What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay?

What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay? There is no requirement to disclose your disability anywhere in the college application. In fact, usually the essay is the only way you would be able to disclose your disability. This is a personal decision for you to make on your own. Allow yourself time and don’t throw it together right at the end. With all the competition trying to get into the good schools, your essay could make the difference. The best essays are the ones that provide real insight into who you are and how you think. Your essay should definitely provide perspective on you that augments what is found in the rest of your application….perhaps highlighting an area of passion for you that may not otherwise be obvious. The essays that read best are the ones written authentically, and from the heart. There is no definitive answer to disclosing your disability in your college essay. It is a personal decision that will depend on your own disability and how it has affected your life. We can tell when the student’s voice is missing; the colleges can tell too. There is a funny article in “The Daily Beast” by Kristina Dell that shares the anecdotes of college admissions counselors from this year’s record batch of applications. You will need a catchy introduction where you pull in your reader, supportive examples, and then a wonderful conclusion where you pull everything together and leave the reader with a smile, a tear, or a wow. The essay really gives you an opportunity to be creative. Make sure when you write your essay that you don’t just ramble on and on. Follow the five-paragraph or a modified version of that format. If your situation is one where parents can offer opinions that are helpful and if you are the kind of student who is open to listening to suggestions, then surely parents can be good editors. Further, if you have parents who know grammar and writing conventions and can recognize flaws, go ahead and ask parents to help. For many students, finding an objective evaluator who is not a relative to help edit the essay is the best bet. Having a degree in English and being a published writer of college planning articles, and having edited hundreds of essays for students, I would be happy to help you too. We have found that students write better college essays in less time with feedback and editing from someone who is experienced in offering guidance. Your college essay can help your application stand out! We’ve helped thousands of students write amazing college essays â€" one of which was featured in Business Insider. The free articles below will walk you through everything you need to know to write a successful essay. When parents get involved in the nitty gritty of a college application, some families find conflict arises. It is okay for a parent to review a child’s essay; it is not okay for a parent to take over a child’s essay, tell her what words to use, what story to write, what message to send. College admissions officers tell us time and again that too many essays come to them sanitized. They want to read a genuine story written by the child in the child’s words and the child’s voice. When parents get too involved, the stories do not sound genuine. When a parent gets too involved, the story does not sound like an essay written by a 17-year-old student. It might help the admissions team to understand you holistically or explain a gap in performance. You may decide that it will not benefit you in anyway to disclose before you are accepted to the university or college. You should discuss the pros and cons of disclosing your disability with your family, friends, and school counselors to decide the right decision for you. Another student talked about the struggles of having learning disabilities and the pain that he experienced during his educational career. You might think, “I don’t have anything like that.” All of us have experiences that have impacted our lives. Sit down with your folks and talk about your family and your “growing-up” years.

120 College Essay Examples For 14 Schools + Expert Analysis

120 College Essay Examples For 14 Schools + Expert Analysis You should usually state your thesis in your introductory paragraph. Keep your research organized so it will be easy for you to refer back to. This will also make it easier to cite your sources when writing your final essay. Once you have done your brainstorming and chosen your topic, you may need to do some research to write a good essay. If you have never written an essay before, or if you struggle with writing and want to improve your skills, it is a good idea to follow a number of important steps in the essay writing process. The percentile ranking of your test scores against all test takers nationwide can show you how you compare to other undergraduate-bound students. Go to the library or search online for information about your topic. Interview people who might be experts in the subject. Choose the best topic idea from among your list and begin moving forward on writing your essay. Discover schools, understand your chances, and get expert admissions guidance â€" for free. We'll send you information to help you throughout the college admissions process. The percentile is the percentage of test takers who get lower test scores than you. For example, the median composite SAT score is 1083 (541 Math, 543 Evidence-based Reading and Writing). While writing your essay, you have to keep your ego in check. Although you want to come off as the best version of you, sometimes you can get carried away with the story and lose yourself in over exaggeration. But, before you move forward, take heed of these topics to avoid. Once you have a list of possible topics, it's time to choose the best one that will answer the question posed for your essay. You want to choose a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow. This means you are telling a true story in a creative form. You can bring creativity into your essay through the hook, a conceit, or through your syntax and diction. Improve your essay and impress admissions officers with our free Peer Essay Review. A&M states that the average length of most essays is a page and a half (think words.) A&M’s admission website states, “Additional essay will not be reviewed. You need to simply sit and think of ideas during this phase. For some, writing an essay is as simple as sitting down at their computer and beginning to type. But, a lot more planning goes into writing an essay successfully. Use clustering or mind mapping to brainstorm and come up with an essay idea. This involves writing your topic or idea in the center of the paper and creating bubbles of related ideas around it. You cannot write an essay unless you have an idea of what to write about. Brainstorming is the process in which you come up with the essay topic. You want to approach writing your essay as if it were a creative writing piece. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that it’s a creative nonfiction piece.

Colleges Are Tracking Applicants Browser History, According To New Report

Colleges Are Tracking Applicants' Browser History, According To New Report Yes it would save time, and can save time, but only under certain circumstances. See, many colleges will ask for similar questions or essay prompts to include with your application. If you’ve already written an essay that happens to fit with another college’s similar prompt, then it should take you no time at all to spruce it up and submit it. Admissions officers tell us they read every essay. If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. Memorable endings are poignant, making the reader feel an emotion. Or, they capture a several-line conclusion in one pithy, well-worded phrase or sentence. Or, maybe they end with a simple, clean truth written from the heart. Do not be just another of thousands of applicants that do not make an impression. Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be. In the same way, you should end your college essay with something that not only summarizes the most important aspects of you but that is also memorable. If a student is still very much struggling through the challenges they describe, the admissions reader may wonder if the student is ready for college. The part of your application you’re likely to spend the most time on. But of course I’d say that; I’m the College Essay Guy. The number of readers depends on the college’s review process. It will be anywhere from one reader to four readers. Most colleges hire readers during the application season. How many people read each essay varies by institution with two being somewhat standard. Warn students not to write about high-minded topics or exotic locales simply to impress the reader. The number of reviewers reading the essays vary from school to school. Yes, every college essay is read if the college has asked for it . It is imperative, then, that the introduction to the college essay capture the reader’s attention and make the reader want to read more. While I won’t say you should never write about these topics, if you do decide to write about one of these topics, the degree of difficulty goes way up. Essentially you have to be one of the best “soccer” essays or “mission trip” essays among the hundreds the admission officer has likely read. If you’re writing a “Why I want to be an engineer” essay, for example, what 3-5 common “engineering” values might other students have mentioned in connection with engineering? If you are reading a newspaper article, the writer fades behind the facts and you know nothing about the writer except that s/he can collect, organize, and present the facts that you need to now. You want the admissions reader to say, “Ah, this is a real person writing to me. The college essay has to grab the attention of an admission’s reader. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog). So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

