- Picture yourself occupying the lone, sought-after seat with a college essay that will stand out!
- With “134 Perfect ACT Scores in 2002,” the best way to differentiate yourself in the years since is with your very unique Personal Narrative Essay.
- “The FAFSA debacle” and its new formatting emphasizes the “NEED” to negotiate your way into Admission with an outstanding Personal Narrative Essay.
- Question from Rania in Currell’s article: ‘What was I missing? They just ran out of space — there are so many people trying to get into these places.’
Write For Admission’s Response to Rania: It’s hard to say, but you CAN get into the “HEADSPACE” of the Admissions Officers and live “rent free” with an essay that has “staying power.”
Call or Text me @516-205-2593.
| “The easiest way to alleviate the traffic jam at the top is to shift our cultural focus toward the hundreds of schools that offer an excellent education but are not luxury brands.” |
In recognition of Daniel Currell’s abovementioned advice and the spirit of the mantra, “If you build it, he will come,” from the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, let’s adapt the saying to “If you explore it, they will come,” with the understanding that if you explore other options, or discover new terrains of competitive college campuses before your classmates (a/k/a competitors) do, then it will feel as if they, the Admissions Officers will flock to you in fulfillment of your dreams.” Ironically, this path might not simultaneously lead to your “dream” school; but this does not necessarily have to be a spoiler, so please keep reading.
However ironic it is that players on the 1919 Chicago White Sox team threw the World Series for short-sighted financial gain, I am definitely not talking about inviting scandal into your college admissions process in order to stunt your long-term successes. We witnessed that plot played out recently in 2019 with “Operation Varsity Blues,” which proved to be costly on many fronts. I am talking about far-reaching gains that are just around the corner and nearly out of sight, like rounding third base and heading for home plate, which is only nearly out of sight.
Yes, the college admissions process is a gamble and yes, you’re looking for a “payout,” BUT you’re looking to achieve it with integrity and ingenuity. So, I am talking about pairing the slogan, “If you explore it, they will come,” with integrity and ingenuity.
The ingenuity correlates with building the courage to also apply to the colleges that are, as of yet, “undiscovered” or sought after, but also appeal to your wants and needs. Allow me to mix metaphors and invoke the adage of “Monday morning quarterbacking,” in order to reinforce the notion that none of us really knows which colleges are destined to become “hot” commodities in the near or distant future…until after they earn or occupy a more elite status. Northeastern University is a prime example, as it was once considered a “commuter school;” yet, its prestigious progress in the last few decades is proven by Daniel Currell’s observation: “It even happens at places like Northeastern, a school now ranked 53rd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.” The “It” that Currell is referring to is “rejection.”
You should NOT abandon your “Plan A,” which is to apply to your “dream” school, but you should also have a “Plan B,” which involves targeting soon-to-be “It” schools, in the spirit of Hollywood, looking to find its new “It Girl/Guy/They” before anyone knows whom that will be. This is a recommended gamble. It’s like “looking for the next best thing,” a strategy that Warren Zevon also suggested as a good strategy-only don’t follow the advice from another line from his song: “settle for less.”
Anyone currently attending or considering applying to UCONN, The Ohio State, Penn State… to name a few new “It Schools,” cannot say that they’re settling for less (unless it’s less tuition than at the private colleges and universities, and that’s a plus!), with their increasing standards and higher expectations. To invoke still another sports metaphor, schools that were once considered “slam dunks” for some students, simply put, no longer are…
Speaking of R’s, someone whose son is “up at bat” with regard to the college application process, shared with me that she applied to, got accepted to and attended the University of Richmond, in large part because of some good advice that she received from her father about 3 decades ago; he advised her to apply to colleges/universities that did not have a track record of receiving applications from her particular high school. At the time, Richmond was one of those rare schools-however hard to believe today.
So, if you DON’T want to “get ghosted,” as the compromised players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox team were; but, if you DO want to “hit the ball out of the park” when it comes to your Admissions process, you’ll want to find just the right angle, which is what Write For Admission can help you to achieve: a Home Run and maybe even a steal when it comes to your “dream” school!
-Donna Valenti,
Write For Admission
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/01/opinion/college-admissions-applications.html
