Hi and Welcome!
Today is the birthday of COLLEGE ESSAY CONFIDENCE: Conquer Blocks, Free Your Voice, and Write a Knockout Application Essay. (Cue fireworks!) This book is a student guide, an essay coach, a stress-buster, a voice in your head saying, “Go, go, go, and have fun digging, writing, and celebrating your competency; you’ve got this!”
Tonight is the free book launch event at the Odyssey Bookshop at 7:00 PM 1/20/26. Locals, please join me for cookies, chocolate, college admissions and writing advice, stress release, swag, raffle prizes, and community. Non-locals, let me know if you want me to come to you another time and deliver the same (minus the cookies because my friend, Rob, is only baking this once).
My book COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CRACKED: Saving Your Kid (and Yourself) From the Madness is a step-by-step guide, BFF, advisor, and stress-buster for the parents of college applicants saying, “I’ve got you, and everything you’re doing and feeling is okay; you’ve got this!”
Now that we have that cleared up, I’m writing this newsletter for the student applicants. Parents, feel free to read on.
Tag, you’re it, juniors! What do you want?
Well, you’ve watched your friends who are seniors submit their college applications, and you may have that feeling of, “Tag, you’re it!” You have plenty of time before you need to apply to college. Now is the time to recalibrate your head away from “What do colleges want from me?” toward “What do I want for the next step in my life?”
The quest for the “perfect” college
More important than shopping for a “perfect college,” take inventory of who you are “becoming,” who you want to be, and eventually, which colleges will help you achieve your personal version of success.
To clarify, “perfect college” is in quotes because if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll be searching forever. Like people, no college is perfect.
Who you are “becoming” is in quotes because a million people will ask you what is your college major, and what career are you going to pursue (for the rest of your life is implied)? The correct response should be, “How do I know; I’m only seventeen.”
It’s reflection time.
Start by asking yourself, “What do I love to do today?” (That will probably lead you to your best college essay topic.) “Based on what I love to do today, what careers would I like to explore in college?”
College is for learning. Learning is an experience and exploration, not just a transaction. If you think about it like this, I think you’ll feel less stress and more excitement about your college admissions journey ahead.
Tips for what you can be doing now (It’s only January)
You are not behind on college admissions until the day after your first application was due. Here are some tips for making spring semester of junior year productive and meaningful:
- Engage in your classes and get to know your teachers. Exercise your intellectual curiosity, and let your teachers work their magic to help guide it (they are as tired of the pressure to teach to the test as you are of memorizing for it). It will help if you keep your eyes open for the ways in which what you’re studying applies to your real life. Example: I’m a writer who uses skills I learned in math classes every single day.
- Make an appointment with your high school counselor. Counselors wear so many hats, and they’re overloaded, but the joy in their work is getting to know and guiding students. They really and truly want to help you judiciously choose next year’s classes and get you started on exploring a post-high school life in which you’ll shine.
- Do a little self-analysis. Don’t just rely on the story others have told about you or you’ve always told about yourself. Human beings constantly change and grow, and you’re no exception. Example: Have you always thought you wanted to go to a huge rah rah university, but when you think about it, discussions in small classes are what light your fire? The evolved you might update your ideas about colleges to explore (and the story of your life, while you’re at it).
- It’s legit to start shopping for colleges now. By shopping, I do not mean starting with rankings lists. Do you know the criteria for most of those lists? (Answer: $$$$$, not serving you) Try to ignore the media and your peers blabbing at you about the “best” colleges.
- If you need to look online for where to begin, do this. Brainstorm what you think you want in a college. Example: near a ski mountain, small classes, get to know professors, outing club, ultimate frisbee team, within three-hour drive from home. Then feed your list into your search engine, see what your computer spits out, pick one of the resulting colleges, and take a virtual tour. Does that college look good to you? Then you’re going in the right direction. Is that college not really you? Talk to your counselor and tweak your online search, and/or (crazy idea) consult a book like the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
- You might want to take a standardized test. Any time from now through March is a good time to take an SAT or ACT exam (I cover the differences in College Admissions Cracked) and see how it goes. If it goes well, you can take it again if you want to, and you can include test scores on your college application down the road. If not, don’t sweat it. The vast majority of colleges are still test-optional. Check one of my favorite websites, Fairtest.org, for a complete list.
- Don’t neglect schoolwork, doing what you love to do, and sleep in favor of the college quest. You are much more than just a college applicant. Taking care of yourself physically and mentally will yield the best results in college admissions and in life.
Sanity Saver from my new book, COLLEGE ESSAY CONFIDENCE
Practice Imperfection
Maintain your sense of humor and perspective, and have fun doing something totally new for you. What’s the worst that could happen? I can answer with confidence that nothing terrible will result, which is why practicing imperfection will make you stronger and braver.
Instructions
- If you are in no way an artist, try sketching an animal, vegetable, or mineral you can see right now.
- If you are not an athlete, try jogging two hundred yards.
- If you’re not a singer, sing the chorus of your favorite song out loud (even if you can’t carry a tune).
- If you’re a squirmy person, sit still and meditate for one whole minute.
- If you can’t cook, fry and egg.
- If you’ve never thought you could ____________________ (fill in the blank), try it.
Notice that you strayed far, far away from your comfort zone and you’re still here to laugh about it. Now lower your expectations to be perfect and to find the perfect college (if you’re a perfectionist, I’m talking to you), and enjoy college shopping!
Warmly,
Jill
