The college admissions essay can be one of those “coming of age” events that tests the writer’s (i.e. teenage applicant), as well as her/his parents’, patience and fortitude. The complexity of writing a statement that not only tells the experience of the writer, but also provides insights to the writer’s character, is not easy. Watch…
Tag: College essays
Applying to College Today Isn’t Like When Your Mom Applied
‘Tis the Season for College Essays, College Applications…and as a special bonus for Fall 2013, Common Application Technical Glitches…. Our latest Creative Marbles video offers tips and perspective to help weather the stress of applying to college.
The Growing Pains From Applying to College
Completing college applications challenges the patience and confidence of any applicant. However, given a lack of experience, many applicants don’t expect to be tested. Applying seems simple–fill in a few boxes, write an essay quickly and painlessly, then click “submit.” Unfortunately, the actual experience is more complicated. Writing an autobiography, which summarizes seventeen years of…
Is This What REALLY Happens in College Admissions Offices?
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Common Application Essays Part 7: Essay Prompt 5 Explained
The fifth of five new Common Application essay questions asks students to: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. Applicants must choose only one of the five questions to answer as their college essay, which will be shared amongst all…
Aspiration Is Bigger Than A Job
One of the University of California (UC) application essays asks students to: Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community or school – and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. Dreams and aspirations can often be challenging to define for many college applicants. Describing dreams or…
Common Application Essays Part 6: Essay Prompt 4 Explained
The next podcast in our Common Application Essay series defines the fourth of five essay prompts. Applicants must choose only one of the five prompts to help structure their essay. Yet, considering topics for all five essay questions, before focusing on one, can help applicants write the most meaningful essay possible and remain competitive across…
Extended Early Application Deadlines
Some college admissions offices around the country are extending early application deadlines, as a result of the technical issues the Common Application website is currently experiencing. The following is a partial list of the colleges and the new deadlines: Barnard University, November 8 Boston University, November 15 Dartmouth University, November 8 Duke University, November 8…
Do You Want to “Monkey Around” With Your College Essay?
Asking a trusted adviser to read college essays can help improve the final product. Cartoon from The New Yorker, July 23, 2007
Ahead of the Curve: October 16, 2013
From the News & Blog World: “Back to School” PC Sales Collapse to Worst Since 2008 Zero Hedge, October 10, 2013 Tuition, Net Price & Aid: Higher Ed Data Stories, October 8, 2013 Yale’s New President Says Expansion is a Priority: San Francisco Chronicle, October 12, 2013 From Clients: Slow and Steady: as college application…
Common Application Essays Part 5: Essay Prompt 3 Explained
Knowing the definition of the prompt can help applicants select topics that most effectively highlight their qualities and give understanding to their qualifications for admissions. Our latest podcast defines the third of five new Common Application essay prompts, that asks applicants to: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted…
“The Three D’s: Death, Disease & Divorce”
When beginning to write college application essays, students often worry about having lived an “ordinary” life, under the assumption that a dramatic event is a compelling topic to persuade college admissions officers. A few years back, a stressed-out Senior, with tears welling in her eyes, exclaimed to her dad, “Why couldn’t you have died?!? Then,…
Common Application Essays Part 4: Defining Prompt 2
Knowing the meaning of the essay question can help college applicants write the most insightful college essays possible. Luckily, we, at Creative Marbles Consultancy, have done the defining work. Over the last decade, we’ve complied a stack of hand-written, dog-eared yellow pads full of words, along with a growing library of digital photos of our…
Advice for Parents of High School Seniors
“Why isn’t my kid taking more initiative in the college application process?” is a common refrain from parents of high school Seniors heard at this time of year. Since the initial college application deadlines are generally one to two months away, and months in teenager time can be like dog years in reverse, parents may…
College Admissions Can Seemingly Provoke More Questions Than Answers
Questions abound when parents and students are moving through the college admissions process, especially when everyone has a story to tell about who got in where and the media reports the falling admit rates at selective universities around the country, as well as annually rising college tuition and increasing average student loan amounts. A…