College Essay Consultation

Earlier today I finally had a chance to Skype with my sister, Melanie, and talk about her college essay for the first time. Like I anticipated, she was a little overwhelmed by the essay at first. For her it seemed so broad of a topic that it was difficult to narrow her thoughts down. She asked me what I thought the purpose of the essay was, and I said that it should speak of her personality and passions outside of the classroom. Her outstanding grades and participation in extracurricular activities are proof of how well she does academically; I urged her to see the essay as a chance to tell an admissions officer something about herself. As we talked about what topics she might like to include, or perhaps what stories or experiences she would like to share, I could see her beginning to feel excited rather than anxious. To be honest, I didn't need to do much in order for her to get organized and passionate. I really just played the role of a listener, someone she could bounce ideas off of and discuss with. I feel like I completed the primary goal of the consultation, which was to assist her in leaving the consultation passionate and eager to work, with ideas she can really develop into a successful essay.