<p>Spectrum, that is so nice and you just made me smile! We have a couple of friends that have offered to edit, but I have no idea if they no anything about college essays, except they did their own! Thanks.</p>
<p>I had 2 friends look at my daughter’s essay. One is a professional writer, SORT OF knows my daughter (mainly a few things about her but not personally) who gave some very good suggestions about shortening sentences and paragraphs, one or two word choices (one of which my daughter rejected LOL) etc. </p>
<p>The other is a published author (anecdotes), and a lifelong friend who knows my kid intimately. I wanted her to read more for content, “feeling” that sort of thing. She has a few notes to give on transitions but those may have already been addressed by #1.</p>
<p>I recognize that neither of these friends are not adcoms but I think good writing is good writing. Both felt they got a sense of my girl’s writing ability and who she is. Do you think I need to find an actual “college counselor” type person to do a review as well? I thought we were ok but as usual am getting nervous.</p>
<p>sujurmik: From my experience with S1 it is hard to say. My guess is that different schools look for different things from the essay. S1’s were critiqued by an English teacher, mom and dad and our editor friend. I know that one of the schools S1 applied to that put lots of emphasis on good writing assessed S’s essays as really strong. I was told that by the head of admissions. On the other hand he was WL’d at 3 schools I would have thought were matches. I have no idea if different essays would have made the difference. It probably helps to know a school and have a feel for the kinds of things that they value. A counselor could probably help with that. But then the amount of expense and crazyness one can put into the application process is endless and there are still no guarantees. Even with my S’s WL’s I wouldn’t change the way he approached his essays. I’m sure others feel different about this or private counselors would be unemployed. Like everything else this is a personal decision.</p>
<p>I wish I had time to catch up on all I’ve missed the last few days. Between the storm and the power outage and the last couple of days at the US Open, I’m a little behind here. In an hour, I will leave with my DD to finally take her back to Delaware.</p>
<p>Just wanted to say how GREAT it was to meet samtalya yesterday at the Open! We could have chatted for hours but had to limit it to the time between change-overs. Just reinforced that I’ve found “my people” here on this thread. (She got to meet DS also so now she can put a face to the drama that I will be going through with him during junior year of HS.)</p>
<p>Looking forward to catching up here this weekend.</p>
<p>I just caught up on this thread after taking D2 to BU. I’m sorry to hear about all the weather related woes, but glad that everyone is safe. Spectrum, I hope that your son’s flights worked out.</p>
<p>Monday, we got up in our dark powerless house and left around 6 am to drive to Boston. We avoided the 95 corridor and had a beautiful drive through Northern PA, NY, Conn and finally Mass. Nine hours later we arrived at BU. Move-in went very smoothly. The dorm has a garage in the building, so we were able to park, get a cart and use the elevator to bring up her stuff. My D met her roommate at a BU summer program last year, and they seem like a good match. The other students and parents on her floor were friendly and helpful. When we left, my daughter seemed happy and excited. She moved in early for a freshmen community service program that about 25% of the freshmen participate in. She’s loving it so far.</p>
<p>My H and I cancelled our trip to Newport because of the storm. We spent the night in Boston and drove back yesterday. Today we’re driving D2 to Penn. LINYMOM, I’ll wave as we pass UDEL.</p>
<p>Sujormik: Dang, I spelled it wrong again, sorry about that. I got it now though, I promise!</p>
<p>Momjr: Yes he made it. He departed Texas with no problem. Newark was another story. What was originally scheduled as a 1 hour layover was extended to 4 and then to over 6. But happily he did get to leave Newark before midnight.</p>
<p>A few quick thoughts on essays:</p>
<p>it’s fine to have 1-2 adults proofread - looking for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, etc. - but be careful of over-editing. You want the essay to read as something written by a 17-year-old. Essays that are too “polished” can imply a lot of adult assistance - which could actually backfire.</p>
<p>Beware the essay topic that is too personal. I have heard a few college reps mention the “grandmother test”. If the essay is something that you would not be comfortable having Grandma read - it’s not an appropriate college essay.</p>
