College Applications: The Personal Essay

Almost all, if not all, college applications require a personal essay.

Students: listen up!

This is your chance to let the admissions officers get to know you. Tell them something about yourself that they cannot glean from your application, transcript, or resume.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays. Please give them something interesting that most of the other applicants didn't already say.

Some comments made by admissions officers at our recent college visit:

Preparing for College: Be Smart, Not Scared

I stumbled across a 'college planning' website recently that is written by a mom who is scared.  A mom who started researching college scholarships when her daughter was just a few months old!.  Wondering how she is going to put her kids through college keeps her up at night.

To that mom, and any like her, I say, "Stop.  Stop being scared.  Stop wasting your time."

College and Scholarship Applications: Keeping Up With the Details

If your college-bound student is interested in several potential schools, keeping track of application deadlines, possible scholarships, and required admission qualifications can become confusing.

Our recent visit to Southern Methodist University netted two very helpful forms to assist students in keeping all their college and scholarship information sorted.

Dissection For The Squeamish

TIME FOR COLLEGE VISITS

For the sixth time in eleven years, I will be visiting potential colleges with my student. This should be old hat for me, and some of it is.

But, I realized last week while visiting a college campus with my son and daughter that not all campus visits are the same. Even a visit to a campus you have visited previously with another student can be different than before.

This post is the beginning of a series about visiting colleges with your student. I plan to have information for students and parents; newbies and seasoned. I will be adding these posts to the 'High School' section to make the information easy to find. Sign up to receive my blog via email so you don't miss a post.

Ireland

We had to visit the Trinity College Library, because...books.  The Book of Kells is here, but the big attraction was this library upstairs.  Stacks and stacks of old books.

Two Writers, Ten Years

In addition to being a homeschool blogger, I am a consultant with The Pampered Chef.  As a consultant, I do live cooking shows in a host's home.  Sometimes children attend the cooking demonstration with their mother.

Family Favorites Friday: Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

I discovered this recipe about four years ago when I was putting together a week of menus for my children to make while I accompanied my oldest daughter on her move to Nevada.  

We have changed it up to suit us and it has become a favorite .  

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce