<p>MDmom: I think there is one essay for the common ap (multiple prompts to choose from), and then the individual schools often ask for an additional essay so in that case it would need to be something different. The UC essay is 2 prompts, answer both, total of 1000 words. You could use or re-tool the UC essay for the common Ap.</p>
<p>Ahsmuoh: We are in the same boat. Jr has been an athlete since he could run and kick or catch a ball. It really does not make sense to me WHY they can’t write about something that is such a HUGE part of their life…and is most likely their passion.</p>
<p>Oh well…Jr has a pretty good topic. In fact, as soon as the CC heard the story first words out of her mouth were, “That would make a fantastic essay for your college apps!” But yes, back-ups would be wonderful have!</p>
<p>YDS: LOL…so wait, you aren’t supposed to write about your sport OR your family…LOL</p>
<p>On H’s app to Stanford back in the day, the topic he chose was to pick a person from history you would like to have dinner with and why. He chose Jesus Christ.</p>
<p>Older D’s common app essay was about going dogsledding with her dad in below zero temps and ending up in a rural Canadian hospital with frostbitten toes. Had to face possibilitiy of losing her toes (she’s a dancer). Not my favorite moment as a mom, but it certainly was memorable! Thanks to a crazy father who has no boundaries. And, no toes lost!</p>
<p>S2 doesn’t have such colorful stories - his father just takes him to video game conferences. S doesn’t like writing about himself or personal narratives, so this may be difficult. Luckily one of his music school prompts is “Write about your musical hero and his/her non-musical characteristics that you admire.” That sounds a little less personal than “tell me about yourself.”</p>
<p>New question: Anyone from the Baltimore area? What can you tell me about the Mount Vernon neighborhood? S is considering Peabody, but we’ve heard mixed things about living in central Baltimore.</p>
<p>So what are these “essay rules” you speak of? Are they listed anywhere on CC? D1 and S2 REALLY struggled with their essays because they were uncomfortable with writing about themselves, and really were not even sure who they were. A friends kid went on a student trip to China during the H1N1 crisis and someone on the plane had a fever so he ended up quarantined for 2 weeks in a hotel in China. She called me in a panic and all I could think of was “wow, what a great college essay topic”.</p>
<p>There’s a book mentioned recently on the B student thread about essays - it’s a good review of the “overused” topics that adcoms have seen and heard a million times.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read/heard - adcom’s want an essay that tells something about you - that gives the adcoms some insight into who you are aside from what is on paper elsewhere in your admissions packet.</p>
<p>We know one young man who wrote about having a cowlick. He got in ED to Columbia with that essay.</p>
<p>Several days ago someone listed a book that was about essay topics. I’ve looked back but can’t find it. Does anyone remember the name?</p>
<p>Megpmom, I just spent the weekend with a Barnard reunion buddy who directs a Baltimore greenspace landtrust. I expect she could share some info regarding any neighborhood in Baltimore. I’ll find out what she thinks.</p>
<p>anniezz - thanks I went over to the B thread and found the book. Maybe I saw it over there. Anyway for anyone else who needs the title it is On Writing The College Admissions Essay by Harry Bauld. I just bought it on eBay for $4 including shipping. Amazon price was $10 plus shipping.</p>
<p>TX5. That your first reaction was about essays cracks me up. You’re right though- and it would be memorable! D has an I there sting idea, not sure how it will work though so we will see. I’m guessing her fallback will end up being soccer so I guess we need to hope the first one works out…
Meg, if you’re thinking about crime, maybe check the Baltimre police website? Just a thought. Or perhaps real estate websites like the MLS listings?</p>
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<p>When I suggested he try the ACT today, he was not as thrilled as I was expecting him to be. We had to cleave his favorite math book out of his hands and put an ACT prep book into them. LOL. That was after repeatedly telling him to put the math book down all day. He is beginning to change as he grows older, developing passions for subjects, such as mathematics (these days). Otherwise, most of his life he has simply studied what ever because he enjoyed taking tests for scores, like most kids enjoy playing video games (for score). I guess it is called growing up. I had to remind him, if he did well, he could skip the Oct SAT I and do math all summer. :)</p>
<p>Ahhh guysssss
We had our spring sports banquet tonight
It’s so sad to see all of the seniors go. A lot of us are very close and it dawned on me that I won’t see their faces every day next year.