How To Cite An Essay Online In Mla

How To Cite An Essay Online In Mla It is intended to provide opinions and educational information. It is not intended as individual advice and should not be taken as substitute for professional advice. We assume no responsibility for errors or mistakes. The SAT has two sections, Math and Evidence-based Reading and Writing, with each scored on a scale from 200 to 800. To get into one of the top 100 most selective schools, you will generally need to have a composite SAT score of at least 1200, preferably 1400 or more. Composite SAT scores of more than 1400 are in the top five percent of test takers. Laura Berlinsky-Schine is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where she majored in Creative Writing and minored in History. She lives in Brooklyn, New York and works as a freelance writer specializing in education. You can use the feedback to improve the essay before submitting it. The essay covered everything we wanted to without the need for extra words. If the prompt asked for at least 500 words, we would add another sentence to support one of the paragraphs. Make sure each paragraph ties back to your thesis and creates a cohesive, understandable essay. Ensure you have transitions between paragraphs so the reader understands how the paper flows from one idea to the next. Don't jumble too many ideas in each paragraph or the reader may become confused. If you've been assigned an argumentative essay, check out these Top 10 Argumentative Essay Topics. This table shows the percentile ranking of SAT test scores on the math and reading/writing sections. Get a more comprehensive look at your odds of getting accepted into a specific school, taking your test scores andgrades into account. We might get compensated for example for mentioning partners, by you, the user, making a clicking, purchasing, or signing up for a product or service through a tracking link. In no way are we responsible for the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. Write the first draft from start to finish, even if you know your thoughts are out of order. You can re-arrange them at a later time, but the initial run through will be as fluid as possible. If you have a chance to show your essay to your English instructor or academic adviser, do so. We reserve the right to make deletions, additions, or modifications to the content at any given time without prior notice. In some cases we may be compensated on an affiliate basis when users take certain actions. In order to comply with FTC guidelines we want to be transparent that ScholarshipOwl may get compensated by companies and/or partners based on an affiliate or advertiser partnership. They’ll want to know that you can reflect meaningfully and think critically about yourself and the world around you. Below are the five components of a college paragraph. They follow the order in which they are most commonly found in a paragraph; however, this is not the only possible or even successful order. The information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. If you are a “borderline” candidate, with good but less-competitive grades and test scores, a strong essay could push you into the admitted pool. However, your essay is unlikely to compensate for grades and test scores that are too far below average, since academics are the primary basis of evaluation. Checklists & Guides Step-by-step manuals for success.Essay Prompt Database A list of prompts by school. At the collegiate level, you’ll need to dive beneath the surface of an issue and be able to defend your ideas. Even if the prompt is about a personal experience, the admissions officers will still want you to reflect a level of awareness and understanding that goes beyond the obvious. If you've been tasked with an argumentative essay, here's the best formula for an Argumentative Essay Outline. The next step is to outline what you are going to write about. This means you want to essentially draw the skeleton of your paper. Writing an outline can help to ensure your paper is logical, well organized and flows properly. This is the most important sentence in the paragraph that tells readers what the rest of the paragraph will be about. Fill in supporting facts from your research under each paragraph.

College Essay Writing Tips

College Essay Writing Tips Bridget the Fixer-Upper will be slightly different than the imaginary one who paints houses and fetches Frisbees. I was lucky enough to discover what I am passionate about when I was a freshman in high school. addict, I volunteered to help out with the Adapted PE class. There is a very good chance an essay developed in this manner will meet at least one of the listed essay prompts. Selective colleges are most interested in students whose sense of purpose is illustrated in their recognition of compatible learning opportunities on their campuses. When they ask the “why do you want to come here” question, they are not interested in knowing whether you can recite their institutional superlatives. He laughed and told me that it was a nice change that a seventeen-year-old knew so specifically what she wanted to do. But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper. So, maybe I'll be like Sue Storm and her alter-ego, the Invisible Woman. I'll do one thing during the day, then spend my off-hours helping people where I can. Instead of flying like Sue, though, I'll opt for a nice performance automobile. On my first day, I learned that it was for developmentally-disabled students. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Three years have passed helping out in APE and eventually becoming a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. I love working with the students and watching them progress. Our experience means we deliver the world’s highest quality college essays, personal statements, and research papers available anywhere. College essay deadlines have a way of sneaking up on you. Order your essay right now and our professional writers will get started on your college essay. Too often students get stuck on the choice of a prompt and never get to the essay itself. Rather, they want to see if you have made the conscious connection between your sense of purpose and the opportunities that exist within their educational environment. The manner in which you like to engage in learning. We don’t all process the same information the same wayâ€"and colleges don’t all deliver it in the same manner! The Common App essay prompts are not requirements; they are ideas designed to stimulate a creative thought process. Focus instead on the key messages you want to convey and develop a storyline that illustrates them well. This is especially true if you are an experiential, hands-on learner who values testing ideas. Be prepared to provide evidence of this learning style in your supplemental essays. All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world. When senior year arrived, college meetings began, and my counselor asked me what I wanted to do for a career, I didn't say Emperor of the World. Instead, I told him I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life.

