Category: blog

Do you help with topic ideas?

I used to meet with students to help them brainstorm topic ideas. Now, I offer the same great direction, encouragement, and support via email. No meeting necessary! Students simply send me a rough draft of their topic ideas for feedback, the same way they would submit a draft for review.

The new system is easier for students and cheaper for parents! Meetings were time consuming and costly. It took at least an hour and a half for us to discuss the student’s background, goals, interests and topic ideas. Plus, time for me to write up and send the notes. Students always left the meeting excited to write, but then they’d get busy doing something else, not look at the notes until weeks later, and lose their focus or their enthusiasm.

Now, instead of spending time in a meeting (talking), students can spend that same time at their computer (writing!). No need to worry about grammar, spelling, or coherency. All I need is the gist of the idea and what type of examples could be used to support it. If there are questions, doubts, concerns — write those down too! Think of it like a conversation, rather than a writing assignment.

It’s okay to be loose and freeflowing. Most of all, it should not take a lot of time. That is the nature of brainstorming: quick and messy. In fact, there is only one rule: it needs to be written by the student, not by the parent. This process does not work, if the student is not the one doing the work.

What if you have more than one idea for a story? No problem! If a student has a few ideas for one of the UC Personal Insight Questions, for example, but isn’t sure which one is best, they can simply write a brief summary of each idea (one paragraph should be enough!) and email it to me, along with a resume (or activities list) so I have some background information for my reference.

I will provide written feedback in just a few days, including which idea best suits the prompt, how to further develop it, and what an admissions officer might be looking for while reading it. If an idea doesn’t quite fit a particular prompt, I’ll help the student see what’s working, what’s not, and where to make improvements.

So, really, nothing has changed. Students will get the exact same benefit. The only difference is that it will be in writing, instead of face-to-face. I will help them see the value in their experiences and the merit in their ideas. I will erase their doubts and boost their confidence. Because that is how the best stories are born.

What do I have to write?

First, There’s the Word Count

Students applying to UC schools will respond to four (out of eight) Personal Insight Questions, with a maximum word count of 350 each (1,400 words total).

Students applying to out-of-state and private colleges will respond to one (out of seven) Common App main essay prompts, with a maximum word count of 650.

Some colleges also require their own supplemental essays, with word counts that can range anywhere from 150 words to 500 words per essay.

Always check with the college and/or department to make sure you know the writing requirements.

Then, There’s You

Prompts are great, but very broad. It’s up to you to choose a topic and a timeframe. Activities are a perfect place to start. How you spend your free time says a lot about who you are and what interests you. This includes school activities like sports or clubs, as well as what you do with friends, family, or on your own.

Sometimes you’ll need to supply a little background information. If you started playing soccer in elementary or middle school, say so. But quickly move to your high school years and what happened then. Mostly, focus on what you learned, as opposed to what you achieved.

Just Be Real. Really.

Don’t shy away from discussing failures. If you tried something and it didn’t work out, say why. But keep the focus on you. If the story starts to be about who or what got in the way, that’s a rant not an essay.

Look at your overall application. Does something there need to be further explained? Did you leave a sport? Drop a class? Quit a club? Essays are a good place to help the application reader understand the circumstances or your thought process. As students learn, grow, and develop new interests during their high school years, priorities can change. Don’t assume your application reader will see that from your activities list or transcript. Help them understand through an essay.

When should I start?

This is the question I get the most. Usually from parents of juniors, who want to minimize the stress of applying to college for their students. It makes sense, right? Get the essay out of the way early and eliminate that stress?

Nope. It actually might add to their stress.

If students start writing too soon, they sometimes find that they have very little to say. That is because experiences (both inside and outside of school) typically form the basis of most student essays. And, juniors are in the middle of having those valuable experiences. Now is the time to let them.

It helps to think of high school in stages: Freshman year is all about getting acclimated to high school. Sophomore year is about exploring new opportunities and trying new activities. Junior year is about making choices, deciding what’s important, letting go of some activities, and making more room for the ones that truly matter. This could be extracurriculars at school, but it also could be a part-time job, a volunteer gig, or a deep dive into a personal hobby.

In my experience working with students, some of the most insightful and powerful stories have come from the most unlikely places. They have come from being a hostess at a busy restaurant, from finally hitting the bull’s eye on the archery field, from painting pictures of neighbor’s puppies, and from buying shoes online to resell them…and getting totally ripped off in the process.

Experience is the best teacher, at least that’s what Julius Ceasar once said. If he were reading your student’s college application, he would probably be looking beyond their academic achievements. In fact, students who try to write their essays about academic achievements sometimes get stuck. It’s a topic that can be hard to expand on. And, really, why bother? The reader has that information from the GPA, test scores, and transcript. In the essay, the reader is looking to learn something new, not something they already know.

So, in the college application process, the essay should be done last, not first. Most of my students start the summer before senior year or the beginning of senior year. Meanwhile, students should be learning–by doing well in class, but also just by doing. And, ideally, doing what they love.

How do I schedule a draft review?

Just getting started? Feeling stuck? Or, ready to submit? No matter where you are in the writing process, a review will help you move forward with confidence and clear direction.

All draft reviews are done by email (no meeting needed!) and fees are based on word count. The fee is $75/350 words for a first draft review (or rough topic idea review), $50/350 words for a second draft review, and $25/350 words for a final review.

Turn-around time is typically three to five business days but can take up to two weeks, especially in October and November as deadlines approach. 

Review includes written comments that help students better understand how to address the prompt, how to incorporate details and examples from personal experience, how to engage the reader, and how to improve the flow of ideas.

To book, students should email their draft to essaycoach@alisoncotter.com as a Word attachment or Google Doc link so that I can calculate the fee and the turn-around time. I’ll need a parent name and contact info (email or cell) for billing, but all essay work is done directly with the student.

If you do not receive a response to your email within 24 hours, please text me at 562.472.8843 to make sure your email was received. Thank you!