by Cara Kalf | Jul 15, 2021 | Cara, College Essay, College Essay Examples
Go Jump in the Lake Many writers find themselves stopped before their first sentence by the question, “Where should I begin?” The problem with that question is that while there are right and wrong places for a piece of writing to begin, it’s backward to assume you’ll...
by Cara Kalf | May 30, 2021 | Cara, college coaching, College Essay Examples, writing tips
What’s Your Why? Motivational speakers and authors talk a lot about “finding your WHY.” If you’re really clear on why you’re doing what you’re doing, they tell audiences, you’re more likely to get it done and do it well. This is true for mundane things you might need...
by Cara Kalf | May 15, 2021 | Cara, college coaching, College Essay Examples
Which Details Matter? It’s easy to recognize when a child has edited their writing. Instead of a rambling story that jumps oddly from one apparently unimportant moment to another, you get—a rambling story that jumps oddly from one unimportant moment to another … with...
by Cara Kalf | Apr 30, 2021 | Cara, College Essay, College Essay Examples
Garden Tales Last summer, my 3-year-old discovered the joys of pulling fresh vegetables from the garden and eating them on the spot. One day, he found a bed full of carrots and pulled one up immediately. When I saw him eating it, I couldn’t figure out where he had...
by Cara Kalf | Apr 15, 2021 | Cara, college coaching, College Essay, College Essay Examples
Twenty Questions (And Then Some) With Your Dream School List So, how is that school list coming? If you’re applying this summer, you need to be filling—and then narrowing—your list of potential schools so you know what essays you need to start writing in late June or...
by Cara Kalf | Mar 30, 2021 | Cara, college application essay, College Essay, College Essay Examples
Unexpected Essay Secret Write Badly Here’s what you’re doing wrong: You’re expecting it to come out right. It might sound counter-intuitive, but expecting perfection from your draft is the best way to kill it. Actually, it’s the best way to ensure it never gets...