Director Of Admission Shares The Truth About College Essays

Director Of Admission Shares The Truth About College Essays Yes, the stakes can seem high, but it is ultimately the applicant’s record and work that is being evaluated and it should be theirs that is submitted as well. Now parents â€" you all know the difference between fixing typographical errors and making massive substantive changes to your child’s essay, right? It takes readers into, through, and beyond the story in 500 words or less. A great essay tells a a unique story that communicates key qualities you can offer the college. Remember â€" the admissions officers read thousands of essays every admissions season, and they can spot an overly polished essay a mile away. So â€" yes â€" it’s fine to take a quick read to look for spelling errors, but it’s not fine to write your child’s essay for him or her. The ultimate point of a college essay is to engage and hopefully convince the reader that you would be an asset on that campus. You need the essay to wow them with your personal qualities while sharing an engaging story, perhaps- a snapshot of your life. The tone could be funny or sad, reflective or poignant, but you NEED that reader to like you, so that they would support your application in admissions. At Story To College we teach how to find their most honest and authentic stories and shape them into powerful essays that admissions officers will remember. We provide college application essay courses and admissions courses to help all our students achieve their best results. We are excited to host our first application essay courses in Atlanta this summer, starting May 29th. Find the course that’s right for you at storytocollege.com/courses, or call us to talk to an expert at . Having someone else proofread an applicant’s essay is fineâ€"any writer can benefit from another set of eyes that might pick up a typo or a minor grammar mistake. That is why a great college essay is personal.This great essay is very visual and helps make you become 3-D for the reader. It starts right away with a specific story from running a marathon in the rain to spilling water on customersâ€"twiceâ€" and keeps us engaged from the first word to the last. Writing the college essay takes time and effort, and you should feel accomplished. When you submit your essay, remember to include your name, contact information, and ID number if your college provided one, especially if you send it to a general admission email account. Nothing is worse than trying to match an application essay with no name (or, worse, an email address such as ) to a file. Make sure to keep copies of what you sent to which schools and whenâ€"and follow up on them! They are not general or abstract, the more details the better. The best essays are 20% about the “topic” (the “what”) and 80% about the writer. A great college essay grabs your attention from the first sentence. What I didn’t know at the time was that a “hooker” was actually the name of a position on a rugby team. The student went on about how he developed the strength and technique needed to be successful in the position and how that experience shaped him into the man he had become. Whether or not it was intentional, this student started his essay in a way that certainly caught the attention of the admissions committee, and that’s what your first sentences absolutely need to do. If your essay does not reveal some sense of your best personal qualities are i.e. maturity, leadership or compassion then it has failed. A great college essay is one that makes your reader want to get to know you better, to engage in a conversation with you. It is an essay that makes your reader laugh or cry or think. The best college essays deal with specific examples from the writer’s life. Be certain the college or university you're applying to received your essay. You don’t want all that hard work to go to waste. However, true editing starts to move into the substantive writing process and in the end the writer of the college essay should be the applicant. Too much assistanceâ€"even from parentsâ€" however well intentioned, serves to undermine the process and raise questions about the legitimacy and integrity of the whole application.

College Essay

College Essay Writing a good essay can take a long time and require several drafts. No one ever gets a piece of writing perfect on his or her first draft. College essays, though not the most important thing, are very important in the application process. Whether writing is a strength of yours or a struggle, it is imperative that you start early on the process of writing your essay. Look on theUndergraduate Admissions website and locate the possible college essay topics. You may see one or two questions that seem easier for you to answer than others. Choose the prompt that comes closest to something you’d like to write about. The purpose of the prompt is to help you reflect on something that matters to you. Your application will be full of information that illuminates dimensions of you and your abilities, but only the essay gives you a vehicle to speak, in your own voice, about something personally significant. Likewise, avoid clichés and overuse of contractions. Be thoughtful in both your topic choice and the tone of your writing. Colleges look for students who have dealt with adversity, have overcome challenges and continue to grow from their experience. Admitting shortcomings is a sign of maturity and intelligence, so there is no need to portray yourself as a superhero; they will see through it. This is the point in your life where you pour the largest amount of bullshit you can muster into a paper. She graduated from The George Washington University with a Master’s Degree in Secondary Special Education and Transition Services in 2013. Talk to at least one adult about disclosing your disability in your college essay. Make a list of the keys to a good college essay, then list why they are important. 2.Narrow the list of possible topics.Which topics best reflect who you are and how you want to portray yourself to the colleges? Which topics best help you answer the essay question. Once you have a revised draft of your college essay, call in your friends and family to take a look. Have them give you comments and encourage them to be honest. Choose something you care about and it will flow more naturally. Allow yourself plenty of time to write the essay. I know this sounds absurdly simple, but it really does make a difference to be as relaxed as possible when you sit down to write. An essay where highschoolers have to boast about how awesome they are in order to get into the colleges they want. The harder they boast the more likely they'll get accepted. The essay is one of the few things that you’ve got complete control over in the application process, especially by the time you’re in your senior year. works as a high school English teacher at a school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Admissions officers can have a sense of humor too, and, when used appropriately, humor can make you stand out. However, don't make being funny one of your top goals in your college essay. Generally speaking, slang words conjure the feeling of someone being unpolished, uncaring or not that serious. These are three things you don't want your admissions reader thinking about you.

Can I Reuse The Same Essay On A Different Application?

