Just realized that title could be an ironic reference to my recent going AWOL on the blog.  Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and are back into the groove of things.  Anyways, word from the good people at the Common App is that the essay q’s won’t be changing for the next cycle:

“The essay prompts on the 2010-11 Common Application will be identical to those found on the current version.  We hope this information will prove helpful to you as you begin to work with juniors.”

Let’s roll, Class of 2011…

I’m kidding.  While starting your essay in October is a terrible idea, starting in January might be worse.  Late July/early August after you have had the meaningful experiences of a robust summer is probably ideal.

Uh-oh. Someone hasn't read Eats, Shoots & Leaves. (H/T Depravda.com for image.)

The fall months alway bring emails like a swarm of locusts from well-intentioned friends sharing articles they came across regarding college essays. Occasionally, one does stand out for the exceptional advice it offers. However, most are filled with the most trite cliches passed off as wisdom. Some goes as far as to offer terrible advice.  Case in point, this bit from this morning’s Huffington Post which shared “advice” on why the personal statement might not actually matter:

1. I recall a public university representative confessing on a tour that the admissions people only read the full apps of seniors whose scores and GPAs were above a certain threshold. Below that line, essays worthy of fill in your favorite writer here went unread.

2. As many professional writers and lots of seniors will tell you, 500 words is a tough length; too long for glib, too short for substance.

3. The standard supportive advice is “be yourself” – but you are competing with applicants whose parents enhance “self” with the extracurricular equivalent of ‘roids, everything from international community service to a networked internship for a child whose most remarkable trait may well be his parents’ connections.

Wow. Every one of her points while perhaps true on occasion, hardly represent the essence of how this process works. Let’s break it down… Click here to read more »

As a fairly voracious consumer of online media, I often stumble so deep into the Internet that I lose any sense of what I’m actually reading.  A couple days ago, while reading through several articles offering lots of truly awful advice on college essays (write 25 college essays in 25 weeks “because practice makes them better”), I came across one announcing the College of Charleston was testing having students apply via Twitter:

“Succinct is the new in-depth,” said assistant deputy admissions director, Chip VanDerveld. “Anybody can make a case for admission if you give them the time and space to do it; the real challenge is to convince us that you belong at the College of Charleston in 140 characters or less.”

Well, after being convinced the Apocalypse was upon us and muttering a few choice four-letter words–totaling less than 140 characters, of course–I realized I was the sucker.

Click here to read more »