College Applications
Are you or your son/daughter applying to college? Congratulations on making it this far! A great adventure lies ahead.
The competition to get into college is fiercer than ever – with more applicants vying each year for limited, coveted freshman slots. The college application is your quintessential “one shot” to show admissions officers that you belong at their school.
By the time you’re a senior, some facts of your application cannot be changed, such as your transcript, extracurricular activities and skills, and teacher recommendations. But you do control your story. Use your words to create the life you want, not the one you have, or the one you are expected to live. In weighing equally qualified applicants, your presentation of yourself can tip the scale in your favor.
The critical element in essay writing, perhaps obviously, is to stand out from the sea of high school aspirants. I’ll make sure you dodge the common pitfalls. For example, did you know that in describing why you and a college are a great fit, you shouldn’t mention the college’s geographic location? Believe it or not, hundreds of other applicants share your love of New York City or dream of experiencing life in the South…it’s snoozeville for admissions folks. Another example: did you know that describing an injury is not a good answer to questions about overcoming hardship? Not many of us have endured great adversity by the time we reach age 17 – a sports or other injury is one of the few setbacks that is common, and it won’t set you apart. Another blunder: failing to use the full word allotment. Most candidates use the maximum word count; those who don’t seem disinterested or lazy. Moreover, shorter responses convey less information about you.
I offer several tiers of service depending on your needs. We can start from scratch with school selection, counseling and guidance. Or we can focus on essays only. I can meet with you and help you brainstorm ideas and outline essay responses. Or, if you’re a do-it-yourselfer who wants just a final scrub, I can edit and provide feedback on your drafts. Sometimes the greatest challenge is cutting back to meet the word count. You direct the process.
My promise to you: I will leverage your strengths, qualifications and experience to position you best to get into college. I did it for myself, matriculating to Brown University. And I have helped countless students since.