Author Archives: Holly Spence

Balancing Your High School Course Load

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As we get deeper into February, many students are thinking about their class selections for next year. These are important decisions that deserve careful consideration as you look ahead, and plan for success.

 

Some students feel that the best approach is to accumulate as many AP courses at one time as possible. After all, colleges want to see the most rigorous courseload imaginable on your transcript, right? Other students take the alternate route and aim for a much lighter schedule to maximize the number of As they might earn, even if that means ignoring opportunities to take honors courses altogether. The reality for most students is that the “right” approach lands somewhere in the middle.

 

It’s important to seek challenges, but also to understand your limitations. For example, If you are barely earning a B in Pre-Calculus Honors, then it may not make sense to jump right into AP Calculus BC, which covers more material and moves at a faster clip than AP Calculus AB. Earning a higher grade and actually retaining the material taught in one class is more valuable in the long run than struggling for nine months in a class you aren’t fully prepared for. 

 

Your school grade will also impact which classes make the most sense to take, and when. This leads to more questions: Should I satisfy my Arts requirement now, or focus on core academic classes and try 3D Design or Photography later? Do I need to take four years of Spanish even if I don’t want to continue my studies in college? Should I take APUSH if I’m not much of a reader? How do I show colleges I’m serious about pursuing business if I haven’t taken economics yet? And what do you mean the UCs want me to take geometry? I’m already in AP Stats!

 

If you’ve asked yourself any of the above questions (and even if you are just thinking about them now for the first time), a good next step is to discuss this process with your Insight or school counselor. 

 

Think about how much time you have now, and how much time you “want” to have. Are you someone who thrives staying up until 1:00am doing your homework and studying for exams, or do you need to turn your brain off at 9:30pm to be fresh the next morning? Are you leaving yourself time to engage in your favorite extracurricular activities? What value do you place on spending time with your peers after school and on weekends? If you take only AP and honors classes, when will you have time to volunteer? What about preparing for standardized tests? 

 

Collegeboard does NOT have a track record of telling juniors, “Sure, I understand that you had three exams on Friday, and thus overslept for your SAT on Saturday morning. We’ll open up for you on Sunday, just this time.”

 

In the end, the key is balance. Parents can make a HUGE difference here. Even if the long term goal is to select a particular major, or to gain entry to a particular college, or to one day become the world’s most accomplished engineer, kids need time to breathe, and time to think. They need the freedom to study at the pace that works for them and not the pace that works for their friends. They need the time to seek their teacher’s help, the time to interview for a job, the time for tennis practice, the time for band, and yes, the time to eat dinner. 

 

 

When your children move away from home and get settled in college, you’ll want them to have the confidence to be ambitious, while understanding how much they can actually handle. They will have tremendous freedom to make choices, and your hope at that point will be that they are capable of being responsible, accomplishing their goals, and becoming independent.  You want them to be healthy, and you want them to happy.  A picture of your child smiling on a college campus with three friends will make you proud. That picture will reassure you not only that they selected the right school, but that you helped them to make the choices in high school to make that possible.

 

All the best,

Team Insight 

 

How To Make The Most Of Your College Visits

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Whether you are just beginning to think about college or a #classof2020 student suddenly realizing just how close you are to the finish line, it’s important to understand how to make the most of your college visits. Having worked with hundreds of families for the past six years, I have seen a few repeated mistakes I hope to help you avoid:

– Visiting too many dream schools

– Cramming too many schools into one trip

– Visiting all the UCs

– Visiting schools at the wrong time of year

– Taking a tour and nothing else

 

Now that we’ve got the what NOT to do out of the way, let me explain what you should focus on instead. First, an optimal college visit involves much more than looking at buildings while a seemingly overcaffeinated and zealous undergraduate recounts random factoids about the school. By all means, sign up for a tour, but that should be an appetizer to an otherwise hearty meal of faculty meetings, sitting in on a class, speaking with current students and even interviewing if you can!

 

Contacting the admission department ahead of your trip can be a helpful way to both demonstrate your interest in the school and learn about which of the aforementioned opportunities to connect with the school at a deeper level might be available to you. Reach out directly to faculty (hint: many have publicly available email addresses on their department’s website), and ask to meet face-to-face for a tour of the department in which you hope to study.