Can I Reuse The Same Essay On A Different Application? Top schools are looking for more than high GPAs and standardized test scores. We provide students with the opportunity and the support system to find their ‘hook’ and develop a passion and skill set that will set them apart. If you're a student with a disability, first complete one of the CSN applications listed at the top of this page. A private college counselor, offers the guidance students need and the peace of mind that parents seek. Social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence are critical to student success. Dance Performance Studies applicants are required to audition prior to their application being reviewed. In order to complete the application process a student interested in Dance Performance Studies must have auditioned. To schedule an audition, please register for your auditiononline. A portfolio of two and/or three-dimensional work demonstrating evidence of an applicant’s creative potential is required for all applicants for admission to the B.S. Letters of recommendation provide details from a school or community member that expand more upon something we have learned from the student's application in other places or tell us something entirely new. The best recommendations are personal and not just that the student is “a pleasure to have in class.”. The application essay gives us an understanding of who you are. While it gives us a chance to hear you in your own words, we also use the essay to assess your level of writing . If you have completed at least one semester as a degree candidate at another college or university, apply as a Transfer Applicant. And if you’ve already decided BU is your first choice among schools, apply as an Early Decision Applicant. Jen and her team of accomplished and highly trained counselors and tutors were experts in knowing exactly how to help my son navigate through the acutely stressful college application experience. He worked one-on-one with Jen, who helped guide him through the actual application process. This can be a daunting task for any parent/student who tries to undertake it alone. • To ensure that students have many college acceptances to choose from, all of which will allow them to thrive, mature and achieve academic success. • To work with families and students as a team on all college aspects, from affordability to right fit. Please choose your educational goal below to get started. If you are applying from high school or with equivalent high school requirements, you will apply as a First-Year Applicant. Be sure to see the requirements on the International Applicants page. Jen’s comprehensive knowledge of the colleges and universities across the country is unparalleled, so her professional advice and guidance was invaluable. Those two largely objective factors stand out among other potential admissions criteria. And fewer still say that athletic ability (8% major, 34% minor) or legacy status (8% major, 24% minor) should be factors. After you've submitted your application, visit the Disability Resource Centeron any main campus for additional support in the enrollment process. Whether you’re a current high school student or a future apprentice, an international student or a veteran, pursuing a degree or just wanting to learn something new, your application is important to us. Consistent with the mission of our program, Roger Williams University is interested in and celebrates the variety of expression that applicants demonstrate. Applicants come from a variety of backgrounds, and we appreciate this variety as a basis for beginning the study architecture at the college level. We only require one letter of recommendation but encourage more if they help tell your story.

Coalition Application Essay Prompts

Coalition Application Essay Prompts The writer exceeded my expectations and I have submitted a new project with them for my business. The work they do is original, I ran the project through 4 different plagiarism checkers and they came back with less than papers I've written myself. Highly recommend working with this company and their writers. I have been using you guys for a long time now, and I am pleased to say that I have never had any problems when it came to my orders. I have used your guys for different papers of many different lengths and those papers were always on time and exceptionally written. Please read the terms and conditions for more information about limitations of liability. 4 The graduate writer pool represents a total of 7.3% compared to the total number of writers we have in our database. SM Availability Intelligence is a service mark owned by Ultius, Inc. The mark represents our proprietary technology that utilizes various signals and data points to determine whether clients can request specific contracted writers. ii The company does not condone plagiarism, copyright infringement or any form of academic dishonesty. Will definitely use the service again or recommend it to friends. Lizzy, in customer service, was wonderful answering all my questions. All provided sample services must only be used for reference purposes while being cited properly. Connect with a professional writer by placing your first order. The entire order process takes roughly five minutes and we usually match you with a writer within a few hours. As of October , the requested writer acceptance rate is 90%, meaning that there is a 9/10 chance they will be available. We will ask you to write a brief sample with provided instructions. The application process takes anywhere from a few weeks to two months and includes the steps listed below. I have never gotten a low grade on something that you guys have written for me. I have used you guys for more than 30 papers and article reviews. My papers were always well written and submitted back to me on time. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give. Due to the evolving situation surrounding COVID-19, our office is closed. If you need to reach us, please email or register for Virtual Admissions Advising. Learn about applying to the University of California as a transfer applicant, including insight into the admission process and tips for successfully completing your application. All orders get manually reviewed by our Quality Assurance team before you get it, ensuring a higher level of writing quality. Because of our selective hiring process and commitment to only hiring American writers, Ultius boasts having better writers than anywhere else on the world wide web. These are just a few of the many signals we use when deciding whether to show a writer as available - and we're improving our technology every day to make it even more reliable. Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from. Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution like words, you need to write at least 400 words. Ultius is the trusted provider of content solutions for consumers around the world. Connect with great American writers and get 24/7 support. 6 No platform is entirely secure, and that includes Ultius. Despite our efforts and track record, we legally cannot promise a 100% success rate of securing our platform, your data and communications exchanged. Explore career opportunities with Ultius as a writer or staff member. She was patient and took her time to solve my issue. I had an issue with my money being refunded and it got solved today.

College Essay Writing Tips

College Essay Writing Tips Be sure to attend to your essay's style, and in most cases you're going to want to avoid these ten bad essay topics. If you've said all you have to say in 500 words, don't try to pad your essay to make it longer. Regardless of length, and even if yours is a transfer essay, the best writing will tell a compelling story, provide insight to your character and interests, and are written with crisp and engaging prose. Again, use the essay to narrate an engaging story. Then on the second day, you can look at the essay with fresh eyes to do your final edits. Cell phone restrictions in classrooms should also include specific disciplinary actions for breaking the rules. If a student is caught using the phone in class, he or she should be excused for the rest of the day. What organization is issuing the scholarship, and how can you tie that into your writing? What is the underlying information they want to learn from your essay? Write in a way that shows you are the best candidate for the scholarship. Get all your thoughts on paper, and you can extend or shorten the essay during the editing process. Students should be permitted to keep their phones in their bags, pockets, or other belongings as long as the phones are on silent in class. Vibrate settings may be permitted if the instructor does not believe it will distract him or her, since the noise of the vibration may not be noticeable in a large classroom. If a student needs to answer the phone during an emergency, he or she can step out of the classroom to do so. Make sure it highlights something you care about deeply, and be sure to provide a window into your interests or personality that isn't already obvious from the rest of your application. For years the Common Application had no length limit, and applicants and counselors frequently debated whether a tight 450-word essay was a wiser approach than a detailed 900-word piece. Give yourself at least two full days to write the essay. You can use the first day to write a draft and do some minor editing. They’ll want to know that you can reflect meaningfully and think critically about yourself and the world around you. Finally, keep in mind that what you say and how you say it is far more important than whether you have 550 words or 650 words. Use your 650 words to tell a focused story and help the admissions folks get to know you. Once they have written the first draft of a paper, they might compare their paragraphs to the list, noting what is missing and rewriting the paragraphs as appropriate. In the five paragraph essay, each paragraph had a topic sentence and then a bunch of support —support which often consisted of a hodgepodge of examples sort of thrown at the reader in a kind of barrage. Always think about your audience when writing a scholarship essay. Professors should refrain from physically taking possession of a student’s phone because of liability conflicts. If the phone is damaged while in the professor’s possession, the school or the instructor could be held responsible for the repairs. It is safer to ask the student to leave the classroom than it is to take the phone away completely. The best solution is to create cell phone usage rules that allow devices to be accessible without disturbing other students’ educational opportunities. No longer can applicants attach an essay that goes over the limit. Instead, applicants will need to enter the essay into a text box that counts words and prevents entering anything beyond 650 words. In 2011, that decision was taken away as the Common Application moved to a relatively short 500-word limit. With the August 2013 release of CA4 , the guidelines changed once again. CA4 set the limit at 650 words with a minimum of 250 words. And unlike earlier versions of the Common Application, the length limit is now enforced by the application form.

