7%...or, a little college essay inspiration?

So Erik Qualman tweeted out this link last week and it is just chock full of good advice. It's a column from the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, written by a 92 year-old. The list is 45 life lessons long, and you can read the whole thing here, but these are my favorites:

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Good stuff, isn't it? If you haven't started on the essay yet, it's really time to get down to it. What's inspired you lately?

One more way to take advantage of summer

One of my goals when working with students is to simplify the process as best I can, and I find that a little organization goes along way. With that in mind, in my last post I offered up a few tips on things to do this summer that could give you a jump start on the college process before the school year really gets going. I have one more: fill out an application.

The Common Application is used by 456 schools and for many students it's a great time saver. Others think it's why acceptance rates appear to be shrinking. But I digress.

The 2012-13 version will be released on August 1, but a paper copy is available right this minute. Print it out.

For our purposes here the beauty of the common app is that it also contains questions you'll see on other college applications out there. If your parents went to college, do you know where? Do you know what they majored in? Get some of these answers now and when you sit down to fill out your "official" applications, you can fly through these easy questions. Write it all down and file it away in a safe place (but not so safe you can't find it again. I think we've all done that.) This will become your reference sheet.
If you're feeling really bold, go ahead and take a crack at one of the six essay questions. I know the back-to-school ads have already started but there's still plenty of summer left and plenty of time to take of advantage of it.

3 Ways to Take Advantage of Summer

Summer is probably my favorite time of year. I love that it stays light late in the day, I love the warmth, and I especially love the beach. Here is the Northeast, summer is our reward for winter. Take a break; you've earned it.


Just not for the WHOLE summer.


Savvy students will take advantage of these next few months and set themselves up for the coming school year. So what can you do? Here are the things I'd put on top of my to-do list.


1. Do Something 
I'm trying to be open-ended here, not vague. Did you land an internship? Are you working retail? Baby-sitting for some kids in the neighborhood? Fantastic. An experience is only as good as you make it. (Yes, it could be a potential college essay topic but don't get hung up on that.) Any job you have can teach you something if you let it. Don't discount summer work!


2. Speaking of the college essay...
Summer is the perfect time to work on it! You don't have the pressure of the school year and you can devote more time to the process. Brainstorm. Write about the topic you've got in mind. If it doesn't work you'll either realize that now and move on, or you'll have the time you need to fix it. Fall seems like a long way off right about now, but you'll be way ahead of the game once September rolls around.


3. Visit some colleges
College campuses will be emptier that during the school year, but there's still plenty of information to soak up. (The tour schedules might be a little different, so make sure you plan ahead.) Approach it like you would any other time of year. Do your research--what are you looking to gain from the visit? Hang back when the tour is over and talk to the student guide. There's someone who was in your shoes recently and is a wealth of information. Another potential bonus for summer visits is the admissions representative from your area might have more time to talk to you. 


There's a lot to take advantage of in the summer. Recharge those batteries, but don't lost momentum. 

Are you a Junior in high school or know someone who is?

Juniors, you're up. I firmly believe that it's never too early to plan for college (and I'll delve into that in a future post) but right now it's time to start paying attention. Seniors are rounding the bend into decision-making land, and the focus will shift primarily to Juniors.

A little organization will go a long way right about now. The end of the school year is overwhelming, but it's important to set yourself up for next year, now, too. It's time to come up with a plan.

Let's talk about the SAT and ACT. Based on your PSAT or PLAN test results, you should have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. March 9 is the deadline to register for the April 14 ACT exam. May 4 is the deadline for the June 9 exam. For the SAT, you must register by April 6 (April 20 is the late registration deadline) to take the May 5 exam. You can find test prep materials for both of these tests online (ACT, SAT) much of it is available for free. If you know you want to take the SAT or ACT twice, I would suggest a spring/fall split. December can be too late in the game, depending on the application deadlines for the schools you will apply to.

What else can you do to prepare over the summer? If your family is going on vacation and there's a college nearby that you think you might be interested in, it might be worth swinging by for a visit. College campuses are pretty quiet in the summer, so keep that in mind if you're hoping to get a "feel" for campus life. However, it could be a great opportunity to talk to members of the admissions office, especially if the representative for your area is around. Call ahead and ask.

Summer is also a perfect time to start working on the essay. Don't worry so much about a specific question or topic, but focus on getting into the habit of this kind of creative writing. Buy a notebook or create a binder and starting jotting down ideas. Try to keep all of these ideas together though, or the notebook isn't worth much. Think about your experiences and some of the things that make you, you. What have you found rewarding? Challenging?

Read this post I wrote for more writing advice: Just how important is the essay?

Applying to college is a stressful process and my goal is always to minimize stress. The stress level is up to you though. That's why having a plan is so important and I'll emphasize it over and over again.

Just how important is the essay?

In a word… very. That's not meant to oversimplify. No doubt you've heard that the essay is the best way for an admissions officer to learn about who you really are. Your grades and test scores aren't the things that define an applicant. If they were, why would colleges ask for more?

Joyce Carol Oats said "…as soon as you connect with your true subject you will write". No matter what question the essay actually poses, underneath it all the real question these schools want to know is "who are you?"

It's a hard question to answer. Don't know where to start? Still struggling? No matter where you are in this process, these three starting points can help you find your topic.

1. Free write
Forget about the essay topic at hand. Set a timer for 5 minutes and don't pick your pen up from the paper. Don't worry about grammar or whether or not it makes sense. Is there still time left on the clock? Keep writing. When you're done, underline any ideas you think might be worth expanding.

2. Idea clusters
Maybe you already know your writing topic. Write it down in the middle of a blank piece of paper and circle it. Any ideas related to your main idea will be connected to this with line and another circle. Any ideas worth exploring? Try free writing (see above).

3. Say it out loud
This is how I would start a session with a client. If you're having trouble getting the ideas from your head to the page, talk it out. Tell a story. Keep a notebook next to you when you have a brainwave, but keep going. If you're feeling inspired at the end of the conversation, dive right in and write!


You'll do several revisions of the essay, so don't worry about it being perfect from the get-go. Hopefully you'll find that the more you get into it, the more you'll find to write about.

One note to parents--try to be as hands-off as you can be during this process. Not only is this a critical part of the application, but it's also a very draining. Proofread it, don't edit. There's an important distinction there.

There are no bad topics, just bad writing. (It's an essay about YOU, how can that be a bad topic?) Just be thoughtful.