 

Many times, you are also able to sit in on an actual class and see the learning environment first-hand. This can also be a great way to learn about different majors if you are undecided. Does your cousin, friend, family friend or 3rd cousin twice removed attend this school? If so, now is the time to connect on your favorite social media platform and ask to meet up for a quick coffee while you are on campus. Gathering the “behind-the-curtain”, real student experience perspective is invaluable.

 

Now, you may have begun to notice that most of the things I just mentioned are only possible while school is in session. That means the best time to visit is sometime during the school year either on a short break or a long weekend. It’s not always possible, but if you are able, try to make this happen so that you can connect with faculty and students on campus.

 

In terms of which schools to visit, try to prioritize any school that may be an early decision school. It’s hard to commit to a school sight unseen. Second, consider visiting a school or two that may be a low target or safety school for you—at least make sure your list of schools is not comprised entirely of dream schools. Familiarity breeds affinity: the schools you visit are schools you will likely feel more drawn to anyways. You don’t need to add more fuel to the “dream” fire unless you are strongly considering applying early.

 

Finally, consider which of your schools weigh demonstrated interest in the admission process so that you maximize the impact of your visit. The first goal of a college visit is always for you to gauge whether the school is a fit, but it is also helpful to sort out which schools you need to visit before you apply and which you can visit after decisions are released.

 

Happy Traveling!   

Insight Alma Mater: Trinity College

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We return to our Insight blog series “Insight Alma Mater” with counselor Zach Pava. Zach attended Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut and is our Newton-based counselor! Set up a meeting with Zach by emailing us at info@insight-education.net 

 

I didn’t know my first choice college the summer before my senior year of high school. Come to think of it, I still didn’t know my top choice come November 1st, the most common early deadline for freshman applicants. 

 

But even though my plan at the time involved waiting for January 1st to submit apps to keep my options open, I knew that one of the favorites on my list, Trinity College, offered the opportunity to receive a binding offer through Early Decision 2, less common at the time but an option more colleges now seem to be adding each year.

 

I didn’t come to an ironclad conclusion until my second visit for a follow-up interview at Trinity. After that interview though, I knew that Trinity, with just over 2,000 undergraduate students, and a 9:1 student/faculty ratio, was the right school for me.  It offered a beautiful, green campus within an urban environment. It offered a range of academic opportunities and majors, and mostly small class sizes that allowed students to get to know their professors well. It offered a series of extracurricular opportunities, from the school newspaper, The Trinity Tripod, to intramural sports each season. And though Hartford, Connecticut isn’t universally recognized as a beautiful city in the same way that, let’s say, Honolulu is, it nonetheless hit a number of appealing check marks. Notably, I had relatives that lived nearby, and Hartford’s proximity to both Boston (my hometown), and New York City was hard to ignore.

 

During my time at Trinity, I made lifelong friends, got my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and took a range of writing courses.  I even managed to finish a full screenplay. My favorite course was Behavioral and Social Psychology, a class that inspired me to write what is probably still the best paper I’ve ever written – it focused on that old Snickers commercial in which an injured football player believes he’s Batman.

 

As I explored my independence, the little things became enjoyable everyday tasks, from trekking down the lower long walk to Cinestudio to carrying my sneakers through the February snow to play pick-up basketball at the Ferris Athletic Center. Even grabbing my mail was oddly satisfying, as Mather Hall always meant bumping into at least a few friends on their way in or out of the Cave. Freshman year was especially fun, as due to my North Campus residence, my roommate and I found ourselves near mostly dorms with older students, Greek life on Vernon Street, and the Bistro, which offered a create your own pasta station that was awesome! 

 

My closest friends and I later moved across campus and found a quad every year, eventually making our way from Cook to Summit Suites.  One of the nice things about Trinity is that you can walk from one side of campus to the other and rarely need to rely on transportation.

 

While Trinity was terrific, I do have a few regrets. Within my major, I wish it’d been easier to take more classes in areas I was primarily interested in without satisfying requirements that seemed like a reach (I’m still not entirely sold that a Biology class focusing on plant life needs to be part of anyone’s Psych curriculum). There are times I wish I’d experienced a bigger school with D1 football and basketball games to attend. And if I had to redo my college experience, I’d almost certainly study abroad for one semester. Still, during the middle of spring weekend, with 70-degree weather and music in the air, I definitely wasn’t thinking about any of this 🙂 

 

Go Bantams!

