The above advice actually works pretty well. I’ve found that just writing on an idea that pops in my head for whatever essay I’m stuck on gives me a good start. It might not be a perfect essay, but it seems that with the random ideas the essay usually flows better and sometimes they actually sound really good. From there, with a little bit of editing, it starts to meld together and conveys my personality since i just sat down and typed without having to try and say what i think sounds good, therefore avoiding the cliches. It’s really a shotgun approach, but every once in a while the essay is spot on. And if you’re stumped like many of us are, it definitely helps.
Here are a few things a kids I gave feedback to put her essay, small stories to illustrate the situation of a poor/frugal household. One was about wearing the same shirt everyday for the week and being teased so she told the kid she has several of the same shirts. Another was about the household not allowed able to flush the toilet until the grey water from laundry was available and how nice it was to shower freely somewhere else. If you tell a little story it can put the reader in your shoes. Try not to be monotonous with ‘woe is me’ but try to get a bit of insight on what the specific things where and how you coped. I didn’t add the coping part here.
seems that the deadline is coming up and there aren’t a lot of posts on the thread!
Just finished my application!! I’m not sure if I’m more relieved, scared, or both. Good luck everybody!
Congrats, @rocksanddirt! I finished mine a few days ago. Good luck to you!
@ethiopienne You have to rank colleges before Oct. 13, which is before finalists are decided.
Whether the selection process of finalists takes into consideration what colleges the student ranked, or doesn’t, is not stated. However, the information is there before the selection of finalists is made… I’m not sure whether my son’s decision to rank 8 schools figured into his selection as a finalist 2 years ago, but in my opinion it could have. It is an opportunity for the student to show that they did their research on the schools and their potential fit at each school on their list.
After the finalists were selected, my son had an opportunity to re-arrange his list, and delete any schools from it that he had changed his mind about. There was no chance to add new schools to the list, only delete and/or change the order of preference. Just so you know what to expect.
Good luck to all applicants!
Just submitted! Good luck to everyone – the deadline’s approaching!
GOOD LUCK everyone! We’ll go through the torturous wait together. :D/
Just submitted mine. Not sure how I feel about my essays because I didn’t really have any traumatic experiences to share like some of you did… But whatever what’s gonna happen is gonna happen!
Submitted my app about a half an hour ago. Good luck to everybody!
We can now rank up to 12 colleges!!
Anyone going to take advantage of this?
YES! Are you? Too bad at my school, all transcript requests for Nov 1 are due Oct 1 so I haven’t had all the time to research :-B
@SPAZDA I don’t think I’ll fill in all 12 slots but maybe 10 of them! And that sucks about your school. Mine you just have to request it at least 3 weeks before the deadline.
I’m probably only going to rank four schools. From visiting a few colleges I definitely think the whole, “you don’t know what it’s like until you’ve visited” holds true. I just can’t commit to some colleges without being 100% sure. Plus, A lot of the Quest partner schools will still be able to meet a LOT, if not all of your need regardless if you match or just get in regular decision. It’s just something to keep in mind.
Same here, @rocksanddirt. Sadly, I haven’t been able to visit any college. I agree that QB schools give practically the same aid in RD, unless your parents make money near the higher end of QB Finalists.
That’s true @DominicBayer, but even then many of the school’s will only ask you to contribute a few thousand per year, if that. If it came down to it, I think the quality of education would definitely bee worth it, never mind the fact that there are other outside scholarships.
Where are you guys applying to as safety schools? It’s difficult to find a college that meets 100% of my needs, has >50% acceptance rate, and I will be happy at.
I’ve also been having trouble on finding a safety school, @Aralis. I’m currently going to apply to a bunch of super-competitive QB partner schools, but basically the only safety school I have on my list is a less selective LAC that I could only afford if I got one of the two full-scholarships they offer per year. So, to be honest, I’m worried about safety schools.
I used Questbridge state school exception policy to apply to a safety HBCU/state school. I don’t necessarily want to go there but it was free to apply and for the application I just had to put my name and my major. Also I can get a full ride there so if all else fails…
For some reason that I’m not sure of honestly, I’m attracted to Drexel University in Philadelphia which has an 81% acceptance rate so that’s my other safety school. Have you guys tried the college fit quiz type things on College Board? @DominicBayer @Aralis I’m not sure what it’s called exactly but you put in a bunch of info and it finds the schools that fit your wants/needs (I think you can even choose selectivity as a factor)! There’s also one on Naviance if your school uses that.