College essays give you an opportunity to make your application stand out, but do your essays make you stand out in a negative way? 

They might if they include these "red flags": 


1. Generic “Why Us?” essays
If a university asks why you want to attend their school and you write an essay that can be used for multiple schools, you did not do your job. This question implies that you should either visit the school or research it (website, videos, talk to former students, etc). Your response should be planned and thoughtfully consider how you’ll fit on their campus.


Admissions officers have stated that they sometimes receive essays that have another school’s name in it. “I’d love to go to Brown University because I think Harvard’s library is awe-inspiring., and I'm an avid reader. Face-palm.


Instead, look for specific details about the school AND why you like them. Instead of flattering the school, really envision yourself there. Perhaps you want to join the Mahjong club because you played with your grandma every Sunday, or maybe you’re excited to join the crew team because you want to challenge yourself to wake up early.


2. Overtly trying to impress
I always laugh when someone sends me the satirical college essay by Hugh Gallagher who thought it was ridiculous that a college would request an essay on the accomplishments of someone barely 17. He initially wrote it for a writing competition but later said he sent it to colleges as a writing sample.


He starts with, 


“I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row."


The essay continues to include more outlandish accomplishments (read full essay here) and concludes with,


“I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.


But I have not yet gone to college.”


This brilliantly captures a predicament for college applicants: how can I impress admissions teams and make myself stand out and also still be a teenager?


The simple answer is to stop trying to impress them so much. Most of the college essay prompts request a personal narrative, a personal story. Most admissions teams are not expecting you to have cured cancer and have scaled Mount Everest (although you could probably have done both and still not get into Stanford; I kid, I kid). They are looking for an authentic, well-told story from your life that tells them something likeable about you. It’s your self-awareness and storytelling that really captures their attention. It’s the student who shows he’s trying to be a better friend rather than the student who writes about how he never leaves the library who is more likeable. Admissions counselors are not only looking for students who will perform well at their school, they’re looking for students who will make someone a nice roommate or who will contribute to the school culture in some way.


Let the rest of your application help you shine as an academic; use the essays to show aspects of your personality that the admissions team can get elsewhere on your application. Own who you are; be excited about who you are, and watch admissions teams feel the same way.


3.  Your parents wrote your essay (or played a major role)
“Can admissions teams really tell if my mom wrote my essay?”


“Yes.”


If you want to immediately send a message to admissions teams that you lack integrity, then have an adult write your essay for you.


Parents often think that admissions teams want you to impress them like the section above discusses. It’s readily apparent to anyone who’s reading your essay that an adult wrote it: it typically includes different syntax and diction than a 17-year-old would use.


Also, it’s quite easy to fall into the “too many cooks in the kitchen” trap. Only allow one or two people to give you an honest opinion of your essay to guide you. If you ask 5 people to edit it, the voice and style will be inconsistent, and it will sound like 5 people wrote it.  


So, what do you do if your parents are trying to hijack your essay?


First, recognize that they are a) trying to help and b) want you to succeed; at the same time, recognize that a) it lacks integrity and b) it will cause disagreements.


It’s better to do it on your own, ask an English teacher or guidance counselor for help, or get coaching from a professional.


4. You’re a complainer
I remember my guidance counselor told me that my college essay could be about why my grades dipped in my junior year. I wrote about how getting my learner’s permit coincided with my mom’s undiagnosed illness that prevented her from driving. I had missed a lot of school to take her to doctor’s appointments, and I had a hard time keeping up with chemistry and math. My focus was on being grateful to be able to help my mom and how I learned to juggle my home and school responsibilities.


Although you do have the opportunity to “explain,” make sure your essay’s purpose isn’t to “complain.”


Some students have written essays about switching schools and cite “bad teachers” or “not a good school” as their reason. It shows that you look for what’s wrong instead of what’s right; problems instead of solutions. A better focus would be on how felt the new school was a better fit for you and how the environment (and your appreciation for it) helped you to thrive.


One student spent half his essay discussing how bad his family member is at planning ahead and how it got them in a dangerous predicament. It came across as a 650-word complaint, and the reader learned nothing about the writer except that he finds his family member annoying. By switching his tone from complaining to appreciating the humor of the situation, the whole essay shifted in a positive direction.
​

When you read through your essay, look for any times in which you put others down (even inadvertently), and revise it.
Red flags stem from a lack of awareness of what admissions teams are truly looking for; quite simply, they want you to be yourself. Be authentic, lean toward positive interpretations, write the essay yourself, and really, don't try so hard, and you'll avoid these red flags. 