Zach and friends during college

Join Zach at our free family seminar at Newton South High School on Saturday, April 6, 2019!

2019 – 2020 Common Application Essay Prompts

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You know what they say – third time’s a charm!  

 

The Common Application has announced that the 2019-2020 application essay prompts will remain the same as they have been for the last two years. 

 

From Common App: “Based on extensive counselor feedback, the existing essay prompts provide great flexibility for applicants to tell their unique stories in their own voice. Retaining the essay prompts provides the added benefit of consistency for students, counselors, parents, and members during the admissions process.” 

 

This is great news for our class of 2020 students as you can start thinking about the prompts (see them below!) now, ahead of application writing this summer. 

 

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

 

Some facts from the Common App: 

During the 2018-2019 application year, the most popular topic of choice was: “Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.” (24.1%).

 

The next most popular topics were: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.” (23.7%), followed by “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?” (21.1%).

 

What are you going to write about? 

 

All the best, 

Team Insight 

How To Focus Forward After An Initial Rejection

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With results from the early round of applications widely available, I have noticed many behaviors and perceptions regarding admissions getting altered. I have found some families to be unreasonable with their expectations, and others to be overwhelmingly grateful. Certainly, those attitudes correlate heavily with the decisions received. With many more decisions to get released over the next few months, let’s make some simple facts obvious:

 

– There are no guarantees for getting into Ivy League universities, or to any school, for that matter. Your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents may have all attended a prestigious school. You have a perfect GPA, test scores and are close to finding the cure for diabetes. You have done everything right for the past 17 years to guarantee your spot at your family’s alma mater. Even then, nothing is guaranteed. I have been surprised by the number of parents shocked when their child is rejected at a top tier school; teens tend to be more realistic and take it in stride. Remember, just because your child did not get into one of those eight schools it does not mean that their future success will now be limited. They are still the same amazing kid you raised and that potential is still burning brightly.

 

–  Admissions will seem harder this year than they did last year, mostly because this time you are going through it. You will read a slate of articles about declining admissions rates and rising applicant pools. You will read in decision letters how “this was the most competitive class ever” and “it was incredibly difficult to make the decision.” You will compare yourself or your child to children in the past who were admitted and wonder what went wrong. You will complain that it is not fair. While the admissions pool is getting larger, students who are smart about their college lists will have plenty of options come springtime.

 

–  There are factors beyond your control that impact admissions decisions. In the past, I have written about the impact of athletics, legacy, and diversity in admissions (among several other factors) that affect how decisions are made. These factors are still at play. Behind the locked doors of admissions offices, real people are trying to find the balance between rewarding you for your accomplishments and efforts and building the best class for that college that year. These admissions officers do face the tough task of having to deny students not based on the quality of the applications, but on the fact that some students just did not fit this year. This is where the “injustice” of it all seems the most pronounced. This, by the way, has always been the case — we just have so much more information about who is getting in these days, mostly due to technology.

 

– You will get into college, assuming that you built a well-rounded list. I know it is scary to not get into or get deferred by the first college to which you applied. For many of you, this might be the first real rejection you have faced. While it is hard to believe now, in a few months you will look back and wonder why you were worried. If you need to make adjustments to your list, do so; there is still plenty of time. But other than that, just keep up your hard work.

 

–  Senioritis is not a real thing. It is a made-up reason to slack off during the second semester. There is no psychological or medical reason for this to happen. In fact, you must keep up your grades. You should keep up with your activities because they are important to you. You should keep challenging yourself because that is what life is about. You should still try to learn as much as you can now; you don’t have to wait to start college. This does not mean you shouldn’t have fun. And really, you should not be giving up on life experiences and fun throughout your life simply for the sake of getting into college. It is a balancing act that you will have to learn to master and there is no better time than now to practice.

 

Admissions are at once and paradoxically, overwhelmingly complicated and seemingly simple. But rather than focus on that conundrum, just focus on yourself and be confident. You got this! 

 

2018 – What A Year!

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The holiday season is a great time to pause and reflect on the year that has been. 2018 has been a wonderful, busy year for Team Insight and our students!

Below are some of the highlights and success of our students in the college admissions process: 

 

“Zach, I can’t thank you enough for your guidance throughout the college application process. I knew nothing about half of the schools I applied to when we started. This includes the college that became my top choice. Now 3 months into freshman year, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.  Thank you for everything!”

