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hey everyone !!


wow, it’s been so long. the last time i posted on here was probably fall 2016–a lot has happened since then. i successfully finished my freshman year at brown university, and i’m about to head back for sophomore year !! (i’m rooming with @chaifuelled – in a frat house of all places)


i wanted to take some time off to make sure i was ready for the transition to college, but i really want to get back into the studyblr game. i’ve been planning posts all summer and i can’t wait to share with you all. 


if you want me to check out your blog, please like this and/or message me with an introduction about yourself! a lot of the blogs i followed are now inactive, so i would love some new material on my dash/new people to follow.


i’m so excited to revamp! i’ll be redesigning my blog and content for the next few days, and throughout the next school year :)

  this post is really late, but i thought a post about rec letters could be really helpful for futur

 this post is really late, but i thought a post about rec letters could be really helpful for future classes !!!

 why are rec letters important?

  • they allow colleges to receive a more in-depth academic profile of you than a transcript or GPA
  • teachers can directly communicate with a college to advocate for you
  • these letters are written from a more objective standpoint than your own portrayal of yourself in your application

 how do i decide who should write my rec letters?

  • first, look at your college’s specific requirements for a recommendation letter
    • this will be found on the college’s undergraduate applications website
    • ex: some colleges want a one counselor rec and one teacher rec, some want three recs with two teachers and an out-of-school source, etc. you just have to make sure to look
  • most colleges want two letters of recommendation by two different teachers
    • should be teachers from your junior/senior years, or one who has taught you for multiple years
    • i personally would recommend one math/science teacher and one humanities teacher 
  • pick a teacher…
    • whose class you got a good grade in
    • whose class you genuinely enjoyed
    • who knows you on a personal level
    • who will be able to write a personal, customized letter, not just a generic one. colleges will be able to tell if they actually know you and appreciate you as a student based on their language
    • who you worked with outside the classroom or in an extracurricular setting (bonus, not required)

 when should i ask a teacher for a rec letter?

  • as soon as possible
  • seriously, these teachers will be swamped with requests for rec letters. the sooner you ask them the sooner yours will be done and the better it will be
  • ask your teachers during…
    • the end of junior year
    • the summer in between junior and senior year
    • very early in the fall of senior year

 how do i ask a teacher for a rec letter?

  • there are two ways to ask:
    • e-mail
      • pros: you have a digital record of asking them and it’s easier to trade information
      • cons: the request could easily get lost
    • in-person
      • pros: the request is more personal and the teacher is more willing to help when seeing an actual person
      • cons: you can’t keep reminding them or pestering them, otherwise your teacher will be annoyed
  • i personally would ask in-person, and then use emails to exchange information or send reminders
  • once your teacher has accepted your request, send them the following soon after:
    • a list of colleges they need to send these letters to
    • any of the colleges’ guidelines or requirements for rec letters
    • due dates for the rec letters
    • a résumé (this is just nice for the teacher to have)
    • any things you want them to explicitly mention in your letter (ex: if you worked really hard on a twenty-page research paper for that class)
    • anything else they ask for

❔❕okay, now what?

  • congrats! you just secured yourself some kickass rec letters
  • continue to gently remind your teacher until the letters are sent, and send more information if they need it
    • don’t pester or overdo it
  • your teachers will send their letters to your colleges
  • if any problems arise, the teacher will fix it (this year my biology teacher accidentally sent the wrong document so she called all the schools to let them know and she was able to reupload my letter)
  • BREATHE. SMILE. RELAX.

 i hope this post is helpful! if you have more questions about rec letters or the college process in general, message me !!!

 OTHER COLLEGE POSTS:


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a lil late - a day in my busy life [3:00 PM - 8:00 PM]a busy study session with the roomie, sarah. wa lil late - a day in my busy life [3:00 PM - 8:00 PM]a busy study session with the roomie, sarah. wa lil late - a day in my busy life [3:00 PM - 8:00 PM]a busy study session with the roomie, sarah. w

a lil late - a day in my busy life [3:00 PM - 8:00 PM]

a busy study session with the roomie, sarah. we had big exams coming up and was being busy bees all evening. btw - i passed my bio exam that week!!!


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thenerdblr:

1. Amazon Prime has a service dedicated to college students! 

Amazon Prime as a sub section called ‘Prime Student’ for college students to receive a 6 month free trial of their services as well as cutting the subscription to the service from $100 to $50! Granted, I would suggest simply using the 6-month free trial in order to get free 2 day shipping on all of your college dorm and college supply shopping and cancelling it once you get all your goodies.

2. Clearance sections in stores are your friend!

I currently have half of my dorm room stuff all for under $100 dollars because I found gems within my nearest stores clearance section. From afar, it may seem unpromising but once you delve into the section you will unravel some beauties. Just from my clearance section at my local Citi Trends, I got my comforter, two sets of bed sheets, two sets of pillow cases, two bedside organizers, and plastic wear for when my roomie and I cook. So look out for those sections!