How To Write A Great College Admissions Essay

How To Write A Great College Admissions Essay Remind the reader of how the evidence you’ve presented has contributed to your thesis. Don’t give details and in-depth explanations that really belong in your body paragraphs. Give some background information necessary for understanding the essay. If your essay has a thesis, your thesis statement will typically appear at the end of your introduction, even though that is not a hard-and-fast rule. You may, for example, follow your thesis with a brief road map to your essay that sketches the basic structure of your argument. The longer the paper, the more useful a road map becomes. Your essay needs a conclusion to drive main points and give understanding why it matters. Writing a strong finishing paragraph might be challenging, but a clear structure, together with several strategies to operate, provide room to work. Your essay needs a conclusion to drive the main points and give an understanding of why it matters. Writing a strong concluding sentence might be challenging, but a clear structure, together with several strategies to operate, provide you a room to work. visit the web pageof the University of Richmond’s Writing Center to find more transitional words for a concluding sentence of your essay. You can usually postpone background material to the body of the essay. In a more technical paper, define a term that is possibly unfamiliar to your audience but is central to understanding the essay. The number of sentences in your conclusion will depend on how many paragraphs you have in the essay. Connect back to the essay hook and relate your closing statement to the opening one. Return to an anecdote, example, or quotation that you introduced in your introduction, but add further insight that derives from the body of your essay. Write a backstory for the barista who always draws a lopsided heart in the foam of your soy latte. Imagine life as the person who drives the crosstown bus. Don't reuse an answer to a similar question from another application. Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the summer they spent in Rome. It could be an experience, a person, a bookâ€"anything that has had an impact on your life. Seek advice from people you’ve met through MUN who are attending or have attended competitive colleges. yes, it is ok as long as an essay of their child reflects the inner world of the child, not that of parents. yes, it is ok as long as an essay of their child reflects inner world of the child, not that of parents. essay hookand relate your closing statement to the opening one; transit to human nature to impress a reader and give them food for thought. Here you’ll have 2-3 sentences wrapping up the arguments of your essay. Students may ask their parents for editing the essay, however, they better off asking their English teacher for such task. of course, some parents are in the position to do a good job, in many cases, they are not suitable for the job. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a re-statement of your thesis. If you wish to summarizeâ€"and often you mustâ€"do so in fresh language. When recalling these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from the experience and how it changed you.

Why Are College Essays So Hard To Complete?

Why Are College Essays So Hard To Complete? I have experienced study abroad in Spain, visited my father’s hometown in China five times, and traveled to many other places such as Paris. This is a college essay that worked for Cornell University. This is a college essay that worked for University of Pennsylvania . I attended the SPK Program, a five-week enrichment program with New Jersey’s best and brightest students. Your closing line is your final shot to make a lasting impression before your college fate is sealed! The experts at College Essay Advisors have lined up their most essential tips for writing a killer closing line. Extracting a killer college application essay from your notes, brainstorms, and freewrites may seem like a daunting task. I select my first prey arbitrarily, and as I raise my hand up to eye level, I closely examine this chosen one. A miniature Flamenco dancer stares back at me from the confines of the 3-D rectangular magnet, half popping out as if willing herself to come to life. Instantly, my mind transports me back a few summers before, when I tapped my own heels to traditional music in Spain. I am reminded of my thirst to travel, to explore new cultures utterly different from my familiar home in Modesto, California. You love your topic, but your ideas are scattered. Freewriting is the key to an amazing college application essay - especially the first draft! These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. The essays can be the most important components of your application. I reach in and let my fingers trail around the surfaces of each object. I lived on a college campus with 200 students and studied a topic. On the first day of class, our teacher set a box on the table and poured water into the top, and nothing came out. Then, he poured more water in, and everything slowly came out. We were told to figure out what had happened with no phones or textbooks, just our brains. We did this with no textbooks, flashcards, or information to memorize. This is a college essay that worked for Duke University. This is a college essay that worked for Harvard University. What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your applicationâ€"nor should it repeat it. This isn't the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores. A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything offâ€"color. We worked together to discover in the box was a siphon, similar to what is used to pump gas. We spent the next weeks building solar ovens, studying the dynamic of paper planes, diving into the content of the speed of light and space vacuums, among other things. Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application. I became president of the California Scholarship Federation, providing students with information to prepare them for college, while creating opportunities for my peers to play a bigger part in our community. I began tutoring kids, teens, and adults on a variety of subjects ranging from basic English to home improvement and even Calculus. As the captain of the water polo and swim team I’ve led practices crafted to individually push my comrades to their limits, and I’ve counseled friends through circumstances similar to mine. Fill up you blank page with these tips for getting started on your way to personal statement success. One-on-One Advising Work with one of CEA’s expert Advisors to conceptualize, edit and refine admissions essays that stick with admissions and make you stand out. Jerry’s essay helped the admissions committee understand his background and how he persevered and grew through debate. Although we had already learned about Jerry’s enthusiasm for debate in other parts of his application, this essay gave so much more depth into why this activity is meaningful for him. Given what he shared in his essay, we can imagine Jerry being an active participant both in and out of the classroom.

