From One Parent to Another: Application Realities Scottsboro AL

From One Parent to Another: Application Realities

They say hindsight is 20/20. In this series, you can find out what other parents learned while going through the process of finding, selecting, and paying for their student's education!

Eking out the essays
A long-time college employee complains, ""Trying to get my son to sit down and write a simple essay was impossible. He wouldn’t take the time and said, ‘I don’t know what to write,’ even though he was given multiple choices on the application. I knew that he could write because of the comments written by teachers on his papers in high school. What worked was telling him that the content was more important than the length of the essay. That seemed to take some pressure off, and, before he knew it, he had constructed a decent essay. I think it’s important for students to write their own essays. It’s good preparation for what’s to come in college. They really need to learn how to think for themselves.""

Jackie B., a college professor and survivor of the admission process with her oldest child admits, ""Getting my son to write the essays and complete the admission and financial aid applications was a hand-wringing experience. After our hand wringing was completed, we moved to the heart-pounding stage as we approached the mailbox each day with high hopes. My son got the news he hoped for so it was all worth it.""

Test scores
""Yes, there is life after college-entrance exams,"" said one Phi...

Author: Amy Ambler

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