3. Just because it is early in the Summer, it doesn’t mean you must rush to get all of your things.

Stores like Rue 21, Wal-Mart, and online places like Amazon, will restock and keep you provided with things all the way until move in day. And places such as Rue-21 tend to have mind blowing offers that may come closer to the full blown college season that you would regret not getting your hands on because you rushed your shopping fun too soon! So, take your time. Don’t just pick stuff because you think nothing better will come. I promise you, it will! You want things you love, not that you think is okay. You have to use it for a year. Remember that!

4. A lot of stores (online too) offer discounts for having your Student ID/login. So use it!

Granted, I can’t speak for everyone as things are different everywhere. But I do know where I am from places like Office Depot offer deals for college students in order to receive money off of electronics, furniture, and school supplies. So, flash that ID or write that email down for those selected stores near you and get those discounts!

5. Normally pricey stores will have huge sales during the Summer and college season. So be on the lookout!

Referring back to Rue-21, where I am from, they continuously have deals all year round. Recently, they had a 60% sale on the whole store as well as 40% off on certain items. So that is like, a lot of money being saved for you to buy your wardrobe as well as decorations for your dorm room. It’s knocking two birds with one stone! So peep sales at your mall, your local stores, etc. 

I hope these few tips will help you get the best deals, and keep your pocket full during the college shopping season!

studyweeks:

looking for new blogs to follow

This post was written by the team at Bold.org especially for College Essay Guy.You’ve worked your ta

This post was written by the team at Bold.org especially for College Essay Guy.

You’ve worked your tail off for four years of high school, and you’re ready for your next adventure at a great college.

By now, you’ve thought aboutwhat schools would be a great fit for you and help you launch a great career.

Now you need to figure out how you’re going to pay for it without breaking the bank or saddling yourself with a massive pile of post-graduation debt.

These days, no matter your family’s financial situation, that means finding and applying for some combination of student loans, work-study programs, grants, and scholarships.

 How do you figure out the best combination of aid with so many options and, once you’ve got that nailed, where and how can you compare the options and apply?

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One of the most daunting aspects of applying to college is the sheer number of essays you have (wait, get to!) write.  

What do I mean? Say you’re applying to eight to ten schools. Each has anywhere from one to five (hi, MIT!) supplemental essays. Quick math tells us that’s between eight and fifty college essay prompts to respond to. And that’s after you write the personal statement for your Common App.  

But guess what? ❗YOU TOTALLY DON’T HAVE TO WRITE 50 ESSAYS. In fact, you may end up writing fewer than ten. 

Why? 

I’ve developed a pretty simple step-by-step process to help you see which essay prompts can overlap. Follow my lead and it may not only save you dozens of hours or writing, it could improve the quality of those essays.  

How? 

The secret involves doing a little bit of research and creative brainstorming before deciding on your topic.

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 I’m excited to announce that Strive Scan and I are hosting a Virtual College Fair on Wednesday, Oct

I’m excited to announce that Strive Scan and I are hosting a Virtual College Fair on Wednesday, October 6th. ⁠

➡️Register for FREE todayto virtually connect with over 65 colleges & universities. ⬅️⁠

During this free event, you’ll have a chance to hear from different colleges & universities from across the U.S., Canada, France, Australia and the U.K.. You can choose which colleges you want to hear from by registering for their sessions, and ask questions of the college representatives live.⁠

Get online right at 3 pm (PST) to catch my opening session “How to Develop a Preliminary College List in Under an Hour.”  

It’ll be an interactive session in which you can actually develop an initial college list—or refine the list you’ve already started—in less than 60 minutes.⁠ For real. ⁠

Registration is FREE for students (domestic and international), counselors/professionals, and parents! See you there!

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The “Why us” or “Why this college” essay is a chance for you to demonstrate why you’re a great match for a particular school.

In this college essay guide, I’ll cover how to write a great “Why us” essay, the most common mistakes to avoid, some things you’ll probably want to be sure you do. as well as a few of my favorite approaches.

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In this video, I share a few tips on how to brainstorm a great personal statement topic. We’ll talk about what makes a great topic in the first place, as well as how to figure out whether your college essay topic is likely to work or not. Oh, and I talk a bit about you should ignore the Common App prompts when just starting out.

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Read the full story here. I really like Thai food. Speaking of which, I just started an amazing docu

Read the full story here

I really like Thai food. Speaking of which, I just started an amazing documentary series on national parks. Speaking of which, the Pacific Ocean is beautiful in winter. Which makes me wonder how confused you feel right now.

You’re probably pretty confused. And if you thought we wrote the above seriously, you’d maybe not trust us a whole lot (as writers) heading forward.