“I GOT INTO MIDDLEBURY!!!!! So far you’re the only person I’ve told since no one else in my house is awake :)” 

“Thank you Purvi!  We are so proud of him, he has overcome a lot in the last few years and we can’t thank you enough for all your guidance and encouragement”

“Thank you so much for helping me become a confident and successful writer. My essays today look nothing like the first drafts I was sending you over the summer. Thanks again, Zach”

“I matched to Amherst College! Thank you sooooo much for all your help with my application. I got a full Questbridge scholarship!” 

Many of our students have been enjoying acceptances to their ED and EA schools in December 2018! We have had the privilege of seeing the students as they open their portals to see their results – lots of happy dancing in our office when that happens! 

“Just wanted to say a quick thank you for your help on the SAT essay — I got a 22/24 on my SAT Essay! :))”

“Thanks so much Amy, the congratulations really means a lot! I’m really excited to start at UCSD in the fall and all the help I got from you and Insight, in general, played a huge role. I’ll be sure to keep in touch. Once, again thanks for all of your help!”

“Thank you to the amazing and patient front desk team for answering panicked parents calls this college admissions season!”  

Thank you SO MUCH PURVI! I can’t even begin to thank you for what you’ve done for me. I really couldn’t have gotten here without you. In shock. Thank you x10000000000000! I have the best college counselor in the world

Thank you again for coming through for him in a big way and for our family. We didn’t have to worry about a thing and slept through this year not worrying about college apps at all when we know our peers were losing sleep -and it is all because of you. Thank you!!! 

 

Our tutoring and class students had a great year as well! A snapshot of some of the highlights include: 

One of our amazing and hardworking tutoring students scored a 35 on his ACT!

After taking an SAT Boot Camp, this student increased her SAT score from 1200 to 1580! 

This student worked with Insight over many years in both counseling and classes, and combined with her hard work and determination she scored a 36 on the ACT!

 

Team Insight also celebrated some milestones for our staff! 

Our rockstar Newton counselor Zach Pava celebrated his 5 year anniversary with Insight in May! We asked Zach what his highlight of 2018 is, and his answer “Some of my nicest moments were seeing the completed cycle of graduating seniors who I started with as freshman back in 2014-15. It’s amazing to see how . far they came and how much they grew from 9th – 12th and I’m excited that so many students continue to stay in touch in college”. 

Counselor Sarah de Sousa was published (again!) this year! Sarah is the first author of the chapter “The Dance of Presence: Mindfulness and Movement” in the book Psychotherapy, Literature and the Visual and Performing Arts. 

We hosted our first Summer Internship and Programs fair at Insight in Cupertino this November and had 8 wonderful organizations attend and present to our students. This was a great event and we look forward to continuing to connect students and the community with educational programs each year. 

Another exciting moment this year has been moving into our new Boston office, located at 288 Walnut Street in Newton, MA. Counselor Zach Pava heads up our Newton office. We’re excited to continue working with students in the greater Boston area through their college admissions journeys! 

 

All of us at Team Insight feel blessed to work with all the many amazing students and families that we do. Next year, in 2019, we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary! 

 

Here’s to another amazing year. 

Happy Holidays!
Team Insight 

 

Insight Alma Mater: The University of Texas at Austin

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Welcome back to the Insight Alma Mater blog series! Insight College Admissions Counselor Jenny Bloom attended The University of Texas at Austin.  

 

My time at The University of Texas at Austin – I loved my experience there.

 

I remember even getting to UT was work. I grew up in Texas and there were two perfectly wonderful universities right next to where I lived—in the same town where I went to high school. My immigrant-Indian parents expected that I would choose one of those universities and live at home and attend college like I was supposed to, like my older sister did.  But I had other plans, I wanted adventure, I wanted freedom, and I wanted to have a “real” college experience. 

 

When I was accepted to UT Austin I was determined to go, and I spent the whole summer making plans to get to Austin even though my Dad was adamant that I would not attend.  Eventually, when the time came around to get to college, my Mom, Dad, and my younger brother took the 3.5-hour drive to drop me off at UT. 

