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Get Out of Your Own Way
Get Out of Your Own Way When you first begin your essay, you might wonder how you’ll have enough to say. But when you find your story and get into it, you’re going to be surprised how soon you run out of space. (It’s pretty standard for my coaching students to have first drafts of 1200 - 1500...
Snapshots not Scrapbooks
Snapshots not Scrapbooks Have you ever had to watch a slideshow or scroll through a friend’s photos from an entire trip? How long did it take for your eyes to glaze over? Even gorgeous scenery starts to lose its beauty, and the photos blur together, when there are too many at once. This may not be...
What a First Draft Is … and Is Not
What a First Draft Is … and Is Not First things first—and when it comes to writing your college essay, the first thing is NOT a first draft. The problem isn’t with the word “first,” it’s with the word “draft.” The connotations that “draft” carries are going to lead you to poor choices in your...
“Curated Imperfection” and the College Essay
“Curated Imperfection” and the College Essay The goal of the college essay is always the same. No matter whose essay it is or what story it’s telling, the ‘moral’ at the end will be “I learned, I grew, I changed.” That’s it. That’s all there is to it! The problem is, in order to demonstrate...
The Fundamental Attribution Error … And How It Works in Your Favor
The Fundamental Attribution Error And How It Works in Your Favor Sometimes students stress about the 650-word limit because they fear they cannot possibly tell their life story in so short a space. Let me reassure you on that: No, you cannot possibly tell your life story in so short a space. You...
How Do I Start My College Essays?
How Do I Start My College Essays? It goes without saying that the first thing you need to do to start your college essays is—to start. But nothing helps a procrastinator to procrastinate like an unclear expectation. The vague language of the seven Common App prompts give too many choices and not...
A Go-Anywhere Bulletin Board for Your College Application Planning
A Go-Anywhere Bulletin Board for Your College Application Planning Feeling in control of everything you have to do in the massive, multipart undertaking that is college applications is going to give you more positive feelings about the process, even though you don’t have final control over the...
Warming Up for the Big Game
Warming Up for the Big Game I’ve decided to create a new kind of running club for people who don’t really like running. Every two weeks, we’ll meet and have races. If you don’t like your time on a particular run, you can do it a second time. But in between races, there’s no obligation to run at...
Bread Baking as Essay Writing (An Extended Metaphor)
Bread Baking as Essay Writing (An Extended Metaphor) I have been baking bread since—as they say—before it was cool. And I have often tried to use this particular metaphor with my students, but it never worked because (it turns out) few of them had ever baked yeast bread. At least, they didn’t...
Layering
It’s spring in New England, and if you were going outside—which you probably aren’t, this year, but if you were—you’d want layers. You know, a winter coat for the 24° morning, a sweater for the school day, and a T-shirt for the way home when the sun is finally strong and you’re thinking about a...