​If you are considering graduate or law school after undergrad and are looking for some advice, you've come to the right blog post. And we commend you - it is truly best not to rush these decisions, or make them without fully understanding what you are getting into and, possibly more importantly, what you want to get out of it.  Going back to school is a huge time and financial commitment. 

Time. Please do not underestimate this: graduate or law school will take up tremendous amounts of time.  The days of skimming the reading or studying the night before an exam will be long gone.  Students will need to study at length and engage in the material to fully understand it. 

Financial.  Tuition is going to be a big number.  And, yes, tuition rates will only continue to get higher.  However, this is only one aspect of the financial situation.  If you have undergrad loans, going back to school allows for payments to be deferred.  However, the interest on that money continues to accumulate.  The loans for graduate or law school loans may have even higher interest rates than undergrad loans.  Lastly, many students that attend graduate school go full-time, thereby further delaying their earning.

With this brief but important backdrop, please take some time to consider the following questions.  We hope they help you focus your thoughts and lead you to your determination.

1.      Why do I want to go?

2.      What is my goal or dream job?

3.      What type of program or concentration is best for me?

4.      How will this step help me achieve my goal(s)?

5.      Should I right after undergrad or wait a year or two?

6.      Do I need some job experience before going?

7.      How will I pay the tuition and living expenses?

8.      What, if anything, am I giving up?

9.      Which schools have an active alumni network?

10.   Do I really want to go back to school?

We at LAC wish you luck on your future endeavors, and - as always - never hesitate to contact us with any of your college prep or admissions needs!

Leonard Andrew Consulting is glad to showcase a tremendous non-profit out of Miami. Our Founder, Chad, and Juan Carlos Chediak Jr, the CEO of Motivation 4 Lyfe, have connected often over the last many months with a goal of continuing to bring the very best to student-athletes in Juan's local community and around the state of Florida. As mental health and wellness have become a larger focal point in today's world, Juan and Motivation 4 Lyfe have been working diligently for a tremendous cause: to raise awareness and gain support for those students and student-athletes that may be struggling with depression, anxiety, or any sort of mental health condition.  We are exceptionally glad to stand behind this tremendous program, and look forward to helping as many students and student-athletes in the Miami area as possible.

The inspiration behind Motivation4Lyfe stems from Juan's own personal struggles as well as his family and friends’ distress from the fact that he was suffering.

From Juan:

"My goal is to raise awareness in the local community not just for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, or any sort of mental health condition, but especially for those who are not aware, do not understand, and truly do not know what one going through these issues feels or comprehends on a day to day basis. In order to help promote my nonprofit organization I also created a club basketball team that allows us to host as well as participate in events that give us the opportunity to not only raise awareness for our cause, but to genuinely help those who may be in need of assistance with whatever issue he or she may be going through.


My club basketball team is a dream come true. We’re working hard towards our dreams, raising awareness for a great cause, and doing it all in proper fashion. We have a God given group of guys ready to represent not only our cause, but themselves, and one another. I’m inspired every day to give it my all. The club team and myself are ready and willing to provide services to those in sixth grade and above, such as motivational speaking, or pep talks to allow people to open up about how they truly feel, or at least react and respond to what it is that is being presented for a good learning lesson. We will also introduce, and intergrade basketball into the presentation in terms of how it can change people’s lives for the better, maybe even the best. And this concept can be applied to any sport, or attribute of life if done correctly. Mental health is indeed a real concern, and topic of conversation that is not spoken of or incorporated enough in today’s society. We will conclude our presentations with brief summaries of the information previously shown, and will open up the floor for questions from our audience with kindness, respect, and moral character. Please give us the opportunity to help, and make a legitimate difference for the best in our community."

For more on Motivation 4 Lyfe and their movement, please click here.

To learn more, or to learn how LAC of M4L can help you, contact us today by clicking here!

Is there actually a good time to start writing your college essays?  

You bet. 

As you discuss where you’d like to apply to college, you should begin to create a list of potential options with your parents and guidance counselors.


This list will act as a guide for planning how many essays you’ll need to write.

Schools with supplemental essays will often have prompts open-ended enough that if you plan ahead, you’ll be able to use the same essay (or a variation of it) for multiple schools. Therefore, it’s beneficial for you to plan ahead, as it will  will save you time.

Since well over 600 schools use the Common Application, it is highly likely that you will need to write a Common Application essay, which is a 650 word personal narrative based on your choice of 7 prompts.
While there is no “right” time to begin this essay, the end of junior year or the summer before senior year is a good time to start brainstorming for and drafting your essay.

