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Positive Educational Direction |
December 2009 Table of Contents | Next Article » Introduction: December 2009
Welcome to our December newsletter! We are in the midst of our 25th admissions cycle and smack in the middle of what I call "the essay season". Contrary to what you might have read or heard elsewhere, application essays are a critical part of the admissions process. Now that fewer colleges are interviewing on campus, essays are often the only direct contact between the candidate and admission committees. I have found over the years that students can write about virtually anything, and we can show them how to create a terrific essay out of whatever they start with. When admissions readers look at an essay, they ask themselves, "Can this person think? Is he or she genuinely interested in her academic subjects? Is he/ or she kind? Caring? Open-minded both intellectually and socially? Mature? Is he or she a contributor first, or just out for him or herself?" And there's more. Hence, students have the opportunity to present the best in their natures in the context of any subject they choose. Our primary role is to make sure our students develop essays that highlight their best and most desirable attributes while preventing them from shooting themselves in the foot. One word, or more commonly one sentence, can eliminate a student from the pool of qualified applicants. This is the season for making sure that doesn't happen to our students and we'll be at it for the next several weeks. So enjoy the holidays and keep writing. We'll keep reading and sending back comments -- cheers! Don |
