Tag: Consultation

Opening College Doors with the Power of Story

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“Once Upon a Time”, “In a Galaxy Far, Far Away”, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”:

Had your brain been monitored during the processing of these words, it would have lit up with blood flow.  Science teaches us that our brains are hardwired to love stories.  And a great story can release a rush of chemicals that makes us pay attention and feel a connection to the storyteller.  This biological effect can be applied to the drafting of a college essay that promotes your cause for admission.

Contrary to the belief of most teenagers, they have interesting stories to share.  During their short lifetimes, they have experienced events that can inform, enlighten, and inspire their audiences. These events are hardly ever earth-shattering or record-breaking.  Most are common everyday occurrences.  What makes these moments interesting is how they are observed and expressed.

What makes writers interesting is how they view these seemingly insignificant events and what meanings they extract from them.  Good storytellers are not those who enjoy more interesting lives but are those that understand that significance can be found and communicated from most experiences.  Our human nature gives us the license to communicate with our readers.  However, we must earn positive connections with tools of communication. 

Without exception, college bound students that I have worked with along the Connecticut Shoreline write and submit an extraordinary application essay.  Interestingly, as different as the essays are in the end as each evolves, the first drafts start in similar ways.  Typically, students write in a voice that they think they should, which can either take the tone of a pseudo-intellectual or a tour guide.

One student from Clinton, Connecticut was fascinated with the use of a metaphor to describe his upbringing.  Unfortunately, the metaphor was lacking in depth and failed to convey the writer’s point about his youthful enthusiasm and newfound passion.  By discussing what about his challenges and triumphs defined him, he was able to expand the metaphor, use it as a launching point for his multi-faceted personality, and create an imagery that painted an unforgettable picture for the reader.  The metaphor, instead of a singular device, was immersed into his story that made his essay unique and personal.

A senior from Madison, Connecticut was applying to colleges offering majors in Theater.  Her first instinct was to craft an essay describing her creative assignments and performances.  Her draft had the unoriginal text of a course catalog, with no personal perspective.  Once she abandoned her preconceived notions, she told the story of her stage fright and her resolution to change her focus to the creative process instead of focusing only on herself.  Stories help us organize our ideas to make powerful points.  Creating an essay that conveys a true sense of self and your view of the world is a powerful tool and a worthwhile goal. 

Preparing for College-Your New 100-Hour Hobby

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Just as Junior year begins, high-schoolers should plan on devoting an extra 100 hours over the next 12 months to launching themselves into the exciting arena of college applications. Just as any teenager with obligations knows, putting aside specific hours for measurable tasks is the best way to attain goals.  It would stand to reason that if your goal is to attend a right-fit college, plans need to be set in place. 

Junior year is your pinnacle of performance, it is the year where you add substantiation to your claims to your uniqueness.  For students interested in STEM college majors, you should be taking science AP classes and making contribution to class that are notable and acknowledged by your teachers.  If you are drawn to the liberal arts, you should be enrolled in classes that feature strong writing and individual thought. 

The results of these academic pursuits, aside from expanding your minds, is to build relationships with teachers who write you stand-out college recommendations.  In addition, social science and philosophy classes will yield writing samples to add to your application, especially in the event you opt for test-optional schools that require supplementary writing samples. Taking leadership roles in the classroom and initiating dialogue with your teachers showcase emotional maturity and intellectual curiosity, two of the most important qualities of a successful college-bound student. (Requests for two teacher recommendations should be made by spring of Junior year, so teachers can work on them over the summer.) 

Your 100-hour investment includes preparing for, scheduling, and taking either the SAT or ACT tests or both.  Test-taking tutors are effective in teaching the relevant material and the art of test-taking. They are sensitive to the specific needs of all students, regardless of their testing acumen. Taking both the SAT and ACT tests early Junior year gives students a strong indication of which one suits them better. A sitting for the test on which you have stronger performance should be scheduled again in the spring, ideally after test-prep practices have been completed.  Junior year summer or senior year fall is the last opportunity to take the test for a third time if needed.  With each higher score earned, admission chances and merit scholarships increase.  Taking any test more than three times is usually inefficient and expensive. 

Other test considerations include taking AP tests and SAT subject tests.  Completion of most of these tests take place during Junior year.  AP scores of 4 or 5 are exceptional, scores of 3 are commendable.  Most schools do not require SAT subject tests, particularly if you plan to report your ACT score.  For schools that require SAT subject tests, research the specifics of each college’s requirements, some majors require Math 2 over Math 1, for instance.  Depending upon your test success, test-optional colleges should be addressed on a case by case basis.  However, even test-optional schools require test scores for merit scholarships. 

Developing a college list is critical to your pursuits.  The earlier you can address each college’s specific application requirements, the more streamlined your efforts.  As your Junior year unfolds, examine yourself, your skills, your gifts, and your interests.  Research colleges that comport with your style and personality.  Consider your learning, regional, social, and campus culture preferences.  Plan on taking some trips to visit colleges during high-school spring break, hopefully when college is still in session.  Ask high-school alums to share their college experiences.  Schedule tours and interviews weeks ahead of time and ask for more information on college websites.  Some colleges track interest and will monitor your efforts to visit them or at the very least, inquire into their programs.

 After a 100-hour investment of time into this new hobby of college preparation, students will experience the satisfaction of time well-spent and results well-deserved.