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 →
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 →
An anxious parent called me from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange last week to discuss his child’s Common Application essay for college. Among the concerns: How could his child compete against clever minority applicants, including the one who submitted an essay to Stanford in response to the question, “What matters to you,... Continue Reading →
My mother often brags that she has read just one book in her entire life, a young adult romance from 1942 called “Seventeenth Summer” by the author Maureen Daly. Books, to her, are dust collectors and a monumental waste of time. She reminds me a bit of the evil captain in the Jack London novel... Continue Reading →
As a college essay coach I’ve found that parents often are the greatest stumbling block to a winning piece of writing. Here is my advice to well-meaning parents who are tempted to parachute in and take charge of the process. Keep Your Hands Off the Essay Elementary school teachers often tell me that they can... Continue Reading →
I met with one of my business-writing clients at Starbucks this week. As we were finishing up, the real truth came out. Despite his impressive resume and credentials, he is intimidated by writing and doesn’t know how to overcome the fear as he seeks to launch his career in a new direction. I had a... Continue Reading →
