The Good, The Bad, The Risky

Read this. How will you avoid the bad, embrace the good, and weigh your risks?

The Five Commandments

I love this article (and it doesn't hurt that it was written by a professor from my alma mater!).

Read it and then tell me what your five rules for college success will be.

Are you ready for the "real world"?

Here's a great article from The New York Times about transitioning to college life.
Read it and then get going on your own laundry!

Summer Reading?

A well chosen summer reading list can not only drive away boredom but it can help you prepare for the SAT. Learning vocabulary in context is the one of the best ways to increase your verbal score.

Slate has some interesting* recommendations from this 2010 article.

I'd suggest a mix of fiction and non-fiction to keep those brain cells working. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle, S.J.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Dubliners by James Joyce
and pretty much anything by Amy Tan, John Irving, Toni Morrison or Fyodor Dostoyevsky

*The Write College does not agree with brewing your own beer as a wholesome activity.

Still waiting?

As May 1st looms large, some college applicants may still not be ready to make that ultimate decision.
And what happens if you've been waitlisted by one of your top choices?

Check out this article that provides some important perspectives on the waiting game.

Behind The Scenes

Take a listen to this fabulous NPR story that takes you inside the Amherst College admissions committee.

Is truth stranger than fiction?

Do you like reality TV? Do you want to write about it on the SAT?

Click here for an article about the recent reality TV based essay question.

Pretty please?

Manners do matter. Read about asking politely for recommendations here.

The best?

Maybe your essay is better? Read this and then let me know.

Revision

In "The Maker's Eye", Donald Murray writes,"Rewriting isn't virtuous. It isn't something that ought to be done. It is simply something that most writers find they have to do to discover what they have to say and how to say it. It is a condition of the writer's life."

What defines your process of revision? Is is a condition of your life as a writer?

The Hook

Will Rodgers is credited with saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

If you agree, then you will want to think long and hard about the opening lines of your personal statement. You want to hook your reader in and get them reading.

Then, you want to keep them reading with crisp word choice and vivid descriptions.

My essay would start with the line: "I was never really good at selling Girl Scout cookies."

How will you start your essay?

Taking It Personally

Waiting for an admissions decision is a nerve-wracking experience. I love the fresh voices on The Choice blog on the New York Times website. Read this refreshing piece by a young man waiting for that first yes or no. Perhaps you will hear some of your own voice in his honest words.

A New Page

Happy New Year!

T.S. Eliot wrote, "For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning"

What would you like to accomplish with your words in 2011?