How To Finish A College

How To Finish A College His words somehow become my words, his memories become my memories. Despite the high speed of the bullet train, my mind is perfectly still â€" trapped between the narrative of the book and the narrative of my own life. Although they're phrased differently from college to college, certain essay question types appear routinely. We asked the admission staff to select some of their favorite essays. We hope they will provide inspiration as you craft your stories. An essay that is presented in a few long paragraphs is not only hard to readâ€"the resulting word “blocks” can be overwhelming to tired eyesâ€"it effectively obscures the author’s key messages. And rememberâ€"a one line, one sentence paragraph can be more impactful than a 3-4 sentence paragraph. While there is no perfect length for an essay, we recommend that you aim for 500 to 550 words. For more information on specific application requirements, please consult the website for each institution to which you are applying, as requirements often vary. Compelling essays will help you distinguish yourself. Students sign up with Prompt and start with a strategy session to figure out what they can still do to improve their experiences for their essays. Sign up now and we guarantee you'll finish all of your essays by mid-September so you can focus on academics and activities during senior year. In my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, where normality was…well, the norm, I tried to be a typical student â€" absolutely, perfectly normal. I blended into crowds, the definition of typical. I became a person who refused to surprise people. Unsettled, I turn to my ever-present book for comfort. Today it is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, already worn and slightly crumpled. They say the best books tell you what you already know, resonating with your own thoughts and emotions. As I read, it is as if the tempest of my thoughts is spelled out on paper. The overflowing sense of hyper-reality in Tim O’Brien’s words of warfare spills into my world. Once you’ve hooked the reader, switch gears a little to set up the essay in a way appropriate for an introduction. The introduction needs to set up the whole essay. It should establish for the reader a sense of expectation for what’s to come without giving it all away. Relate to the reader the full scope of an experience â€" sights, sounds, and maybe even smells. Be careful, however, not to overuse imagery; otherwise the essay may sound forced, unnatural and give the reader the impression you are trying too hard to be creative. Don’t restate information that can be found elsewhere in your application. This is your opportunity to provide insight and interpretation. Essays that become travelogues or resume narratives have little value to the reader and are wasted space. Admissions officers are seeking students who are purposeful in their pursuits when choosing among highly talented students. They see a ton of candidates who are drawn by the fame or prestige of their institutionsâ€"who are simply applying to see if they can get in. I got my MFA at UT Austin as a Michener Fellow, a program for young writers that accepts less than one percent of applicants. Prompt connects students with a team of professional playwrights, authors, journalists, and educators who are only available through our network. Students applying to highly competitive universities (Ivy and Ivy-equivalent) face tough competition. Such candidates, regardless of their credentials, are not very compelling and are easily dismissed. Admission officers want to get past the facts of your application to better understand how you think. How do you process information about yourself and the world around you? Your essay should reveal how and why have they shaped you. College professors don’t want to have to teach you how to write. From a technical point of view, then, your essay should reveal that you have good command of the language, understand the rules of grammar and can convey ideas concisely. College essays, however, are arguably the most challengingâ€"and, potentially paralyzingâ€"assignments you will face during your senior year. Since 2016, I have worked as a high school English tutor, theatre educator, and freelance journalist. I graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University's theatre and creative writing programs. I'm a playwright, editor, and writing teacher with a focus on arts education.

College Expert Advice

College Expert Advice Little by little, American culture poured into my life, intermingling with my Guatemalan roots. The more I remain nonjudgmental, the more my own beliefs develop and become nuanced. I have nothing to lose when I listen to my peers. I extract small pieces of their perspectives in order to enhance my own. I don’t necessarily have to find validity in everyone’s viewpoints to at least listen to their reasoning. “These people are just confused,” Emily whispered to me as she stared out the car window at the gay couples walking down the rainbow streets of the Castro. I was utterly offended by her statement, but I replied calmly, “Let people be who they are.” Emily and I grew up in Texas together as inseparable friends. For twelve years that was our beautiful home, and we enjoyed every moment together. Only then can I create a bridge that connects two different ideas, allowing for a more harmonious world. So, I try to listen with an open mind, even when that feels extremely difficult. Sometimes, pure adrenaline rushes through my body, making me want to bang my hands on the table out of complete anger towards an opinion. Appreciating uniqueness and connecting to different characters augments my own maturity and depth. Despite our differences, Emily and I have a healthy relationship in which we are able to learn from one another; the acknowledgement of our individual value allows us to avoid bitterness. I strive to continue improving my ability to be comfortable with disagreement in order to learn more from my peers. I may not always send up agreeing with Emily, or other people I care about, but I should at least try to understand a different perspective. If I completely disagree with their opinions, I use their counterargument to articulate a more potent version of my position. The value in telling my story is just as important as hearing another. I love group projects in school, where ideas and creativity flow between people. I adore the end of a cross country race when all the girls from different schools hug and laugh with one another. I cherish being on a soccer team, where the bond between my teammates and me is essential for achieving success. Finally, I extend my hesitant arm to pick up the pack of masa harina and proceed to pour it into the bowl. As I pour the masa harina, I cannot help but think about how much it resembles my journey to America. If one plan falls short, I reassess and approach the wall from another angle. I am comfortable making decisions, even when I don’t know what the outcome may be. Through this life-changing sport I have strengthened not only my body but also my mind, learning the beauty of problem solving. The best things about climbing is that there is no clear-cut way to climb a wall, and that there is always a new challenge. Last summer, Emily visited my new home of five years, San Francisco, for the first time. We still laughed until our faces turned tomato red. We still screamed our favorite Taylor Swift songs as if there was no tomorrow. I have learned, though, that suppressing my emotional side during a time of disagreement and instead responding with calmness gets my point across more effectively. When that irritation begins to overtake my ability to concentrate on another person’s outlook, I always try to draw from my experiences of living both in the South and in the West. They are surrounded by different cultures and experiences. When I moved, I brought my Guatemalan heritage with me into the massive bowl that is the United States. Continuing with the recipe, I gradually add water to the masa harina and knead it until it becomes the desired texture. Assimilating into American culture and the American way of life was no easy feat for me and I struggled at first, but I found ways to manage. Although my parents were not fluent in English, I was able to learn English with the help of Dora the Explorer, Barney, and my surroundings. Nothing could get in between the love we had for each other, even our vehemently opposing opinions. Patience, collaboration, and determination are all needed when climbing a wall, like in any field of research. I no longer say I can’t do something, instead approaching challenges with the utmost confidence.

Crafting A College Essay That Says Read Me!

