College Essay Bootcamp from the College Essay Guy

The College Essay has put together a free course for students to learn how to craft a college essay. This class is broken into 5 modules and can be a great resource for students as they learn how to navigate their college essay.

College Essay Bootcamp

Click the link above to view the daily videos.

Workbook

Click the link above to download your workbook.

Monday: Brainstorming

In that session I’ll cover Modules 1.1 and 1.2 in the tool:

• What’s the Purpose of the Personal Statement?

• What are the Four Qualities of an Outstanding Personal Statement?

• 7 Mini Brainstorming Exercises (in 10 Minutes)

• How These Exercises Can Lead to an Essay Topic

• Montage vs. Narrative Structure

• 7 Types of Montage Essay

• What Is Narrative Structure & How Does it Work?

• Next Steps + Q&A

Tuesday: Writing Day

Your homework assignment:

1. Watch the rest of Module 1 and Module 2.1 and create at least two (ideally three!) outlines.

2. Share your outlines with a counselor/friend/parent/mentor and pick your favorite topic.

3. Bonus points: Once you’ve picked a topic, write your first draft.

Optional: I’ll be reviewing a few examples live on Wednesday. If you’d like to submit your 2-3 outlines or draft for consideration, share your Essay Workbook Google doc with PSBootCamp@collegeessayguy.com. (Note: Please include which session (AM or PM) you’re attending. By sharing your Essay Workbook you are granting permission for me to review your outline/draft live on the Boot Camp. Also, I can only review a few examples, so please don’t expect guaranteed feedback if you submit!)

Wednesday: Outlining & Writing

LIVE Session: May 26th @ 10:00-11:30am or 4:00-5:30pm PT (1-2:30pm or 7-8:30pm ET)

In that session I’ll review Module 2.1 in the tool:

• How to Outline a Narrative Draft

• 7 Ways to Outline a Montage Draft

  • I Love/I Know 

  • Essence Objects/Stuff in My Room 

  • Skill/Superpower 

  • Career 

  • Identity 

  • Home 

  • Uncommon Extracurricular Activity
    
    

Thursday: Writing Day

Your homework assignment:

Either:

1. Outline, then write your first draft (if you haven’t already) or

2. Watch Modules 2.2 and 2.3 in the Choose Your Own Adventure Tool and begin revising your draft.

3. If you haven’t already, complete the “21 Details” and “Everything I Want Colleges to Know About me” Exercises.

Optional: I’ll be reviewing a few examples live on Friday. If you’d like to submit your outlines or draft for consideration, share your Essay Workbook Google doc with PSBootCamp@collegeessayguy.com. (Note: Please include which session (AM or PM) you’re attending. By sharing your Essay Workbook you are granting permission for me to review your outline/draft live on the Boot Camp. Also, I can only review a few examples, so please don’t expect guaranteed feedback if you submit!)

Friday: Revising & Upleveling

LIVE Session: May 28th @ 10:00-11:30am or 4:00-5:30pm PT (1-2:30pm or 7-8:30pm ET)

In that session I’ll cover Modules 3.2 and 3.3:

• 10 Ways to Start Your Essay

• 19 Ways to Make Your Essay More Insightful

• How to Make Sure Your Personal Statement “Flows”

• Personal Feedback from Me on a Few Essays

• The Great College Essay Test (i.e., How to Know If Your Personal Statement Is Doing its Job)

• Tips for Polishing (When You’re Ready)

HW: Keep working on your personal statement using whichever parts of the tool you need.

Revolution Prep Free Webinars

 Student-Athletes and the College Search | Tuesday, May 10th (Guest Speaker)

Making the High School Transition | Wednesday, May 11th

Reflections on Year 2 of Test-Optional Admissions | Thursday, May 12th (Guest Speaker)

Study Skill Development for College Success | Monday, May 16th

College Admissions through the Jewish Lens | Tuesday, May 17th (Guest Speaker)

Student Mental Health Challenges and the Academic Impact | Wednesday, May 18th

Leverage Your Summer to Get a Head Start on Fall | Thursday, May 19th

Self-Regulation for Learning: What it Really Takes to be Successful in the 21st Century | Tuesday, May 24th

Becoming an Independent Learner: University Readiness in 2022 | Tuesday, May 31st

Next Gen - City Football Leadership (UK), University of Maryland, Russell Education, and Beta Camp

 

Beyond The States Thinking of college in Europe? We get it! But you need a trusted advisor to help you understand how to get from here to there. That’s where Beyond the States comes in. We help students and parents find the right college for them outside the US. We offer personalized recommendations for students who are considering studying abroad and have built an online guide to the thousands of English-taught programs in Europe. We offer all the resources you could possibly need, such as supportive, chock-full memberships for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees, self-paced courses on Choosing a University, Choosing your Major, Admissions in Europe and on areas such as the Netherlands, and personalized Best Fit lists. LEARN MORE Next Gen - City Football Leadership Institute, U.K.  At City Football Leadership Institute, we strive to provide ambitious, sport-minded young students with an immersive and inspiring experience at the heart of the global sporting industry. Explore the sports world in an unforgettable and immersive two weeks spent in London and Manchester. We invite students from all backgrounds and countries aged 15-18 to apply to the program and follow their passion for learning about sport. Now accepting applications for July. LEARN MORE University of Maryland – Terp Young Scholars (Online) Discover the challenge, excitement, and independence of the college experience at the University of Maryland. Choose the course that interests you from our online course offerings and get a jump on college by earning three university credits in three weeks. Course options include Criminology, Earth from Space, Mock Trial, Psychology, Effective Leadership, Social Media and Audience Engagement, and more. Designed for rising high school freshmen to seniors. Now accepting applications through May 1. LEARN MORE As You Like It - Summer Courses from Russell Education As You Like It summer courses give your child a chance to explore an area of passion or academic need in short, concentrated form with live one-on-one or small-group instruction and conversation. Our teachers have a wide range of interests and expertise.  Based on your student's interest, we will develop a 3-8 session course that takes 1-2 weeks to complete. Scheduling is highly flexible in order to accommodate summer travel and activities. Name your topic--our experienced teachers can probably cover it! LEARN MORE Beta Camp BETA Camp is an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for students aged 12-18. During the program, students build a revenue-generating startup while being coached by industry experts and founders from top companies like Google, IKEA, Apple, and Doordash. The curriculum is inspired by top MBA and startup accelerator programs at Harvard, Stanford, and Y-Combinator. All workshops, programming, and personalized startup mentorship are run by business and tech leaders. Startup teams at BETA Camp have made thousands of dollars during the program and several alumni have gone on to raise funding from $150,000 to $1.5M. Many alumni land internships at global companies and go on to receive major scholarships at top tier. colleges. LEARN MORE

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Three Spring and Summer Test Prep Tips for Juniors

by Matt Kiesner 

 

As the spring semester of your Junior year winds down, it’s still not too late to get going on the SAT or ACT.

While many high school juniors are wrapping up their SAT/ACT prep, many others are just getting started now. If you’re in the latter group, this article’s for you. Maybe you were busy with fall and winter sports, or your college application list has changed. Or your top choice is no longer test optional. 

Whatever the reason, there’s no reason to fret about getting on track to have SAT or ACT scores for your fall college applications. Here are three tips to help you get started and get on track.

Start by choosing between the SAT and ACT

As a current junior, you have roughly 6 to 8 months (depending on where you plan to apply and whether you plan to apply early decision or not) to study, take the test, and hit your goal score.

With the time remaining, it’s important to commit to one test or the other. The best way to determine which test is best for you is to take a practice test of each. If you took a PSAT back in October, that will give you a good sense whether the SAT is a good fit for you. Comparing your PSAT scores to practice ACT scores will give you an even better sense. 

 

 

You may also want to consider which math class you took in junior year. The SAT tops out at algebra 2 concepts, while the ACT includes many precalculus concepts. Additionally, the SAT is a test that focuses on your comprehension and application of concepts, while the ACT tests your ability to process a greater variety of concepts at a faster rate. If you prefer to think things through a bit more, you might find the SAT to be a better fit. On the other hand, if you thrive in a more fast-paced setting, you might prefer the ACT. 

For more information about the differences between the two tests, check out our comparison guide, here.

Set up a testing timeline

With a shortened timeline, it’s important to be strategic about when you’ll be testing. The SAT offers tests in June, August, October, November, and December. The ACT offers tests in June, July, September, October, and December. 

Typically, we advise that students plan for three testing dates. Our research shows that students typically get their highest score on their second or third official test attempt. Plus, multiple test dates confer the benefits of superscoring (combining your best section scores from multiple test dates for a higher overall score). If you hit your goal score early, all the better! But having a plan that includes multiple test dates will ensure you’re not scrambling.

As you select your test dates, it would be wise to plan to take one of the summer tests, which would give you an opportunity to retest in the fall. You should be aware that the July ACT is notorious for having limited testing locations as many testing sites are shut down for summer break. If you’re planning any early decision or early action applications, you’ll want to have all testing done by October. If you’re applying for standard admission, then you have until December to finish testing.

Maximize your summer-studying

Preparing for the SAT or ACT over the summer is a double-edged sword. On one side, you don’t have to worry about managing test prep with your schoolwork. You can study when you want and potentially where you want. 

The danger comes with having too much free time. It’s easier to get into full “summer mode” and fall into irregular sleep habits. If you’ve been staying up to 2 or 3 AM every night, it’ll be hard to align yourself to a test that starts at 9 AM. 

Rest is an important component of performance, so make sure that you guide yourself to sensible sleeping habits two weeks before the test date. A great way to get into a summer study rhythm is to schedule your test prep study time in the morning. One hour of practice first thing will do wonders for your performance on test day.

100 Essential Life Skills Teens Needs to Learn at Home (Before they Leave for Good!!)

by Lisa Endlich Heffernan | February 12, 2020

Do you ever wonder if you’ve taught your teens enough life skills to go out into the real world and succeed? School fills them with facts and numbers, history, math, writing skills, and rudimentary sciences. But do our teens have the life skills to function in their day-to-day lives? If you could craft a series of 15-minute “you need to know this to function in the world” lessons, what would they be?

Here are 100 of some of the most common life skills that teens and college students need, but don’t always have. While they are still home we can help them by teaching them to:

 Life skills to teach teens and college students

1. Say “no”
2. Set and manage a goal, with a timetable and milestones
3. Communicate with and get to know professors and teaching assistants
4. Manage their time with a calendar
5. Read a bank statement and monitor an account balance
6. Create a lifelong habit and plan for saving money
7. Use ride-sharing services safely
8. Make a phone call rather than texting (some things require a conversation)
9. Understand, improve, and maintain your credit score
10. Mail a package
11. Address an envelope
12. Figure out postage/buy stamps
13. Make, change, or cancel an appointment
14. Deposit, withdraw or move funds in an account (either by ATM, phone app, or teller)
15. Find medical care in an emergency and how and when to call an ambulance
16. Get involved in their community and help others
17. Understand how compound interest impacts savings or borrowings
18. Memorize their social security, credit card, and student ID numbers
19. Turn off an overflowing toilet
20. How to wisely borrow and lend money
21. Manage peer pressure
22. Walk away from…anything
23. Utilize a meal plan and not waste money
24. Do laundry
25. Shop for groceries (lists, budget, coupons)
26. Read nutrition labels
27. Tip a waitress/waiter
28. Make a list of favorite recipes
29. Write a check
30. Understand the terms when applying for a credit card
31. Use any form of transportation including navigating and ticketing
32. Choose a doctor
33. Fill and refill a prescription
34. Manage subscription services
35. Correctly use over-the-counter medications
36. Maintain scholarships and financial aid
37. Eat healthily and resist unhealthy food choices
38. Fill out health insurance forms
39. Do their taxes
40. Clean anything and everything
41. Administer basic first aid
42. React and what to do in a lockdown
43. Be prepared for a weather/power emergency
44. Find and work with a study group
45. Find academic help/tutors/mentors on a college campus
46. Cope with feelings of stress or being overwhelmed
47. Decide between a doctor’s appointment, urgent care, and the ER
48. Understand their medical coverage
49. Write a resume
50. Dress for an interview
51. Complete a LinkedIn profile
52. Stay in touch with friends and family
53. Understand the dangers of alcohol (changed)
54. Get a physical (changed)
55. Live with a group of strangers
56. Plunge a toilet
57. Stay safe
58. Get the right amount of sleep and exercise
59. Know when to seek professional medical or mental health services
60. Prepare if you are pulled over when driving
61. Store and prepare food safely
62. Read and understand a credit card statement
63. Use basic tools for minor repairs
64. Create and stick to a budget
65. Deal with unexpected expenses
66. Turn off a smoke alarm
67. Stay healthy, including hand washing
68. Use a fire extinguisher
69. Recognize fraud in emails, phishing, and phone calls
70. Write a professional email
71. Stay current with the local and national news
72. VOTE, because it matters
73. Advocate with and ask questions of medical professionals
74. Apply for jobs, internships, and on-campus positions
75. Locate routing and account numbers on checks
76. Remember and recognize important dates in other’s lives
77. Complete important forms like HIPAA, FERPA, Power of Attorney
78. Get renter’s insurance
79. Aid a friend who may be in need due to bad decisions (changed)
80. Deal with a car accident
81. Be clear about consent 
82. Be your own strongest advocate in a positive way
83. Manage if a credit card is lost or stolen
84. Write and send a handwritten thank-you note
85. Pay bills on time and set up automatic payment
86. Understand the expense and responsibility of owning a pet
87. Follow an auto maintenance schedule
88. Understand auto insurance and coverage
89. Save money on textbooks
90. Change bed sheets
91. Manage social media presence
92. Change a flat tire
93. Sew a button
94. Iron, or at a minimum steam an item of clothing
95. Cope with loneliness
96. Greet someone respectfully, with eye contact and a handshake
97. Use jumper cables
98. Research potential career paths
99. Put yourself out there and make friends
100. How to pack (changed)

But the most important thing we want to teach our teens is that this is a process and we are here to support and teach as they move towards their independence. Some of these lessons are quickly taught. Some life skills teens need take years to absorb. Many involve asking questions, getting it wrong, trying again, and learning along the way.

We made mistakes, lots of them and they will too. They can come to us for advice, counsel, or just an ear and we will not judge them nor will we grow weary of answering their questions. That’s our job.

Juniors Guide to College Admissions -- Let's Do This!!!

 

Source: Princeton Review