So, it's nearly October. You don't necessarily need "a college counselor" at this point, but you've got the sneaking suspicion your essays are a little... vague. Or basic. Or abstract. Or too academic. Or they don't really answer the question being asked. Or you've tried and tried but somehow that magic 650 word limit is plain unattainable. You've got too much to say. Or not enough. Or, you're pretty sure, the wrong things.
What you really need is someone to non-judgmentally help you whip them into shape before deadlines threaten to bury you.
Hi. I'm Amy. You and I are going to be perfect for each other.
I can, and do, help people find colleges to apply to if they aren't sure what's right for them. I can, and do, make suggestions on things beyond essays. But the real "me-zone" is creative nonfiction, and that's exactly what you're writing if you're writing a butt-kicking college essay. I can take your "How I overcame my biggest obstacle" piece from dutiful but grammatically suspect, and make it glitter like a little ol' word-diamond. I can un-basic your "Check out my leadership chops" piece or rein in the red-flag rant you wrote on a politically sensitive topic so you sound "edgy, but not yikes-edgy." If all you need is confidence that you've successfully utilized commas? I got ya.
Your personal statements are the piece of the college application puzzle where you have the most control, and they are in many cases what sets you apart from the herd and gets you IN to the school of your dreams. You're a senior; there's not much you can do to change your GPA at this point. You can't spontaneously develop a roster of Meaningful Extracurriculars you didn't really engage with. What you CAN do, right here, right now, is make sure your essays tell colleges who you truly are.
Luckily, you are the world's greatest authority on the subject of "you." Everything you need to write purposeful, meaningful, resonant essays about yourself, your life, your plans, your goals–it's already rattling around somewhere in your head. If you have no idea what you "are supposed to" say, you and I can have Story Hour (or "therapy session") until we hit on something that, hey, come to think about it, is pretty central to your Big Picture. If you know what you want to say but not how to say it? You just met a walking thesaurus. Seriously. Ask anyone who knows me: I have the words you're looking for. And if you basically have stuff done but you've got a nagging fear there's something about them that could be whatever "better" really means? I've got your six on that too. The truth is, you have more latitude with college essays than you've likely been told–you can definitely be spicy, salty, wacky, dramatic, comedic. You can get shockingly creative. The only non-negotiable here is authenticity.
So if your Early Decision school is still missing an honestly pretty meaningful "why us" piece, or your Common ap essay is giving you 3 a.m. heebie-jeebies, or you're just wondering if that think piece you wrote should be in the present tense or past–give me a jingle. I'm available on a per hour basis or a "package" situation, I probably cost less than your therapist, and I might just save you from needing one. If nothing else, I am utterly unafraid of semicolons, em-dashes, and Oxford commas (see what I did there?) and I can give you a super honest "Here's what this essay is telling me about you; is that what you were going for?" assessment.
Bình luận