Crafting A College Essay That Says 'Read Me!' Choose a topic that recounts “that moment when”…The most impactful and memorable college essays focus on an ordinary topic that resulted in deep self-reflection and increased self-insight. In your own voice, tell a story that reveals a defining moment that helped to shape who you are today and influences who you’ll be tomorrow. Many selective colleges and universities have their own essay prompts. Other colleges may simply offer you free writing space to provide a personal statement. I know parents who believe kids who can’t sit down and write essays themselves aren’t ready for four-year college. Jager-Hyman said there are some who believe a 17-year-old need only “put one foot in front of the other” and apply himself to complete this task. No one would expect a student to dash off a perfect essay. In fact, more than one professional points out that students should not have already reached their writing potential before entering college. If you don't plan on using the Common App, these prompts can still offer insight into a topic you'll likely be writing on for your school of choice. So whether you’re seeking flexibility in your college admission essay or you’re just doing a little preliminary research on likely essay prompts, the Common App is a good place to start. However, the Common Application is perhaps the best starting point for anticipating likely college essay prompts. Finally, submit your college essay, along with any other application materials, well before the submission deadline. This shows colleges that you're serious about developing your future potential with their institution. Practicing your writing skills in advance can help you prepare for college essays. In other words, your college essay should give the reader a real sense of your unique personality, characteristics, and qualities. Good editors help students describe what makes them different and special. Applicants should realize that most admissions counselors are young and have a sense of what a teenage voice sounds like, Jager-Hyman says. The Common Application also gives you the option of responding to one of 7 different essay prompts. If you will be using the Common App, you’ll be able to choose, and write about, one of these prompts. I highly recommend Emily if you need assistance for your college essay. Visit our Writing Lab for more writing tips, pertaining both to your college essay, and to the array of other writing challenges you’ll face in college or graduate school. This advice applies to most creative writing situations. If a college suspects an essay is not the student’s work, they don’t automatically throw him out of the applicant pool, says Krahnke, but a negative vibe is placed in the counselor’s head. Heathman believes the job of the essay coach is to help students themselves find the right way to tell their story. We assume some well-meaning English teacher shared this advice with you in high school. Admissions officers aren’t interested in a timeline of events or a bullet-list of accomplishments. What they’re really seeking is a story, a personal narrative, a reflection that carries subtext. That story shows your hard work, dedication, and generosity without ever referring explicitly to these fantastic qualities. On the subject of essay prompts, Meredith points out that the 7 variations offered by the Common App are designed to give all applicants the opportunty to share something meaningful about themselves.

Freewriting

Freewriting If you’re applying to a large state institution, and your numbers are strong relative to their average student body, then you’ll get in on the strength of your four years of hard work. The bottom line is that they may be getting 25,000 applications, and they simply don’t have time to sift through essays and recommendations. There are so many terrific free resources online â€" just google “brainstorming college essay” and you’ll be pleased with what comes up. Also, look at the Common Application essay promptsâ€" one of them will speak to you, but you need to really read them. Kids are quick to eliminate a prompt, but I always ask them to go back and rethink. When I say they are “not very good”, I mean they are either boring, impenetrable, melodramatic, or all of the above. Keep in mind that the admissions counselors at each of the colleges to which you apply will read hundreds of applications each week. Statistical websites like College Factual are tremendously helpful here as well, as are blogs from current and former students, Vlogs, Instagram feeds â€" anything and everything is fair game. Cite a wide range of sources in your essay to show the depth of your research. Visit our Writing Lab for more writing tips, pertaining both to your college essay, and to the array of other writing challenges you’ll face in college or graduate school. “You can think of the essay as the soul of the application. However, if you’re applying to an Ivy League school or a smaller liberal arts college, then they’re really looking at the whole package and the essay can be very important. At some of these schools, there are very few students who don’t have near-perfect test scores and GPAs, so how do you stand out? They’re looking at your essay, recommendations and activities to understand the whole picture of you. It all depends on where you’re applying, your grades and your test scores. Here are a few pieces of advice to consider as you write, revise, and submit your college essays. DEEP WEB RESEARCH. This should be the heart of your essay, as well as the meat and potatoes. I encourage students to ask people close to them to read the essay and ask ‘would you know this essay is about me? But make sure it’s still your voice,” Richardson says. While St. Johns College may ask for more in-depth answers, other schools value brevity, challenging students to write concisely. One such example, shared by Tufts, takes the reader from the student’s love of origami to a passion for science in less than 250 words. Inzer also encourages students not to stress too much over the essay and put unnecessary weight on it as part of their college application. While a strong essay may elevate a candidate in a crowded field, she says it doesn’t make or break an application. “The essay really needs to be the student’s work. Reading the school’s website is not a bad start, as it will give you a basic overview of what’s on offer. Keep an eye peeled for course listings, recent news events, maps and descriptions of important campus buildings, student run organizations, and other key terms. Then take those terms and plug them right into Google, Youtube and Linkedin! After reading links on the things that interest you, you’ll understand it almost as well as someone at the school! Ask smaller questions around the prompt to get at exactly what you want to write about. The other subject to handle delicately is loss or tragedy. Colleges want to admit students who are ready to be successful members of their community. This advice applies to most creative writing situations. We assume some well-meaning English teacher shared this advice with you in high school. Admissions officers aren’t interested in a timeline of events or a bullet-list of accomplishments. What they’re really seeking is a story, a personal narrative, a reflection that carries subtext. But the same is true for college essays, as Orwell doubtlessly would have realized if he were reanimated and handed him a sheaf of Common Applications. The sad truth is that most college application essays are not very good.

