Blog Archives

Thinking about college?

8/28/2022

It’s another beautiful summer day. Some of us are sitting in our yards or by the pool and feeling relaxed. And here at EA, we say to you and each other, enjoy these warm days. For others who are entering your senior year and are planning to attend college, this is an excellent moment to evaluate what needs to be done to apply to the colleges of your choice. It is known that in our most relaxed state of mind that we can see things the clearest. So visualize the steps you have taken and will take as you sit and stare at the sky. And in that contemplation, consider these EA tips for writing your Common Application Essays.
If you haven’t begun to write those Common App essays, or you want to edit and proofread them one more time, here is a helpful way to view your writing. First, you should think about your five best traits that would sell you to an admissions officer. Yes, sell would be the correct word. You are the product that you want the admission officer to purchase as an incoming freshman. There are thousands of students applying and you want to be the person chosen. Of course, your essays should not only be well written, but they should reveal your personality traits that would be ideal for living in a dorm as well as an academic community. The 650 word essay is your only chance to show why you are the best student for the entering class. All your achievements will be revealed in the other parts of the application, but only your personality can be shown here. If you completed your essay in your English class, be sure to review it carefully to determine if it has demonstrated your ideal personality traits. If you are thinking that your teacher references will reveal your most wonderful traits, they probably will. But everyone knows that you only ask a person who likes you to be a reference, so that affects the way an admissions officer views those words.
If you review the Comm App questions carefully, you will see that each question asks you to describe one moment when it became apparent to you that you understood yourself. In other words, who are you and how did you get to be that person? Sometimes, we refer to that as an AHA MOMENT. So think of meaningful moments in your life and write about them. Then identify the one that you want to sculpt into your essay. If you have already written the essay, make sure that you have conveyed your personality clearly. If you are beginning, you are on a great path and will reveal your personality if you think about what you just read.
Remember first impressions count, so have a great introduction that will make the admissions officer want to read your essay. Don’t worry about describing a unique event. It just needs to feel like an authentic and honest advertisement about you.
And one last tip, don’t submit an essay of your choice, question 7. Truthfully, It makes you appear lazy since you weren’t willing to work on writing an answer to a question an admissions officer wanted to know.
Remember, if you want to try to improve your score on the SAT or ACT, there is still time to join EA’s six-week test prep program. Prep for the Novmeber SAT begins September 28 6-8PM All class are virtual.

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The Last Days of Summer

8/21/2022

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As the sun sets on the beach, we can all be amazed by the shades of blue, purple, red, and orange. We nuzzle our toes into the sand and look for a sweatshirt or blanket to warm ourselves as the evening sets it. It is a reminder that the season will soon change. Although it won’t actually be Fall for a while, our thoughts are turning toward school. If we are freshmen in college, then we are either getting ready to leave, at orientation or purchasing books as the semester begins. If we are in high school, we have probably recently received the school supply list and are completing the summer’s required reading. Whatever the stage of our education, we are thinking about the beginning of a new school year.

If you are a junior, it is time to take the ACT or SAT. The next ACT will be given on September 10. In October, you have the option of taking the SAT on October 1 and the ACT on October 22. As a sophomore, you may have taken a simplified version of these exams like the PSAT, if you did, take a look at your score. But since you have matured over the summer, review the style of each exam once more to see which one suits you better. If you feel undecided, go online and examine the differences between the two exams. But once you decide, purchase a book of the exams and only practice by writing the answers. Practicing online, won’t give you the same type of practice that you will need to perform well on either test because the actual test is a paper and pencil exam. And then begin to practice each part of the exam.

If you feel like you would like assistance preparing or just want to learn some tips and tricks about these exams, EA runs six-week sessions that end just before the exam. If you want to review certain topics, let us know and we will recommend a tutor to help you. And remember that once you enter college, we are still here to help whether you need someone to help with the transition into college.
If you feel like you would like assistance preparing or just want to learn some tips and tricks about these exams, EA runs six-week sessions that end just before the exam. If you want to review certain topics, let us know and we will recommend a tutor to help you. And remember that once you enter college, we are still here to help whether you need someone to help with the transition

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Why Won't They Listen?