Supplemental essays are often shorter than the Common Application or Coalition Application essays, and typically range from 100 to 500 words.

A shorter essay does not mean that you will need less time to write it, however. Often, shorter essays can be more challenging to write as you need to get your point across concisely.

Therefore, it makes sense to begin them only after you’re certain you will apply to that school or program. Again, planning ahead to see where you can use a variation of the same essay is a good idea.

The best time to start your essay is when you have a stroke of inspiration. For many students, when they’re in a good-feeling place, an idea will pop into their minds, and the essay will almost write itself.

In both my research and in my observations, stress is the #1 killer of great college essays ideas. Make time for yourself, and then work on your essays. In my experience, this is the most effective approach.

Lastly, you’ll want to leave ample time to revise your essays. Senior year can be hectic, and you still want to have time to relax and have fun. Getting a head start on your college essays over the summer is a good idea. Use the fall of senior year to fine-tune your essays and to polish your applications!


Happy Writing!
This blog was written by Jaclyn Corley, Founder of The College Essay Captain and digital course creator of College Essay Playbook. The College Essay Captain helps teens overcome their fears and limiting beliefs around writing college application essays, so they are free to authentically share their stories with admissions teams. You can connect with Jaclyn by clicking here.

​We are so proud to be celebrating our 5th Anniversary today!

What started as a simple idea, a few emails, and a brainstorming session has become one of the fastest growing educational consulting businesses in the US.

Along the way, we've connected and worked with over 500 individuals and families -- placing students and student-athletes at schools and on teams around the country.

Brick by brick, our team keeps growing, our reach keeps expanding, and the LAC name continues to develop:
We've now worked with families in almost every state as well as 16 different countries.

We've fostered partnerships with schools, educational consultants, and higher education groups across the US as their go-to for student-athlete prep and for student branding. We've leaned into camps and combines, PR and marketing, nutrition and personal training.

And as we do each year at this time - in celebration - we do two things:

- Give thanks. To all of the students and families who have joined LAC, making us who we are today and who we are set to become, thank you so very much.

- Promise to keep going. We've worked to become an educational leader in college prep, to change the game, and re-write the playbook of athletic recruiting... this is STILL only the beginning and we're pumped to see what comes next!

How can WE help YOU? Contact us today by clicking here!

We're concerned with the amount of college application essays we're getting from high school seniors (written specifically for the Common Application) that have been 'reviewed and revised' by English teachers and counselors... the limit of the essay is a maximum of 650 words. We're seeing almost half of the essays coming to us at much more than that!

The length limit will be enforced by the application form, and applications will not be able to attach an essay that goes over this word limit.

Make sure that your essay is good-to-go, well-written, and is something that you are proud to send along to your prospective colleges! Contact the team at LAC today, send us an email, and we'll get your writing from a 'good' essay to a 'great' essay!

High school seniors: being prepared, organized, and having a game-plan will allow you to lessen your stress about college applications! Here are a few things to consider with your college admissions prep as we head into the end of September:

The Applications: You may have your college list set, or at least know of a few schools that you're definitely interested in applying to.   For those schools that you have good feelings about, take some time to familiarize yourself with the application that they utilize (be it the Common App, Coalition App, or perhaps an independent variation of their own application).  Familiarize yourself with the program and the set-up.  Once you have a grasp of what you're being asked, and how the application is structed, in time you'll find the apps pretty easy to use and navigate. Have you started filling in the biographical information? Start now if you can! Beginning the process seemingly a bit early, will have you more prepared, give you a better understanding of requirements, and will grant you the time to review things prior to submission.

The Essay. Do you know the writing prompts that are being offered this year? If not, definitely review those and have an understanding of how you would best respond to each option. If you've narrowed the selection down to two or three of the choices, you can write a few notes and thoughts for yourself on each one on (1) why you'd choose that option, and then (2) a starting point for each. Oftentimes when students brainstorm that way they are able to pinpoint which essay makes the most sense for them.  When all is said-and-done, aim to have written about three or four renditions of the piece before you process the final version for application.

Letters of Recommendation. Remember to let those individuals who you want to be writing you letters of recommendation for you to know as such.  Your school may already have a set plan in place given your Math or English teachers, but give advance notice to those individuals outside of school -- club leaders, coaches, etc. It gives them ample time to put together a really thoughtful piece on you, showcasing you best, without being rushed.

Questions on any part of the college admissions or application process? Do not hesitate to contact us today!