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MAY 24TH, 2013
By TRACI BEACH

How to Write a Compelling College Admissions Essay

David W. Clark M.Ed.

David W. Clark M.Ed.

The college admissions essay was first added to the college application requirements of many colleges after World War II.   After standardized tests, it is the element of the college application students worry about most.

If you procrastinate and leave this task to the last minute, your discomfort will be well earned. But a simple step-by-step game plan can make it simpler and improve the essay.

 

 

 

Before we start, remember this:

  • Your college admissions essay will be read and in most cases it will be read and evaluated by two members of the admissions committee.
  • Your college admissions essay is unlikely to get you accepted but it may get you rejected.  Put another way, the single most important factor in an admission committee’s decision is the quality of the academic program you are taking, followed closely by your GPA, and then your test scores. A strong essay will not overcome weaknesses in those areas, but it could make the difference when two candidates are closely matched and space is limited in the incoming freshman class.
  • Don’t over do it. Admissions committees are looking for insight into you. They are not expecting you to be the next David Foster-Wallace.

Step one: Spring of junior year and summer before senior year.

Start early. Spend several months looking for “snapshots” of your day-to-day life that reveal something about you. If you imagine your daily life over the course of several months as a movie, pick a snapshot of that “movie” (your life) that says something about you to someone who does not know you.

This snapshot should show, not tell. You should be proud of what it describes about you. When those who know you “see” this snapshot, they should immediately think, “Oh that is so…. (your name).” Have a notebook or a few 3×5 cards handy and keep a record of these snapshots as they occur to you over time.

Step two: September of senior year.

Identify the college admissions essay topics you’ll need to complete for all the colleges to which you’ll be applying. Note essay length requirements and any other specifications.

Step three:  September & October of senior year.

Write, write and write some more. Try to spend no more than 30 minutes at a time writing, but do write at least 2-3 times a week. Just write. Don’t worry yet about serious proofreading but do give attention to content (readers want to learn about you) and structure (be sure to have a beginning, a middle, and an end).Keep it simple, respond to the prompt, and use your snapshots.

Step four:  Let someone else read your essays. 

Now comes the hard part; let your essay be exposed to the scrutiny of another reader. Your teacher? An older sibling? Youth group leader at church? A parent?

Use the feedback you receive from other readers to revise and improve your college admissions essays. But always remember to be yourself. If you feel good about what you’ve written, readers on the admissions committee will enjoy reading your essay. If you’re trying to be someone you’re not, it will become obvious quickly.

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David W. Clark, Ed.M., is an independent college admissions consultant with offices in Ardmore and Paoli who has been working with high school students for more than thirty-five years.  His website www.collegesearchnow.net is worth visiting. Archived monthly e-newsletter articles can be read at http://blog.collegesearchnow.net/

 

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MAY 14TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

Teens Who Text And Drive Often Take Other Risks

A story posted on National Public Radio’s website, npr.org, cites a study in the journal Pediatrics which finds that teens who text while driving are more likely to behave in other dangerous ways, such as driving without wearing a seatbelt, drinking and driving, or riding in a car driven by another teenager who has been drinking.

The CDC study of 8,505 students across the country found that 45 percent of students admitted to texting while driving during the past 30 days.

So what can parents to do help teens stay safe?

  • Talk to your teenager about safe driving habits.
  • Create a set of driving rules for your teen. The CDC provides a parent-teen driving agreement to help with this.
  • Practice what your preach. Set a good example for your children by not texting while driving yourself. A good example from a parent is the best lesson.

More information about can be found on the CDC’s Parents Are the Key to Safe Teen Drivers website.

 

 

 

 

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MAY 11TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

ACT Announces Plan to Introduce Computer-Based Test in Spring, 2015

As reported in the New York Times, on May 6, 2013, the ACT, the organization that administers the ACT Exam, has announced that starting with spring, 2015 administrations of the exam it will offer computer-based testing.

The ACT plans to make the computerized version of the test the default mode of testing, but will still allow schools that do not have “the technological capability” to continue to offer paper and pencil-based testing.

Jon Erickson, the president of ACT’s Education Division is quoted in the New York Times article as saying “We will probably have the option for students to choose paper and pencil, as well. But all the anecdotal evidence is that students prefer the computer.”