Those two things (avoiding confusion, building trust) are great qualities to develop in your writing.

How?

By building better transitions.

In this post, we’ll cover:

  • What good transitions look like
  • Why good transitions are important
  • Why building trust with your reader is important
  • Two ways to earn your reader’s trust
  • A quick diagnostic tool to determine if your transitions really are the issue
  • When’s the best time to start over/brainstorm new ideas
  • 9 different transition techniques

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Read the full guide here. If upholding Christian values is a priority to you in a college setting, P

Read the full guide here.

If upholding Christian values is a priority to you in a college setting, Pepperdine University might be a great fit. For this private Christian university in Southern California, a traditional liberal arts academic curriculum and strict religious philosophy go hand in hand. If you’re interested in the highly moral and conservative atmosphere at Pepperdine but aren’t sure how to approach answering their supplemental essay question, we’re here to help.

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In this video, I’ll break down five Common App essay tips that should help you tell a unique story even if you haven’t faced any challenges. I’ll also show a few great Common App essay examples and explain why I think they work so well.

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By the end of this step-by-step guide you’ll  know what the UCs are looking for, where to find ideas for choosing your PIQ topics, and some other important things to keep in mind.

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I once asked a professor how long she wanted a homework essay to be after I noticed the guidelines d

I once asked a professor how long she wanted a homework essay to be after I noticed the guidelines didn’t specify.

Her response: “As long as it needs to be.”

That didn’t feel very helpful at the time.

But in hindsight, I get what she meant. The point of an essay isn’t to simply meet word count. In fact, as I’ll clarify later, it’s one of the last things you should worry about.

That said, for most of your college essays, word count is something you’ll have to take into account (eventually).

And it’s understandable that how long your college essays(s) should be could feel confusing at times, since different applications and supplemental essays take pretty different approaches, and sometimes word count is a hard rule, whereas at other times it’s more of a guideline.

To get some clarity, read this. 

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Show Notes

My guest for this episode is Edward B. Fiske (known to most as “Ted”). Ted served as Education Editor for the New York Times from 1974 until 1991, and is well-known to college bound students and their parents as the editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, a staple of any high school counselor library and the nation’s best-selling college guide. He has co-authored a range of other books on college admissions with Bruce G. Hammond, including the Fiske Guide to Getting Into the Right College, What to Do When for College, Real College Essays that WorkandAcing the New SAT.

Ted’s book has been a go-to reference for me (and many other counselors) in our work with students and I loved getting a chance to go behind the scenes and hearing how the sausage is made. We discuss, among other things:

  • Why did the Fiske Guide happen in the first place?
  • How does Ted avoid sounding generally positive about all schools?
  • How the Fiske Guide ratings systems differs from that of US News and World Report
  • Who actually writes all 882 pages of the Fiske Guide
  • The best approach for students who have no idea what they want
  • Some of the biggest mistakes students and parents make when searching for a school
  • The dangers of narrowing your college choices too early on.
  • One quality Ted finds essential to having an amazing college experience

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#appblr    #studyblr    #podcast    #ted fiske    #fiske guide    #college    #high school    #college prep    #college admissions    #go to college    
Read the full guide here. We partnered with the amazing Amanda Miller (and a few other financial aid

Read the full guide here. 

We partnered with the amazing Amanda Miller (and a few other financial aid experts) to create a brand new resource to help students and families navigate paying for college.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to …

  • Find and apply for scholarships efficiently and successfully
  • Determine which colleges are most likely to be affordable for you
  • Apply for grants with minimal stress (#FAFSA)
  • Make sense of your financial aid award letters so you can make an informed decision about college costs

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✏️ The first exercise is called “Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me,” and the second exercise is called “21 Details.” 

Grab a sheet of paper or open a blank word document and start listing what makes you … you! 

Don’t overthink it!

image

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his series of short exercises, I’ll help you try to find your personal statement topic. In fact, by the end of this video, you should be able to have 7 great personal statement topic ideas that demonstrate your skills, qualities, values, and interests.

Grab your favorite drink, throw on your headphones, and let’s do this.

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I frequently have students tell me that they’ve faced some challenges they think might make for a go

I frequently have students tell me that they’ve faced some challenges they think might make for a good college essay, but they aren’t sure how to gauge the strength of their topic, and they aren’t sure how to write a college essay about the challenges they’ve faced.

And those questions and confusion are understandable: While high school has probably helped prepare you to write academic essays, it’s less likely that you’ve spent much time doing the kind of personal and reflective writing you’ll want to do in a personal statement focused on challenges (which I’ll also sometimes refer to as a narrative essay).

Even the phrase “reflective writing” might seem a little new.

But no worries—I got you. In this post, I’ll walk you through:

  • An example challenges essay with analysis

 By the end of this post, you should be all set to write.

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