Hello. We made it and we’re back with a final blog post on the 2019-2020 Common App prompts. We’ve analyzed and dissected all of the other Common App essay prompts from this year for you, so we’d highly recommend reading those posts if you haven’t already read them. But let’s get right to it because Prompt #7 is our personal favorite.
Great college essays aren’t built on a formula, but there are a handful of things that every strong essay has and a bigger handful of things that it most certainly does not. For rising Seniors getting ready to write their essay, it’s crucial that they know what to emphasize and what to avoid. When it comes to the college application process, there’s little worse than realizing that the essay you’ve spent months on is a dud. Well, not getting into your dream school is worse, but fixing your essay before it’s too late is a way to avoid that happening.
2018 acceptances for the Class of 2022 are out and what we predicted has come to pass: it is harder to get into college than ever. HOT TAKE. Acceptance rates are plummeting, and the rates at top schools have yet again hit record lows. At the same time, the number of applicants who were waitlisted is off of the charts. Colleges are becoming more conservative in their admissions decisions. Unfortunately, students are bearing the brunt of it.
Senior year is upon us. The main thing that we stress at TKG is that we never miss deadlines. They are critically important and essentially our central rule that guides everything that we do, both internally and with clients. There is no getting around deadlines. You can’t argue with Common App, College Board, or the colleges. You get your applications, testing, and submissions in on time or you don’t. It’s the only black and white part of the entire process. Kapish? With us? Fabulous.
We’re not going to lie to you. College essays are scary. For most of our clients, writing their college essay is the most intimidating part of the application process. We get it, and we’ve been there, but we’re here to tell you that, while they might be scary, they’re also an amazing opportunity. So much of the college process is about covering everything in gold leaf and making yourself look as perfect as possible. Contrary to what so many (incorrectly) say, the college essay isn’t about pitching yourself as a perfect person; it’s about being yourself.
Recently we got this email:
Subject: Getting into ivy league with C's??
Message: Hi, I am currently a junior in high school and I was never really interested in studies and getting into good colleges back when I started 9th grade. But now, I finally found the motivation but I feel like its too late. Is there anything I can do with the time I have to boost myself?
Before you decide that you absolutely positively must attend Stanford, you need to get clear on why. “Because it’s Stanford!” is not a reason. While it’s impossible to characterize the entire school, we’ve spent years helping students apply (and get into) Stanford. Generally speaking, students who get into and thrive at Stanford have the following three qualities:
The headlines can be recycled (again)! This year, like many consecutive years before it, marked a new record low for acceptance rates across the countries. With acceptances sinking down below 5 percent for some Ivies and nearing the single digits for some non-Ivies, there is no sign of competition slowing down in the near future. In this post, we chart out how rates have changed over the last few years.
If you’re serious about becoming a doctor you probably don’t need us to tell you what you’re up against. Getting into med school is not easy, and it’s important to pick an undergraduate program that sets you up for success. Generally speaking, you want to look for colleges with pre-med advising, clinical and research opportunities, and high percentages of students who ~actually~ get into med school. You can throw those buzz words into google (in fact, you definitely should) but our list is a good place to start.
We are firm believers that kids do best when they pursue their true passions. But we also understand that many parents approach certain majors and programs with a tinge of hesitation, and dance is one of those majors. In this post, we’ll focus on BA dance programs but before we begin it’s important to draw a distinction between a BA and a BFA. BFA programs tend to be more specific and technical, while getting a BA in dance generally leaves with you with more post-grad options. You should look into BA programs if you want to explore a variety of aspects related to the industry.
We have received dozens of emails, text, and inquiries about the current scandal. We think it is very sad and emblematic of bigger issues. When the going gets tough, the urge to cut corners can be real. And this scandal underscores just how hard it is to get into college. But we need to make it incredibly clear: our practice is both ethical and legal. We don’t condone or endorse anything that happened in the latest scandal. We would never cheat or encourage cheating. In fact, we have been approached by people who want us to fabricate essays or transcripts and we have always, without exception, turned them away. We operate with an incredibly high moral and ethical code.
Systems engineers tend to work in technical and human-based engineering industries as the interface between customers, companies, and management in general and specialty engineers. Smart buildings, global networks, and autonomous robotics are all examples of systems that system engineers develop and manage. Systems engineers work in manufacturing, finance, consulting, healthcare, and so many more industries. It’s a critical role within the engineering world and thus necessitates a particular kind of person with specific skills, such as reliability, ability to organize large sets of data and information, management of various teams, and knowledge in testing, design, and risk management. While systems engineers have a solid foundation of knowledge in the engineering sciences, a significant amount of the focus is more big-picture.
Parents regularly ask us whether or not their artistically inclined kids should forgo their creative urges to study something a bit more practical, like, say, finance. What sets us apart from some of the other college consulting services out there is that we like to encourage kids to pursue their passions. Whether it’s extra-curriculars, essays, or summer jobs, each component of the application process, and ultimately, the majors kids pursue in college, are going to end up being more impressive if the student is committed to what they’re doing. So, if you’re a show tunes junky with a voice of honey, we say go for it. But you better bring you’re A-game, because getting into the nation’s top musical theater programs is hardly as easy as spending a Sunday in the park with George. (We'll see ourselves out. Bye.)
The essays are the part of the college application that students resist the most. Classes and tests require hard work, but there’s something intimidating about sitting down and writing several hundred words from scratch that have such a bearing on your future. In this post, we offer a few tips for the intrepid college-applicants who are just getting started.
There is no shortage of ways you could fill the summer between junior and senior year: sitting on the couch and watching all of Riverdale, sitting on the beach and playing on your phone, and sitting by your friend’s pool and sending snaps are all things you could do. But none of those things are going to get you into college. Fear not. We have a few thoughts on what will.
We encourage our kids to seek the best opportunities possible each summer. Your breaks from school should be seen as time to learn and expand yourself while continuing to craft your portfolio into a body of work that brands you as an expert in some area. It’s never too early to become an entrepreneur. For those who are ambitious and destined for business, these programs might be a good place to start.