Nacac National College Fairs

Nacac National College Fairs Several of my family members left this world in one last beating symphony; heart attacks seem to be a trend in my family. They left like birds; laughing one minute and in a better place the next. Using equipment that a high school student could only dream of using, I was able to map apoptosis versus necrosis in HeLa cells, a cervical cancer line, after treating them with curcumin-bound nanoparticles. Using flow cytometry to excite each individually suspended cell with a laser, the scattered light from the cells helped to determine which cells were living, had died from apoptosis or had died from necrosis. Working towards those changes to solve real life problems is what excites me. So, I will forgive and forget, love and inspire, experience and satire, laugh and cry, accomplish and fail, live and die. What you’re taught is often a general rule to shoot for, not a rule set in concrete. Your teacher felt that 7 paragraphs was a good number for the essays you wrote for her, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. My teachers always taught by eight paragraph essays, but five-paragraph essays normally lie precedent to the more advanced or larger essays. the general rule is that 3 paragraphs are minimum for an essay. So, no matter how short your essay is, you should still need 3 paragraphs. This is how I want to live my life, with this optimistic attitude that every day is a second chance. All the time, we have the opportunity to renew our perspective on life, to correct our mistakes, and to simply move on. Like the phoenix I will continue to rise from the ashes, experienced and renewed. I will not waste time for my life is already in flux. Yet I've realized that life is fickler than I had imagined; it can disappear or change at any time. I believe my purpose as a student is to encourage others to become active community members and motivate them to reach new heights. The Sonora Eagles were students of different grade levels, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational ability. The most important moment occurred during the night’s luminaria ceremony, during which cancer patients of the past and present were commemorated. Our whole team gathered around, and I asked people to share how they have been affected by cancer. The Sonora Eagles were my means for dealing with the death of my loved ones to cancer. But overall, ADPP has taught me that small changes can have immense impacts. My branch has helped raise almost $3,000 to build water sanitation plants, construct medical clinics, and develop health education programs in the small village of Zwedru. The difference between ADPP and most other organizations is its emphasis on the basics and making changes that last. If you are really for some reason writing a 100 word essay, then you should have one short sentence for both your introduction and conclusion. Paragraphs structure information into sub-topics, and they make your work easier to read and understand thanks to the structure they provide. I was never fully aware of how closely humans rely upon each other until I read The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia in freshman year. The allegory is about a leaf that changes with the seasons, finally dying in the winter, realizing that his purpose was to help the tree thrive. After reading it, I was enlightened on the cycle of life and realized the tremendous impact my actions had on others. The exploration led me to the African Disease Prevention Project , a non-profit organization associated with several universities. I decided to create the first high school branch of the organization; I liked its unique way of approaching health and social issues. Rather than just raising money and channeling it through third parties, each branch “adopts” one village and travels there to provide for its basic needs. As branch president, I organize events from small stands at public gatherings to 60-person dinner fundraisers in order to raise both money and awareness. I’ve learned how to encourage my peers to meet deadlines, to work around 30 different schedules at once, and to give presentations convincing people why my organization is worth their donation. Using this collected data, it was possible to determine if the curcumin and/or the nanoparticles had played any significant role on the cervical cancer cells. Later, I was able to image cells in 4D through con-focal microscopy. From growing HeLa cells to trying to kill them with different compounds, I was able to gain the hands-on experience necessary for me to realize once again why I love science. This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the University of Notre Dame’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program . On average for a five-paragraph essay, I write around 1, words. For an eight paragraph essay, I write around 2,000-2,600 words on the document. Keep in mind your quotes too, you should have one quote per paragraph or two . It really is up to the person though, I have a buddy who writes considerably less than I do, but is able to get his point across.

What Colleges Require Admission Essays? And Which Ones Require Supplemental Essays?

What Colleges Require Admission Essays? And Which Ones Require Supplemental Essays? I paid attention in class, I did the work, but nothing stuck. I felt so stupid, I knew I was capable, I could solve a Rubik’s cube in 25 seconds and write poetry, but I felt broken. As I was rejected from StuGo for the second year in a row, I discovered I had been wrongfully measuring my life through numbers--my football statistics, my test scores, my age, my height (I’m short). I had the epiphany that oh wait, maybe it was my fault that I had never prioritized communication skills, or open-mindedness . My parents decided to start anew, took some time apart, then got back together. My mom started to pick me up from activities on time and my dad and I bonded more, watching Warriors and 49ers games. Not long ago, I would have fallen apart at the presence of any uncertainty. That must be why I always had to be the one to approach people during my volunteer hours at the public library to offer help--no one ever asked me for it. I resolved to alter my mindset, taking a new approach to the way I lived. From now on I would emphasize qualitative experiences over quantitative skills. Despite knowing how to execute these very particular tasks, I currently fail to understand how to change a tire, how to do my taxes efficiently, or how to obtain a good insurance policy. A factory-model school system that has been left essentially unchanged for nearly a century has been the driving force in my educational development. Making my teammate smile even though he’s in pain. These are the moments I hold onto, the ones that define who I am, and who I want to be. For me, time isn’t just seconds ticking by on a clock, it’s how I measure what matters. After experiencing many twists and turns in my life, I’m finally at a good spot. I know what I want to do with my life, and I know how I’m going to get there. Learning how to wake up without my mom every morning became routine. Nothing felt right, a constant numbness to everything, and fog brain was my kryptonite. As I further accept and advance new life skills, the more I realize how much remains uncertain in the world. After all, it is quite possible my future job doesn’t exist yet, and that’s okay. I can’t conceivably plan out my entire life at the age of 17, but what I can do is prepare myself to take on the unknown, doing my best to accompany others. Hopefully, my wings continue enabling me to fly, but it is going to take more than just me and my wings; I have to continue putting my faith in the air around me. The rollout plan for the iTaylor is to introduce it to the theater market. My goal is to use performance and storytelling to expose audiences to different cultures, religions, and points of view. Perhaps if we all learned more about each other's lifestyles, the world would be more empathetic and integrated. On the outside, I look like any smart phone, but when you open my settings and explore my abilities, you will find I have many unique features. ” The thought screams through my mind as I carry a sobbing girl on my back across campus in search of an ice pack and ankle wrap. She had just fallen while performing, and I could relate to the pain and fear in her eyes. The chaos of the show becomes distant, and I devote my time to bringing her relief, no matter how long it may take. Since then, I’ve launched a sports medicine program to provide care to the 500-person choir program. Laughter fills the show choir room as my teammates and I pass the time by telling bad jokes and breaking out in random bursts of movement. Overtired, we don’t even realize we’re entering the fourth hour of rehearsal. This same sense of camaraderie follows us onstage, where we become so invested in the story we are portraying we lose track of time. I realize I choreograph not for recognition, but to help sixty of my best friends find their footing. I find what I need to treat her injury in the sports medicine training room. I didn’t realize she would be the first of many patients I would tend to in this training room.