The content tested on the computer-based ACT will be unchanged from what is tested on the current paper and pencil-based exam.

In addition, for the first time, there will be optional “constructed-response” questions, which are not multiple-choice, on the computerized version of the ACT. Students will perform “virtual tasks” and then enter their own answers to the questions.

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APRIL 22ND, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

April 2013 Newsletter

In This Issue:

Courtney Turnbull, SAT Preparation Tutoring Student

Courtney Turnbull
Lower Moreland HS
SAT Score Improvement:
250 Points

Comparing College Costs with Net Price Calculators
At some private universities, the total annual cost, including tuition, room and board, fees, and other expenses, is approaching $60,000 per year. As costs have continued to rise, so has the need for accurate information about the potential costs of attending a particular college.
Testing Timers Watches Now Available at A+

A+ is offering these watches for $39.95, with free shipping. Just call our office at 215.886.9188 to order. Also note that we are providing an introductory offer to students who register for a complete test prep tutoring program for the September ACT or October SAT exam. Students enrolling in one of these programs will receive a complimentary Testing Timers(tm)watch. Please mention Offer Code: TT2013.
Featured SAT Student: Courtney TurnbullWith her can-do attitude, Courtney was able to raise her score 250 points. Determined as ever, she’s not ready to stop just yet. Courtney plans to take the SAT again in June, spending more time practicing the techniques she learned from A+.

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APRIL 18TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

A+ Test Prep and Tutoring featured on list of Best Sites & Apps for ACT/SAT Study Prep

YesCollege, a new website dedicated to helping students find the financial resources needed to afford a college education, has featured A+ Test Prep and Tutoring as one of its top SAT and ACT Preparation Tutoring Service in the United States!

You can check it out here: http://yescollege.com/2013/04/act-sat-prep/

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APRIL 12TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

Testing Timers for the SAT Exam Now Available at A+ Test Prep and Tutoring

Testing Timers watches for the SAT Exam, which were featured in a recent New York Times article, are now available at A+ Test Prep and Tutoring! This watch and timer is really a  “must have” for students who want to get their best possible scores on the SAT exam.

Watches are being made available through our partnership with Testing Timers, for $39.95,  with free shipping! Call us today at 215.886.9188 to order your watch. We’ll ship it to you the same day!

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APRIL 4TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

Avoiding Overconfidence in Test Preparation

Reply

Overconfidence

A recent blog post by Annie Murphy Paul, an education writer for Time Magazine, examined the problem of overconfidence, and how it can affect learning and performance.

The crux of the issue is that while confidence can be a very good thing, people are also susceptible to overestimating their skills. This may lead to a false sense of confidence, and consequently, under-preparation for a test (such as the SAT exam or ACT exam), or for a performance of some type.

Ms. Paul provides some suggestions for avoiding the “Overconfidence trap,” such as delaying your self-testing of material just studied, in order to determine whether it has been retained, and putting your books aside while you self-test.

Another suggestion is to challenge yourself by testing yourself with material in a different sequence than the way it was originally presented, or by asking yourself to answer questions from a different angle than what you have typically studied. An example would be to solve for a different variable in a math problem, or to start with definitions of words and to look for the matching word. Ms. Paul provides links to research studies that confirm the efficacy of these suggestions.

The most important suggestion of all is to be aware of the tendency towards overconfidence. Being mindful of the need to thoroughly learn, and to test oneself, in appropriate ways, can mean the difference between overconfidence and appropriate confidence (which can help with performance).

 

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MARCH 28TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

SAT Scores Now Available for March 2013 Test

Today is the day that students who took the SAT test in March can see their scores! If you can’t wait any longer to see how you did on the SAT, head over to the College Board‘s website, to get your scores.

And don’t forget that there is still time to improve your SAT scores this spring, by taking either the May or June SAT test. If you are interested in getting a tutor for one of these dates, please contact A+ so we can help you do your best on the SAT test.

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MARCH 26TH, 2013
By DAN@APLUSTUTORING.COM

What Harvard Looks for in a Student

Harvard President, Drew Faust, talks to the Wall Street Journal’s Deborah Kan about what Harvard is looking for in undergraduate applicants, especially as it applies to students in China and other Asian countries who are interested in coming to Harvard to study.

Click here to see the video interview.