<p>Stay away from topics that are done too often - death of a pet or grandparent, divorce, the service trip to Guatemala to build homes for the orphans, and the sports injury that led to insight on team spirit. Apparently these topics are done way too frequently.</p>
<p>I think the main thing I have absorbed from meeting with college reps is that the essay should contain something meaningful about who the student is and what makes them tick. One rep described his desire to be able to drop 10 unnamed essays on the floor. And then his ability to pick them up - and immediately be able to tell which essay was written by which student. He would not be able to do that with a generic divorce/death essay - but if it was something about a unique hobby/experience etc. - he would be able to do so.</p>
<p>Of course - the challenge that I see is that many kids at this age just don’t have anything that exciting or unique to write about - but then the reps say that it can be a small event - a small moment - as long as it helps to define the student.</p>
<p>Linymom. beat me to CC!! such a pleasure meeting you (and DS) at the US OPEN yesterday. made the open more special. good luck with move in today. look forward to meeting in the city soon.</p>
<p>so glad I was able to go to the open. i was supposed to stay home since we had a generator running and hubby didn’t feel comfortable with someone not being home. however, S was off from work and my thought was that he is old enough to stay at home and be the man! besides he does have ap work to finish before next week. yesterday was my day. great day it was.</p>
<p>rocknroll is right, the shore is jersey, even snookie knows that ! ugh.</p>
<p>power came back on late last night. our basement is still wet and i am not sure if we have to rip out the carpet and drywall or if sanitizing will do the trick. i fear the worst. glad everyone is moving on.</p>
<p>good luck to all the essay writers and to the S going over seas.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen the show, but I don’t think Snookie lives in the PNW. ;-)</p>
<p>May I suggest Rutgers U which has a thriving Jewish student population with an active Hillel. Rutgers is also one of the few universities that offers majors in Judaic Studies & Hebrew Studies.</p>
<p>Thanks all for the essay thoughts. I think we may be done! At least with the main one. She still hasn’t started on the EC section…not her strongest area and clearly not one she’s excited about.</p>
<p>No worries on the name guys, I was joking.</p>
<p>Some of my very best friends in the world have been people I met via online boards like this one. I love that samtyla and linymom met at the US open! And strongly relate to the “my people” feeling as well. Amazing how the world works.</p>
<p>So we’ve booked the Picture Yourself at Pitt weekend in November, I sure hope she likes it! Haven’t determined yet whether we are flying or driving, nor do I have a place for my younger kid to spend the weekend, but at least we’re confirmed!</p>
<p>S2 came home from school today and told me he arranged to get his transcripts sent to the colleges he is applying to, and that he got a reference letter from one of his teachers. On his own he did some SAT practice and proceeded to send off his first college application to TAMU. He’s doing homework now and he hasn’t been home from school for 2 hours yet. I’m not sure I know this person in my kid’s body, but I’m liking him a lot! I hope he sticks around for a while!</p>
<p>I think RVM’s advice on limiting outside help with essays, etc is excellent. I have heard admissions officers say that they can easily recognize essays which have received a lot of outside editing and they consider them ineffective and even evidence of dishonesty, since the essay is meant to be written by the student.</p>
<p>I know how tempting it is to micromanage or take over the application process, because of a desire for the best school for your child; a need to obtain maximum merit aid; a desire for the best window sticker for your car; or simply frustration that your child is not doing enough. I think it is important to have the child take responsibility, as they will have to do so as a freshman.</p>
<p>I know the high anxiety faced by the parents whose kids are submitting applications. Before driving yourselves and your kids crazy, think about 2 anniversaries this year: 10 years ago, on 9/11, we were reminded that there are far worse things that can happen than not getting into the school of your dreams and many of us resolved not to get to treat matters as life or death unless they really were, although we then forgot when confronted with disappointing SAT scores or sports careers.</p>