It was a very melancholy atmosphere. I got all academic team, all conference, and I got recognized as one of the girls on the team (we play on an all boys team). So that was a fun time.
Ahh, time is flying by.</p>
<p>MommyD, we’re doing a swing of Ohio schools and Earlham for the “main tour.” We’re hitting “event days” at 3, so at least there will be things going on. I’d rather do visits while classes are in full swing, but the fall will be very busy and DD is a visual kid and she really wants to visit before she applies. I’m curious what D will think, especially about Earlham. It’s the smallest school she is considering, but they have her sport, and we know several really terrific people who are Earlham grads so she wants to take a look.</p>
<p>CBG, glad you found the book. :)</p>
<p>geogirl, ha ha! I thought my D would love lafayette too! But no - felt too closed in or something??</p>
<p>@geogirl
Not sure if you are aware of Lafayette’s study abroad program tailored to engineering majors: [International</a> Programs Division of Engineering Lafayette College](<a href=“http://engineering.lafayette.edu/international-programs/]International”>International Programs · Engineering · Lafayette College)</p>
<p>According to the website, 30% of engineering students at Lafayette study abroad in some manner.</p>
<p>Also, if she may “opt out of engineering”, which is not uncommon, you will want to look into how difficult it would be to change majors. At Lafayette, not difficult at all.</p>
<p>Geogirl, thanks for the list. We do overlap a bit, though our GC says WUSTL totally dissed our HS last round and rejected nearly everyone in a Tufts-syndrome snit, so now it isn’t going on anyone’s lists. It will be interesting to see what happens with our kids…I also have two younger ones and can’t afford full freight…but fortunately our SUNYs are good financial safeties. I am sort of holding on to that to cover both the academic and financial safety part of the list…it’s the match/targets that are tricky. Not to mention the fact that all of this is meaningful only in my over-active brain at this point, since sweet S has no interest in discussing it.</p>
<p>talking about visiting colleges…someone suggested Bowdoin, Colby or Bates for my DD, but they seem pretty far and I think I’m running out of time for her to “see” all the schools before she applies…anyone hear about getting into these schools without physically “seeing” them? we’re not on an opposite coast, which,I assume, would give the adcom’s a good reason to understand “not visiting”…How do you show “interest” in a school if you dont visit?</p>
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<p>We attended a presentation in which CMU admissions told us they expected competitive applicants to have SAT Math II and SAT reasoning Math scores of atleast 750-760 for engineering and computer science.</p>
<p>RobD and ashmuoh: I am also talking up Miami Ohio to my D. For her, it has the right combination of engineering, honors college, and the marching band instrumentation she wants. They also seem to have study abroad as an option built right into the study plan even for engineers. They do have chemical engineering (143 students as of a year ago) but I was also surprised to see that they have a 3-2 engineering program. Wondering if that is because their engineering is somewhat limited options. But seems unnecessary to me because it looks like they have all the standard engineering except civil (chemical, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering, as well as bioengineering and manufacturing engineering). Their computer science looks pretty comprehensive also with plenty of options but H and I haven’t yet looked at the course offerings for other engineering (I have degrees in mechanical and civil and H is electrical.) At this point it certainly looks like a good candidate if I can convince her that she doesn’t really need to be in a city.</p>
<p>Question for you expereinced parents out there…</p>
<p>Do the essay questions at he big public schools change much year to year?</p>
<p>Here are Kentucky’s for this year:
- Provide your definition of diversity and explain how you will contribute to diversity at the University of Kentucky.
- Describe a challenge or obstacle you have overcome in your life.
- Select topic of your choice.</p>
<p>Here are the ones for South Carolina:
Describe the environment in which you grew up (for example, life at home or life at school), and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
Tell us something that you have not already told us in this application that will help us better understand your potential for success as a college student at the University of South Carolina.</p>
<p>I’d like dd to start writing essays in 2 weeks (this week she has to study for the SAT’s and the week after she’s on an Immersion trip) But I know she’ll be irritated if the subjects change alot!</p>
<p>Any experience with this?</p>
<p>Drmom - get on their mailing list. It doesn’t seem like much but MANY students apply to colleges without even doing that. I found some website about enrollment management and they spoke about phantom applicants, who generally have the worst yield results. Also, your d could email her admissions rep with questions. I heard that it’s best to go through admissions because they (admissions) keep track of the contacts. Emailing professors or student organizations directly might not get those contacts on the radar of admissions.</p>