college counselor, but found the cost to be too steep? Or do you prefer working in groups with your peers instead of working one-on-one with an adult? Consider pooling your resources with a small group of your friends!
In addition to one-on-one consulting with students on an individual basis, Confluence College Admissions Consulting offers small-group college counseling. When you do small-group counseling, you get all the same services as with any of our regular packages: your own College Planner Pro account, one-on-one essay support, college list development, and all the rest. The difference is that you’ll pay a reduced rate, and you’ll meet with Jim along with a small group of your peers.
Working along with a group of other college applicants has certain advantages: you’ll learn from your peers’ experiences developing their own college lists, visiting schools, writing essays, and all the rest. You’ll have a group of people to help hold you accountable and offer advice. And you’ll have a group to bond with, socialize with, and share both successes and frustrations along the way. It’s like having your own personalized support group.
Four out of ten college students nationwide receive no contact whatsoever with a college counselor. The average high school student receives 38 minutes of college counseling over four years. High school counselors do the best they can with large caseloads and limited resources, but working with us at Confluence College Admissons Consulting will help you understand which colleges are the right fit for you, how to navigate the finer points of college admissions, answer all your individual questions, and leave you feeling confident about your applications and finances.
If small-group college counseling sounds like an appealing option, please use the contact form on our website to schedule a free one-hour consultation. At that time we can discuss various options for how we can best serve you, and do it within your family’s budget. Reach out to us today!
Summer college application essay coaching is open!
As we approach the final weeks of the school year, it’s time for high school juniors to begin making a plan for working on their college essays. Because the fall semester can be extremely busy with college visits, taking the SAT one final time, and filling out college applications, plus completing homework assignments for school, participating in sports, and finding time for other extracurricular activities, summer before senior year can be a great time to let a leg up on writing your personal statement for the Common App, as well as supplemental essays for individual colleges where you plan to apply.
I love working with students during the summer because we can use our time spaciously for thinking and planning, and then drafting essays at a pace that feels purposeful and calm. Last year my summer clients each wrote four to five drafts of their personal statement by mid-August, which enabled them to begin their senior year feeling confident that they had plenty of time to get their applications done and still have time to enjoy their senior year.
We begin by reviewing the essay prompts that Common App uses. Some students know right away what they want to write about, and normally I encourage them without trying too hard to manage their decision (unless something about their idea is an obvious red flag—perhaps it’s too broad, for instance, and needs refinement). Other students benefit from some short writing exercises to spark ideas. Most students, once they settle on an idea, find it enjoyable to draft their 650-word personal statements. Then we take multiple sessions to shape, refine, and sharpen the story and the prose to make it shine. It’s my view that most of the learning that occurs during the writing process happens in revision.
Initially, most students have a nugget of a great essay idea. Where they tend to struggle is finding a way to tell their story in a way that is specific, that gets beyond a mere reporting of facts. In my sessions with students, I help them find language that gets the reader inside their lived experience, and in doing so helps the admissions committees to get to know them. This is ultimately the goal of the college essay—not impressing people with your achievements (which are already described elsewhere in your application).
Having a completed—or nearly completed—draft of the personal statement enables students to shift their attention toward writing supplemental essays for particular schools that are on the student’s college list. I am familiar with these prompts as well, and can offer ideas, strategies, and exercises that will get you rolling. Again, multiple drafts will allow you to be as clear, succinct, and intentional as possible.
If you’d like to sign up for essay support this summer, or if you’d like to learn more about fundamentals and comprehensive packages for high school students at any grade level, please reach out to me to schedule a free one-hour consultation.
Leading Great Learning
My decades-long pal and colleague Mike Anderson, who currently runs his own educational consulting practice, has spotlighted me in his most recent newsletter. His practice is called Leading Great Learning, and if you're an educator, or if you follow trends in education, Mike is one of the most insightful and knowledgeable people you'll ever meet. His work on student motivation, student choice, and physical and emotional health for teachers is groundbreaking. I urge you to sign up for his newsletter, take his online courses, and/or invite him to lead a workshop at your school.
Check out his newsletter here and subscribe.
Webinar: Composing an Effective and Compelling College Application Essay
My friend and colleague Allan Reeder, founder of Hillside Writing, will be sharing tips and strategies in a free webinar for young writers embarking on the college-application essay-writing process next Wednesday, April 12, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. (MST). Allan’s energetic talk helps college-bound applicants and their support teams to see the project less as a challenge and more as an opportunity—even an enjoyable one! With a case-study approach, Allan demonstrates what makes an essay resonate in an admissions officer’s mind and offers practical preliminary steps toward achieving an authentic, memorable essay. The presentation describes the evolution of essays composed by Hillside Writing students that have prompted college admissions directors to write directly to the applicants with praise.
To register for this webinar, go here.
For more information about Hillside Writing, please visit their website.
Visiting colleges
As families kick their summer planning into gear, if you are—or if you have in your family—a ninth-, tenth-, or eleventh-grade student, I highly recommend working a few college visits into your summer travel plans. Even if semester classes aren’t in session, you can often still schedule a tour, take a walk around campus, and get a feel for the college. If you haven’t already figured out exactly what you’re looking for in a college, visiting a few schools can begin to give you a sense of what you do and don’t like.
If you’re going on a two-week vacation, I suggest working in maybe three college visits. If you can—especially if you’re still formulating what’s important to you in choosing a college—sample a few different kinds of schools. If you’re visiting North Dakota, consider visiting University of Mary (if you’re amenable to the idea of attending a Catholic university) and Minot State University, as well as the University of North Dakota. Visiting some different types of colleges will help you to clarify your values and priorities.
Visit no more than one college per day. Schedule a tour and information session with the admissions office if they are available. Take a self-guided walk to the areas of campus that are important to you, but weren’t part of the tour. I suggest budgeting time for note taking, journaling, and even people watching. Taking enough time to really assimilate the feel of each school will help to prevent what can happen when too many college visits are scheduled in too short a time: they all kind of run together in your mind, and you may struggle later to remember which school was which.
If you really like a school during a vacation-time visit, and think you might like to go there, I strongly suggest visiting when classes are in session. Meet some students. Sit in on at least one or two classes. Eat a meal in the dining hall. Visit the coffee shop that’s adjacent to campus. Compared to the way campus feels when there’s no one around, you’ll get a very different sense of the place during the bustle of a regular class day.
If you’d like to learn more about college visits, the college admissions process, and more, please use the contact form on my website to schedule your free one-hour consultation today!