College Expert Advice

College Expert Advice Sit down and write about a project that you’re proud of. Talk about organizing an event or participating in a community service project that opened your eyes. Type up an honest page about someone you admire or the moment you discovered your favorite word or why you don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like macaroni and cheese. Now, set a timer for seven minutes and don’t stop typing until the alarm goes off. Once you have your first draft, you can move on to the revision process. Many first-to-college kids don't realize they have stories that colleges want to hear. Cabrini University is a Catholic, liberal-arts university dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice. Start by creating a ‘headline’ for each of your target schools. Summarize, in 1 or 2 sentences, what you think the unique fit is between yourself and the school. Treat these sentences as a hypothesis you need to prove. If they see it as a speech, they think they aren’t up to the task; if they see it as one more English assignment, they’re sure they don’t want to do the task. If you’re dead-set on a specific major, you can trace back where your interest began. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the mindset ofthis-must-be-donethat we forget the primary reason for the presence of a personal essay. From my 30-year career in higher education, I’ve compiled these tips to share with your student. Specificity, clarity, and brevity are your keys. Even very simply put, you can find patterns in your own behavior. Categorizing the charity or community service events you’ve participated in can also shed light on what you should write about. This, by the way, is ALSO the reason nobody can do this work for you. Ultimately, you’re the one who really knows your priorities and the things you most need in order to grow. I know my curiosity to understand the world around me nurtures my love for science. It is what motivated me to read about 2D kinematics to win a projectile motion challenge, and understand the chemistry behind qualitative analysis of cations for a lab. The reality is in the world of college access, it’s become harder. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends, teachers, or a trusted adult for advice. George Orwell’s Politics and the English Languageis my personal guide to thinking about writing. The theoretical foundation he lays in this piece â€" about the importance of language, including writing, in shaping how we are capable of thinking â€" he later built upon in 1984. Teachers, friends and parents can all be helpful proofreaders, but experts note that the student voice should remain intact. Everything I could ever want to know and more is right at my fingertips. From the change in weight I feel in a moving elevator, to the chemical reactions that cause the plastic stars in my room to glow, science is a field that permeates every single aspect of life. Action taken, related it back to your own experience. This is what I’d consider “bare minimum” for making a solid point as to why you and a school are a good fit. Instead, make a few well chosen points and back them up. What are the two or three things you, personally, MOST need from a college?