 

I spent my first two years living in the biggest dorm (with its own zip code). It is (was) probably the oldest and grossest dorm in the country. But I loved it.  I shared a room with a friend in my first year. Had my share of drama- learned how to go through conflict resolution, hear hard things about how I was not easy to live with, and also learned how to change and become a better person and friend.

 

My second year in the dorms I had a random roommate, and we had the best time together.  We were totally different people, her growing up in a small town in West Texas and me growing up in a mostly Indian community near Dallas. My last two years, I moved into an apartment near campus. All of my roommates in college are still close friends of mine and each of them challenged and helped me to grow and be a better person.

 

I joined student clubs and organizations that really shaped my academic and social experience.  In my four years in college at UT, I got my first bank account, started a job to pay for my own phone, planned events and conferences for my student organizations, learned to study well, and figured out my passions. I became a Longhorn sports fanatic and still bleed burnt orange, Hook ‘em! Some of my favorite memories is going to football games in Austin during the season when the Longhorns went to the BCS National Championship and beat USC in the Rose Bowl.  

 

I wouldn’t want to change anything about my experience at UT.  Yes, I could have studied more and smarter, but the memories I have with friends exploring the city and eating Kerbey queso after a late night is something I would not trade for anything!

 

Jenny and Friends at her UT Austin graduation

Jenny and Insight student Kalina applying to UT Austin in 2017!

Personal Fulfillment Counts as Much as Academic Success

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The holidays are always a great time to reflect on the past year and look forward to a fresh start. With my students, we talk about the past year, revisit goals that had been set and create resolutions for the upcoming year. These are some resolutions that I believe every teen should incorporate into their lives, not just for academic success but also for personal fulfillment. It’s easy for teens and their parents to focus on just academics, test scores, and college applications, but these years are fundamental to who a student will become as an adult.

 

• Resolve to get involved in at least one activity for the pure pleasure of it. You may already have a laundry list of clubs that will look good on college applications, but do you truly enjoy each and every one? Perhaps the Ultimate Frisbee Club or taking photography lessons have eluded your schedule thus far but really excite you. If so, make the time. Remember that life is not just about doing what you have to do but also about pursuing your curiosities and interests.

 

• Resolve to have meaningful conversations with people. Sure, it is easy to just text a quick note, instruction or piece of gossip. But is it really that exciting, being at the mercy of your phone or messaging app? Sit down with friends and talk in person. Talk about what you love, what bothers you, your hopes and aspirations. This is how friendships are strengthened.

 

• Resolve to put your phone away and actually smell the roses. These days, people cross the street with their eyes on their smartphone rather than oncoming traffic. We are so obsessed with this little screen that the world is literally passing us by. There are so many things that can be learned by just paying attention to what is around us.

 

• Resolve to sleep more. Everyone complains about being tired at some point during the year (or every single day). There is one simple solution. Sleep more. Yes, there will be nights when you have so much work that getting a full night’s rest is impossible. Those nights should be the exceptions and not the norm. If you really look at how you spend your time, I am certain that you will find wasted time that could have been better spent getting those much-needed winks.

 

• Resolve to read at least five books this year for pleasure (more is better). While you are required to read for class, find some books that you are excited about. You can check out the New York Times’ Best Sellers list if you need some suggestions. And with all these meaningful conversations that you have resolved to have this year, I bet your friends will recommend some amazing options as well. These books will expose you to new ideas, experiences and perspectives.

 

• Resolve to think of school as a place of learning and not just grades. I understand that there is immense pressure to perform academically, but the idea of learning for the sake of learning has become a foreign concept.

 

We have become slaves to GPAs and test scores. But in your classes, focus on learning concepts and analyzing ideas. Ask the deeper questions. Remember the hows and whys. In the long term, this is what will help you to be more successful in college and in life. At work, people who are able to think creatively and analytically are the ones who are highly sought out.

 

The year can be a fulfilling and meaningful one. 

That First Acceptance Letter is a Big Deal!

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While it may seem too early to receive college acceptance letters, many students who applied to schools with rolling admissions have started to receive some decisions. In the past two weeks, I have gotten several emails from students notifying me that they got into X or Y colleges, but then quickly following up with something along the lines of, “It’s not my top choice, so I am not that thrilled about it.” Parents have sent me similar emails.

 

My immediate response: Celebrate every acceptance, every accomplishment.

