The College Application Process: A Moment of Reflection

To all my students texting me with the great news of your acceptances and your decisions, thank you! I do a little happy dance with every ping, celebrating your hard work and success. I’m warmed by your gratitude; I feel your relief. (And if you haven’t already let me know what you’ve decided for the fall, reach out! I want to hear.)

I’d also love your permission to share the topic of your essay, or the opening line, with future students … completely anonymous, of course! Oftentimes, it’s helpful for teens (and parents) to see or hear a few examples of what a great and unexpected college essay can look or feel like. And please feel free to share my name and website with younger siblings or friends who may need support with their college essays. Referrals are always appreciated.

But most importantly, I want you to take a moment to reflect on where you were five or eight months ago … all that anxiety and fear, the long slog to get those applications done before the deadline, the tediousness of the revisions, the worry and unknown and wonder if you’d measure up. 

And then I want you to ground yourself in the now, comparing and contrasting those unsettling feelings from the fall to the pride you feel in this moment. I want you to see how much can change, for the better, in a relatively short time. And I want you to always remember this.

But for now, enjoy the last bits of your senior year! Please keep in touch, and know there’s a lady in Jersey cheering you on. :-)