Telling Our Story to Colleges

Through the years as I have worked withmusic in the wee hours of the morning? Do you
students, I never fail to be amazed at whatvolunteer at the homeless shelter every chance
wonderful people they are. They are each soyou get? Do you get an adrenaline rush organizing
unique and have done interesting things. Yet, as Ihuge events and plugging others into the
look over the list of activities they initially send toleadership structure? Has your poetry been
me or read their first essay, nothing appears topublished?
be distinctive about them. I see little to separateGoals - What are your goals or what do you
them from the other thousands of young peopledream of accomplishing? Do you want to be a
with good grades and big dreams.doctor in the African wasteland? Do you want to
It is not a problem with the kids, it is a problembe a film director or a college professor? Does it
with the way they have presented theirthrill you to work in a lab searching for the cure
information to me. The activities are just a jumbleto cancer?
of information that is not very clear and theExtracurricular Activities - Then take a look at
essay is a shallow attempt to be clever that tellsyour activities. What have you contributed? What
me nothing about the student at all. The problemhave you learned? What leadership roles have you
is they have not done a good job of sharing theirplayed? What things have you created?
story.Work Experience - Hopefully, you've had work
Let's look at it from an admission officer'sexperience. What were your job responsibilities?
viewpoint. Test scores and grades conveyHow many hours a week did you work and what
important, but very narrow information. Any topdid you use the money for? What did you learn?
college could probably fill their entering classDid you have any unusual jobs?
several times over with applicants whose scoresAtypical jobs can help you stand out in an
and grades are equal to or better than youradmission officer's mind. For example, my son had
children's. So they seek, through the rest of theworked as a ring master for an auction house. He
application, to get to know the student. What is italso managed the fruit and vegetable production,
that sets your child apart and makes them ahelped care for a 75-head cow herd, and
good candidate for admission? What about themmaintained 8 miles of fence and ¾ mile of
will help the admissions officer select them to buildirrigation pipe on a 325 acre farm and ranch. You
a well-rounded class?can bet that Harvard didn't have many other
Telling our Story - This is where telling our storymath geeks that fit that profile.
becomes very important. The burden of proofDistilling our Talking Points - Now we need to take
rests on our children to fully explain themselves toall we've gleaned from the above questions and
harried and fatigued admissions officer throughfigure out what is unique about our student and
the various components of the college application.how we want to convey that to the schools. We
To do this, we must carefully choose a few mainalso want to show what he can contribute to the
ideas about them and communicate them fully.college. Our students need to be able to
So, before writing essays, filling in the blanks oncommunicate this well in both written and verbal
applications, asking for letters of recommendation,format.
or interview, our student needs to do someI train my clients to have those three or four
thinking.topics always at the forefront of their minds and
Background - What is your background? Is itto make sure they communicate those points in
unusual? Why are you the way you are? Howall phases of the application:
has it forged you into the person you are today?- college resume
Unusual circumstances - Are there unusual- personal essays
circumstances in your life? Do you homeschool in- short answer questions
an isolated location and have few financial- activity section
resources? Have you been responsible for caring- school documents
for your elderly grandmother (and as a result not- letters of recommendation
had time to pursue many extracurricular- interviews
activities)? Has your parent had major healthIt is quite a bit of work, but eventually we get to
problems that have caused a re-focusing of yourthe talking points that will set the student apart. It
energies?is so rewarding to capture the student's
Passions - What are you passionate about? Douniqueness in a story that fully conveys what
you build cars or computers? Do you composemakes them tick.