 

There is no reason to apply to colleges that really don’t excite you — that is just a waste of your time, money and energy. Every school on your list should be one that you would love to attend regardless of how difficult are its admissions or how prestigious is its brand. The fact that the “thick envelope” or congratulatory email came early does not mean that it is a lesser school.

 

What it does imply is that you are a strong candidate who got their act together early enough to send in a compelling application. The school valued your academics and accomplishments and would love to have you in its freshman class.

 

Remember that the journey to May 1 can feel like an endless one. I hope that it is filled with more good news than with disappointment, and more acceptances than denials. But this first acceptance is huge. It means that you are going to college. Wasn’t that the goal from the beginning?

 

So don’t temper good news. But sit down and go through the rest of your college list and ask yourself if you are truly committed to the schools you have chosen. How likely are you to attend any one of those schools if given an acceptance? If you realize that your list has been padded to collect acceptance letters, rethink your strategy. And now that you have this one acceptance, ask yourself which schools you would choose instead of this one. It might help you narrow your list and save you some unnecessary work. If the fact that this school does not excite you much means that you want to add a couple of more schools, talk to your high school counselor and teachers to see if it would be possible to do so.

 

And parents, you have a responsibility here to encourage your child and celebrate every success. Do not talk down about any school on your child’s list. Sure, it might not be your favorite school and you might not be that keen on sending them to a specific school, but save those comments until all decisions have been received.

 

What if, in the worst case, this is the only school your child is accepted to? Your disparaging of it will affect their confidence. Be positive and encouraging and engaged. There is no need to jump up and down or throw a party, but a few words of congratulations can go so far.

 

Remember that this is an incredibly difficult time in a teen’s life. They are putting himself out there to be judged by faceless admissions officers who are going to determine where they spend the next four formative years of their life. Their strengths and weaknesses are going to be on private display and compared to their peers. Your child knows this. These acceptance letters are crucially important to them right now.

 

So whether you have a great interview, get amazing feedback on your personal statement, get an acceptance letter, or pull off a great grade on that midterm, celebrate, even silently, the accomplishment.

 

Get Past Essay “Brain Fog”

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You’re deep in college essay writing, and the worst happens – you’re struck with writer’s block!

 

The dreaded “brain fog” can be hard to get through, especially if you’re on a tight deadline. Here are a few things you can do to help break out of the funk

 

Brainstorming

 

Jot down some ideas of what you might want to write about (topics, people, events – whatever “large” idea you have) on a piece of paper. Or, my personal favorite and if you have access to it, a great tool is a whiteboard!

 

Write the topic in big writing in the middle of the whiteboard, and around it, just write any words or phrases that come to mind. You will likely have done some kind of similar exercise when you were in elementary school, and it can be a wonderful way to get ideas out of your head and (literally!) out in front of you.

 

Do this for a few of your topic ideas and see which you found the easiest to write words and phrases around. Which looks like it might lend itself to a compelling essay? Take some time to see what you have come up with and what you like the best.

 

Free write

 

This is another great way to brainstorm. Pull out your laptop, notebook or whatever it is that you like writing on, and just start writing!

 

Don’t worry about if it’s on topic or not, don’t worry about grammar and spelling – just write. It may come together like a diary, a story, a play, a song – it doesn’t matter. Just keep writing.

 

When you’re done, leave it for a while. Come back to it, re-read it, and see what ideas stand out to you. You may even be able to begin editing together an essay from that free write entry!  

 

Talk your idea out with a friend, parent, sibling – or your Insight Counselor!

 

Talking to another person that you are comfortable sharing your essay ideas with is a great way to bounce around ideas and get creative feedback. You might find that by talking out your ideas, the essay starts to form in your head. The person listening to you may ask questions that help to lead you in a new direction or point out where a gap in your essay might be.

 

Talk to a few people and get some different perspectives. After each discussion, write down some quick notes in a notebook or even the notes app on your phone. This will help you come back to the suggestions if you’re not able to sit down and spend some time writing right after your discussion.

 

Try to work as far ahead as you can

 

One thing that can make writer’s block even harder is knowing you’re on a tight deadline. Try to work as far ahead as possible to allow yourself creative time to write the best essay you can! This also gives you the most chance to write something you’re proud of, leave it for a while, and come back to it with fresh eyes for those final edits.

 

 

Good luck with your essay writing and remember, no one can tell your story better than you can! Get writing!