In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott shared the following:
"E.L. Doctorow said once said that 'Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.' You don't have to see where you're going, you don't have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice on writing, or life, I have ever heard."
What is the best advice on writing that you have ever heard?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tips and Tricks: Santa Clara's Admissions Office Shares Wisdom
As a graduate of Santa Clara University, I know that their Admissions Office offers sound advice to students applying to be a Bronco. Their advice is sage counsel for any junior or senior who is pondering the college process.
Read on to learn from this great list posted on their Admissions site:
Choosing the right college is the most important decision you’ll make during your senior year in high school. Focus on finding a college that provides you with necessary services, addresses your personal interests, and offers your academic major.
Following are a few tips that will help you through the college application process.
1.The quality of your involvement is more important than the quantity. We are particularly looking to see if you have taken leadership roles or been influential in group activities or projects.
2.Plan to take both the ACT and the SAT. Compare your scores to determine which is stronger. You can then take at least the stronger test a second time.
3.Use our application checklist, it will make tracking your documents easier.
4.Start your essay for your application early. Make sure your essay ties back to what is important to you. For example, if you find someone inspiring, tell us how or why this person inspires you and what actions you've taken or plans you've made as a result.
5.In your essay tell us something about yourself that we're not going to get from other materials in your application. We love to see your personality – we really read each essay!
6.Plan to visit at least three campuses.
7.Don’t wait until you have been admitted to apply for Financial Aid.
8.Apply for private scholarships both locally and nationally.
9.Don’t wait until your senior year to complete all of your standardized tests. Take some during the spring of your junior year if you can. If you aren’t happy with your scores and would like to take the tests again, you’ll have plenty of time to do so during your senior year.
10.It’s never too early to start the college search process. Gather information about the schools you’re considering and take inventory of your interests and talents. A good place to start is to ask yourself a few questions to determine what type of environment and experience you want. Some factors to consider include:
◦Location - Do you want to go to a college that is far away or close to home?
◦School Size - Would you enjoy a large school with thousands of students or a smaller school?
◦Academics - What kind of academic challenge do you want and are there programs available that suit your areas of interest?
◦Social/Recreational - What extracurricular interests do you have and are they available on campus?
◦Athletics - Do you want a school that offers competitive athletic programs or one that is less athletically focused?
The Write College wants to know: What is the best insight on applying to colleges that you've heard so far?
Read on to learn from this great list posted on their Admissions site:
Choosing the right college is the most important decision you’ll make during your senior year in high school. Focus on finding a college that provides you with necessary services, addresses your personal interests, and offers your academic major.
Following are a few tips that will help you through the college application process.
1.The quality of your involvement is more important than the quantity. We are particularly looking to see if you have taken leadership roles or been influential in group activities or projects.
2.Plan to take both the ACT and the SAT. Compare your scores to determine which is stronger. You can then take at least the stronger test a second time.
3.Use our application checklist, it will make tracking your documents easier.
4.Start your essay for your application early. Make sure your essay ties back to what is important to you. For example, if you find someone inspiring, tell us how or why this person inspires you and what actions you've taken or plans you've made as a result.
5.In your essay tell us something about yourself that we're not going to get from other materials in your application. We love to see your personality – we really read each essay!
6.Plan to visit at least three campuses.
7.Don’t wait until you have been admitted to apply for Financial Aid.
8.Apply for private scholarships both locally and nationally.
9.Don’t wait until your senior year to complete all of your standardized tests. Take some during the spring of your junior year if you can. If you aren’t happy with your scores and would like to take the tests again, you’ll have plenty of time to do so during your senior year.
10.It’s never too early to start the college search process. Gather information about the schools you’re considering and take inventory of your interests and talents. A good place to start is to ask yourself a few questions to determine what type of environment and experience you want. Some factors to consider include:
◦Location - Do you want to go to a college that is far away or close to home?
◦School Size - Would you enjoy a large school with thousands of students or a smaller school?
◦Academics - What kind of academic challenge do you want and are there programs available that suit your areas of interest?
◦Social/Recreational - What extracurricular interests do you have and are they available on campus?
◦Athletics - Do you want a school that offers competitive athletic programs or one that is less athletically focused?
The Write College wants to know: What is the best insight on applying to colleges that you've heard so far?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Magic Number?
What if "less is more" when it comes to college applications? This great article from the New York Times offers some perspective on this topic. Post a comment and tell me your magic number.
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