<p>Fifty years ago, hundreds of college students, a disproportionate number of them Jewish, formed the Freedom Riders, to bring attention to those Southern states which segregated bus eating and bus station bathrooms, etc. Those courageous students were often beaten by mobs and one bus was firebombed. College civil rights workers in later years were sometimes murdered, as Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner were. Those kids helped make America a much better country. I have never read any interviews with their parents, but I suspect they spent their kids’ high school years concentrating more on helping their kids develop values and courage than on the admissions rat race.</p>
<p>This year is the last one you will spend with your child living at home. The last thing you want to do is spent it fighting with them over applications; or instilling in them a feeling that if they do not get into their reach, or the match you clearly hope for, that they have failed miserably in your eyes or theirs; or pushing them to attend a school which is not a good fit for the kid you have, rather than the one you want.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/opinion/brooks-the-haimish-line.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/opinion/brooks-the-haimish-line.html</a>
We all know which side of the haimish line this thread falls on! This column summarizes some of what posters on our thread are looking for in a college also.</p>
<p>WOOOOOHOOOO!!! Application submitted. The goal was to have it in before September 1 and with 2.5 hours to go, S pushed the submit button. I am so proud of him and how he managed his workload this summer and writing the two essays. Of course, we hope it is just the one application. Keep your fingers crossed that on December 1 S receives the YES and he is truly done with apps. </p>
<p>Now he needs to finish the two AP assignments and the onslaught of homework that begins next week!</p>
<p>Love this thread and glad we are together to share all the frustrations and great moments.</p>
<p>Some great thought-provoking posts tonight!</p>
<p>spectrum2 - congrats! Your post kind of mirrors the growth I am seeing in my son. I think they mature in spurts - rather than an even gradual process. Kind of like growth spurts of the non-physical variety.</p>
<p>yabeyabe - wonderful advice as always. After the drama of last year - I just want to relax and enjoy this year as it unfolds. S2 just stopped me as I walked by to tell me he had finished his homework. I responded by telling him that he is now a senior in hs - I trust him to get his work done - he does not need my supervision.</p>
<p>levirm - thanks for that link - great column that I would not have seen otherwise. I never thought of connecting the college search process and our use of the “fit” concept with the word haimish - but it really makes sense. </p>
<p>And samtalya - congratulations on the one and hopefully only submission! Fingers crossed for you and your son for 12/1.</p>
<p>Finishing day 4 in the dark, gotta say Amish life sucks.</p>
<p>So sorry for anyone who is still experiencing power loss - I would be nuts by now! Actually - I would be in a hotel by now.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed the haimish line article - but I tried the link a second time - and all I got was a sign-in required. So - here is the same piece from another source - if anyone else s having trouble with the first link:</p>
<p>[David</a> Brooks: The Haimish Line](<a href=“http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/david-brooks/article_56f849ba-883b-57b2-92c4-a329a6c2c5fd.html]David”>http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/david-brooks/article_56f849ba-883b-57b2-92c4-a329a6c2c5fd.html)</p>
<p>Samtalya: Its great to have it done isn’t it. When my S came home today I didn’t even realize it was the 31st but I knew my son was close to being ready to send. After I saw your post I asked him. He also told me his goal was to get it out before Sept 1. So here’s to setting deadlines well before there really is a deadline. </p>
<p>I never heard the word Haimish before. From the article it doesn’t sound like there is a comparable English word which is too bad because it is a great word. I’ve mentioned that we just moved last year. As I have been shopping I think the look I’ve been going for is Haimish. Not exactly torn couch Haimish but comfortable, warm, welcoming, no worries. Now could someone spell that phonetically so I can pronounce it.</p>
<p>Oh and Chardo, I hope you have lights tomorrow. That would be difficult.</p>