The transition to college looks different this year for many families with some students learning remotely from home and others heading to campus. If you are among those parents who brought students to a college campus, you may be worried about their safety given Covid-19, and also just missing them. Inevitably, some moms and dads shed a few tears while saying goodbye to their college matriculant—or on the long drive home.
Some parents are surprised at the depth of the sadness…
The main college essay in the Common Application is often referred to as a personal statement. Why personal? Because the essay should help the reader gain insight into who the student is as a person. It’s an essay that should be introspective and reflect what is meaningful to you.
Before you turn to the empty document on your computer screen to start writing, it is essential that you spend some time thinking—about your life, your values and the memories you hold dear. Keep in mind…
If you are among the college freshmen who have transitioned to a campus, you probably just finished a whirlwind of orientation activities (even if online), settled into your room, and perhaps attended a few classes, or had some socially-distanced interactions with the other students on your hall. You have probably met a few nice people—but likely it doesn’t feel the same as it does with your high school friends— maybe it’s not even close. Here are a few points to keep in mind:…
Rachel Kaplan joined the Educational Advocates team this month and will be working with prospective college students. She is an admissions consultant, school counselor, and educator who has worked extensively in a variety of school settings. Her passion is fostering academic and social-emotional growth, as well as college and career readiness in all of her students.
Rachel graduated Phi Alpha Theta from Boston College with a BA in History and Summa Cum Laude from Boston …
The Common Application has added a prompt on the impact of Covid-19 in the 2020-2021 application: Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.Do you wish to share anything…
You’ve taken U.S. History so you know the importance of voting in a democracy. However, few U.S. citizens participate in elections and young people have lower turnout than middle-aged and older adults. It’s time to change that.
With the onset of the pandemic, doing your civic duty by voting has become a bit more complicated, particularly for first-time voters. The links below will answer questions about how and where to register, securing a mail-in ballot, or how to vote in your…
Has summer boredom set in? Do you need a break from college planning and summer reading? You can now learn about exciting new topics online with Google Arts and Culture. Explore over 2,000 museums around the world with over 100,000 artworks in high definition. Additional offerings include:
Why is asking for help so hard? The expectations of college are much different from high school. Students are in class less often and are expected to study independently. There are no parents around reminding them to do their work or get a head start on the paper.
This is a particular challenge for students who have relied on tutors, a learning center or other academic resources during high school. For students with learning differences, organizational or other challenges, the…
Sarah (called “Sally”) McGinty joined the Educational Advocates team this month and will be working with prospective MBA, law and other graduate school applicants, as well as assisting with college application essays.
Sally is a teacher, writer, researcher and educational consultant. She has served as English department chair at a large public high school, as associate director of admission at a small liberal arts college, as a writing instructor at several institutions…
Students spend lots of time and energy on their main common applicationessay or personal statement and sometimes rush through their college-specific supplemental essays without much thought or care. College admissions officers report that supplemental essays play an increasingly important role in the college application process. A supplemental essay is an extra essay beyond the personal statement or the primary application essay. It typically asks a creative question,…
