Application Essay Tips

Application Essay Tips More than 800 colleges and universities in the United States use the Common Application, which keeps the entire application process organized. Many colleges require students to submit an essay using one of the Common Application essay prompts. For 2019-2020, there are seven prompts to choose from, one of which is to share an essay on any topic of the students choiceeven one they have written for another essay prompt. The other six essay prompts cover a range of topics: A students background, identity, interest or talent Lessons learned from obstacles, setbacks, and failures A time when a student questioned a belief or idea Problem(s) a student would like to solve (intellectual, research, ethical or other) An accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth A topic or idea the student finds engaging and captivating While some teens might immediately gravitate to one of these topics, others find the process of writing an essay overwhelming. Here are seven tips to help your teen approach the task methodically and create a poignant, powerful essay: Read all prompts thoroughly. We described the Common Applications 2019-2020 essay prompts briefly above, but the first thing your teen should do is read them in full and allow some time for them to simmer. Encourage your teen to have a pencil on hand in case any possible ideas pop into his head right away. Develop a schedule. The essay takes time and finesse. Remind your teen that it should not be the task that she puts off until a couple of weeks before the application is due. Encourage your teen to put together a detailed timeline that allows sufficient time for outlining, multiple first drafts, editing, getting feedback from a teacher and/or you or another family member, revising and proofreading. Too often, teens run with a topic because it is the first one for which they had a tangible idea. Many students select the choose a previous essay topic because it seems easiest. Encourage your teen to build in some brainstorming time. The point of the essay, after all, is to share a little about who your teen is and the qualities he possesses that would be valuable to the colleges to which hes applying. Put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard! The point is that your teen should let some ideas flow before trying to write or edit too much. Yes, an outline is important, but for many students, its easier to get a few ideas out before circling back to what they have to create a logical flow. Infuse some structure. As mentioned, an outline is important once your teen has a topic idea and a few thoughts going. Encourage your teen to plan out 1) the overarching desired takeaway 2) the hook at the beginning 3) the supporting details that articulate the values or traits about your teen he wants to share 4) the conclusion of the story that brings things full circle. Show, dont tell. Your teen has anxiety and has learned how to manage it? He should show how rather than simply say soperhaps he found peace in the yoga mat. Remind your teen that the details of the essay are what make it special and unique. Whatever he is trying to share about himself and his experience, he should do so by using specific, vivid examples vs. generalities that could sound like any other student. Re-read after setting it aside for at least a few days. That timeline your teen develops is important for several reasons, but a big one is that it allows for reflection time. Your teen needs to read a close-to-final draft of the essay with fresh eyes to check for important things like: How it flows. How readable it is. Whether it is entertaining/interesting to read. Whether it has any obvious clichs. Whether it is memorable. The college admissions essay might not make or break your teens application package, but it can certainly set your teen apart. Encourage your teen to approach it thoughtfully and give it her best effort. When shes holding a college acceptance letter in her hands, the hard work will have been worth it.

ALEXA, PLEASE.

ALEXA, PLEASE….” In last weeks post I discussed how digital assistants, like Alexa, can help things run more smoothly at home when you have a child with ADHD. Digital assistants are developing rapidly, and already come with an impressive array of features and functions. Yet, as with all emerging technologies, parents should be on the lookout for unintended consequences that might crop up once they and their children start using the devices. With screen-free digital assistants, many of the pitfalls that come with tablet and phone-based technology are avoided. On the other hand, the language and style of speaking that we use to communicate with Alexa doesnt match up with the way we talk with our partners, coworkers, and children. As adults, we can easily distinguish between a style of speech used with technology and a style of speech used with the people in our lives, but for young children and children of all ages who struggle with social interactions, this differentiation may not be intuitive. Across the board, kids attribute human thoughts, feelings, and intentions to inanimate objects. Its completely normal for them to think that their stuffed bear may feel lonely if he is left alone all day, or that their dump truck is mad because its wheel got stuck in the sand. As kids get older this tendency gradually decreases, but for some, it still pops up well into adulthood (think of people you know who talk about their beloved car as though it is a person!). Technology like Alexa taps into this tendency to attribute human qualities to objects. And, depending on your childs developmental level, the line between person and technology may still be quite blurry. So, as you bark out commands to your digital assistant -- Alexa, turn on the lights, or Alexa, play my favorite radio station, or worse, as you keep trying to get it to work, saying more sternly each time, Alexa. Alexa! ALEXA! -- your kids are hearing and absorbing your tone and phrasing. Without intending to, youre providing a model of communication that they may generalize to their interactions with friends and family. Fortunately, with three simple steps (and ongoing mindfulness on your part) you can keep this behavior to a minimum: Rename Alexa. Did you know that you dont actually need to refer to Alexa as Alexa? Alexa is simply a word programed into your digital assistant to wake it up and get it ready to receive a command. Its called the Wake Word and you can change it to anything that you would like to use. You can de-personalize your digital assistant and make it clear that you are taking to a machine and not a person by changing the devices Wake Word to Computer or another technology-related name. Say Please. Start talking to your digital assistant the way you would talk to a friend or colleague when youre asking them to do something for you. Start each request or command with Alexa, please (or the new name for your device in place of Alexa). After the task is completed, end the conversation with Alexa, thank you. Your device will always respond by saying something like, You bet! or Anytime!, providing a great model for your child. Remember that you can turn off Alexa. Its easy to forget that you are in charge of your technology, and not the other way around. If youre concerned about how your child is interacting with Alexa, or your child isnt practicing his or her please and thank you with the device, then it might be time for a break. Let your child know that when he or she doesnt use please or thank you, the device will stop responding. Then, unplug Alexa. Its as simple as that. After a break, plug Alexa back in and let your child give it another try. As digital assistants continue to evolve Im optimistic that new family-friendly features and parental controls will be added to their functionality. In the meantime, be mindful of the way you and your child interact with Alexa, and be on the lookout for unintended consequences that may pop up as you integrate this technology into your daily life. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.