Essay Part 5 and Topics to Avoid

Application Deadlines and Pending Visits

September 20, 2013

Randi has posted a new blog entry about the college search experience for equestrian students - check it out!

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The Equestrian College Advisor

is on

!

Who doesn't love a great campus tour in summer?

STUDENTS:Post-application meetings need to be scheduled.  I know many of you will have completed your first round of applications this week (or have the first round of submissions coming up!); be sure to schedule a phone or Skype meeting with me to confirm the list you've applied to and discuss next steps moving forward.Keep the essay drafts coming in for review - you're doing great work!  PARENTS:***REMINDER***Invoices were September 3 for all outstanding balances on comprehensive and/or custom packages, as well as for hourly students who have outstanding balances from the month of August. Your timely attention to this is appreciated.Monthly plan users:  If you signed on at the end of August and only had one or two hours last month, your first invoice will arrive October 1. TRAVEL: I will be in Houston this Friday and Saturday (September 20 and 21) for the Pin Oak equestrian college fair. I will also visit Rice University.  Students who want updates on the fair attendees and/or on Rice can schedule appointments the week of September 23rd.  From the blog: If you’ve been following along with my recent series of blog postings that examine the new essay prompts for the 2013-2014 Common Application, then you’re well aware that we have now reached the fifth and final topic about which you can write your application essay.  In short, if you haven’t found a topic to fit your writing needs yet, this one may well be your last hope. Now, I caution you readers that, of the five prompts offered by the Common Application this year, this one presents the most opportunities for you to inadvertently get off-topic or – worse yet – come off as either too heroic (bragging) or too maudlin (melodramatic).  It’s written in a tricky form with a lot of traps for you to fall into along the way.  Furthermore, it requires you to weigh each and every word with the utmost care.  Read Part Five  (What shouldn't you write your essay about?)