8/14/2022

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Did you ever notice that you can make a suggestion to your child, and he or she strongly rejects the idea. But when another person suggests the same action, your child either embraces it or considers it. Here at EA, we understand that MIScommunication between a parent and child can be heightened as your child experiences a final week or two before the college departure. Our Acadamic Life Coaches at EA have some suggestions to make for a smoother transition to college.
As a parent, we provide advice all the time. It is this guidance that has helped our children to get to this point in their life: entering college. But at this juncture, it is the perfect time to give your child “space” in order to let them think about what they need to do to prepare. If you see a serious error, like not packing any sheets for the dorm bed :-),then you would be best to ask a question that allows for your child to come up with the most beneficial answer. For example, do you want to take your favorite sheets? How do you think this would work in your dorm room? By asking these open-ended questions, you are more likely to get the best responses. Of course, if your child is too anxious to hear you, then you might have a conversation about the subject that he or she can overhear and hope the hint is heard.
We also suggest that you want to think about the ride to the college, finding the dorm room, meeting other students in the dorm, and setting up the college room. How much help (physical and emotional) will your child need? Thinking about these things in advance can only make the good-bye moment easier as your college freshman begins this new phase of his or her life
Just give us a call 845.582.0017. The EA Team is here to support and encourage students and their parents.

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Let them go.

8/7/2022

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Last week, our blog touched upon the classic “approach/avoidance” conflict, which is when people are faced with desirable situations, and yet part of them wants to avoid that situation because they can also see the possible problems associated with this new experience. And it seems from the response that more than one family is experiencing an approach/avoidance feeling toward beginning college. Today, I just want to first pay homage to how we feel as parents.

We are experiencing this simultaneously the same sort of tugs in different directions as our children who are feeling as the date for college orientation approaches. We are excited that our children will be entering the next stage of their lives, and we are worried about their successes and failures as they negotiate college life. But as parents, we are experiencing it on a different level. On one hand, we are looking forward to all the freedom we will experience with one less child in the house or becoming an empty nester, but we are also concerned with “What will that feel like?” For some parents, they really feel as though their child is their best friend, while for others, it is a more distant closeness. But whatever your relationship with your child, it is about to change.
I can remember after wondering what my son’s life was really like at college. And seeing how happy he was when I visited during Parents Weekend. I got to witness all his relationships with all his new friends and interacted with his friends’ parents. Now, I was thrilled that he had made such a wonderful adjustment to college, but on the other hand there was a lament that he was entering an entirely new stage of life, where my influence was beginning to dwindle. And that is what most parents are sensing now. And if you have already sent a child to college, then you know that it is about to happen.
But for your teen going off to college, he/she is not such a seasoned veteran, and as while contemplating this new adventure, he/she feels a great deal of avoidance as it approaches. Sometimes, a child becomes very argumentative in his/her attempt to make sure that he/she can stand on his own. Sometimes, when a parent offers help, the child rejects it. Of course, improper behavior needs to be dealt with, but don’t take it personally, he/she is only trying to prove something to himself/herself.

Here at the EA Team, we share these tidbits with you because we have sent our children off to college and know the mixed feelings we experienced as the start of their first semester began. So remember, treat yourself well during this time of transition. I wish someone had told me all this when each of my children left for college. And certainly, when Judy sent her twins off to college, she began the new phase of her life in one giant moment. We are here for our EA students, but we are also here for our EA parents. We hope these weekly posts are helpful, but if you have individual questions, just reach out to Judy or Ava at 845-582-0017.

And for those of you whose children are juniors in high school, don’t forget that SAT will be given in September and that our first six-week SAT Preparation Course begins on August 23.

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College Admission and Transition

Thinking about college?

The Last Days of Summer

Why Won't They Listen?

Let them go.

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College Admission and Transition​

Thinking about college?

The Last Days of Summer

Why Won't They Listen?

Let them go.

Author

Archives

Categories

Author

College Admission and Transition