Musings from my driveway, my home and my heart
During a recent Skype session with one of my students, I noticed he was clutching a tiny stuffed teddy bear. Most of the time, it was out of view, but since he talks with his hands, I occasionally got a glimpse of it. He is one of my college-essay students, an athletic guy who enjoys... Continue Reading →
My student in California apologized for her raspy voice, and said she would prefer not to Skype and just connect by phone for our tutoring session this week. Her dream is to become a physician’s assistant, and we were discussing the new supplemental essay questions that some schools are asking, including “How has COVID-19 affected... Continue Reading →
I’ve been teaching people how to write at a distance since 2004. In the past year I’ve tutored students in Shanghai, Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney, Detroit and Los Angeles via Skype. They are almost always learning to write college essays for undergraduate admissions, Ph.D. programs, and fellowships, but occasionally I get the odd request from a... Continue Reading →
After stress-baking, grooming the schnauzer, and endless rounds of the card game Exploding Kittens this weekend, my husband and I decided to quit squandering our time. We signed up for edX, the massive open online course provider that serves a worldwide community and offers thousands of free classes. Our dining room table became our classroom... Continue Reading →
“Do you have any dot stickers?” texted my daughter-in-law Lindsey, now tasked with home schooling a four-year-old and a toddler because of the COVID-19 crisis. I found a cache of them in a kitchen drawer stuffed with Fourth of July sparklers, recipes and other assorted junk. The dots – inexpensive and invaluable craft items –... Continue Reading →
I’ve just wrapped up another semester of college-essay coaching, with my students getting early-decision acceptance letters from great schools ranging from the University of Michigan to MIT. As I look back on this latest group of students, I find that parents often need more reassurance and hand holding than their children as we go through... Continue Reading →
Within an hour after the world learned that journalist and author Tom Wolfe died at 88 in New York City, I got an email from one of my former students. “You entered my mind when my daughter informed me Tom Wolfe died today,” she wrote. “You had us read Bonfire of the Vanities for my first... Continue Reading →
My students are taking a little break after the big push to meet the November 1 deadline for submitting early decision/action applications to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, MIT, the United States Military Academy, the University of Michigan and other highly ranked schools. It gave me some time to reflect on the different parenting styles I’ve encountered... Continue Reading →
Everything is a test for my students when they come to my home office or chat with me on Skype, even some of the strange stuff I surround myself with, like my Distinguished Concubine doll and the poster that hangs next to my desk of Saint Matthew and the Angel by an artist born in... Continue Reading →
I’ve come across a heartbreaking trend among my students who are applying this fall to prestigious colleges and universities. Many of them have stunning achievements, including perfect scores on standardized tests, hundreds of hours in volunteer work and leadership positions on winning sports teams. Their credentials include self-publishing books, rising to the top in national... Continue Reading →
Anita's Way 