Archives for college

6 Tips for Writing a College Essay

July 3, 2023 by bethmcgaw in Blog | Comments Off on 6 Tips for Writing a College Essay

With applying for colleges/universities comes the dreaded college essay. Sounding way easier said than done, your college essay is the way you’ll stand out from the hundreds (or thousands) of other students applying. 

What makes you different and a good candidate to attend a particular school? College admissions advisors read thousands of essays, and many times it’s like reading the same thing over and over (and over). It’s important to make your essay uniquely you. 

Here are a few of our tips and tricks for writing a strong college essay!

It’s important to take your time to think about a good essay topic. Don’t settle for the first thought that comes to mind. 

Believe it or not, you’ve already had multiple life experiences and lessons. Brainstorm different experiences and topics you are familiar with. See what sticks out to you. Don’t be discouraged if on day one you only have one idea. It often takes days or even weeks, depending on your schedule, before you feel you have a strong topic. 

A strong topic is something you feel comfortable writing about so you can write the minimum amount of words asked for and engage the reader.

As good as you might think your first draft might be, don’t settle for the first one. Writing multiple drafts on the same topic can help your creative juices flow, can spark new ideas, and can provide you with different perspectives. 

Writing multiple drafts gives you options. You can look through them and pick the one you feel is strongest. 

Also – don’t be afraid to have a few different essay topics written up. You don’t need to confine yourself to one topic or one essay and you can send different essays to different colleges. 

College admissions officers are not English teachers. They don’t want to read a redundant five-page essay. 

Don’t be afraid to have a shorter essay. Be concise. As long as you keep your writing clear, you can stand out through a shorter essay. 

Getting straight to the point might be more impressive to college admissions. It shows you are articulate and smart with your words. 

When writing your essay, if your first draft is a little long don’t fret! That’s what editing is for. Look it over and keep working to combine ideas to shorten it up. It’s often easier to edit by removing information than it is to think of it to make it longer. 

Be creative. Put some of your personality into it. 

The introduction is your way to set the tone and hook your readers.  A good “hook” makes you stand out from other writers and helps the reader form a lasting impression. 

It’s important to have other people read your essays and give you some constructive feedback. A fresh set of eyes gives you a new perspective. No matter how good you think you are at the details like punctuation and grammar, you can still miss the little mistakes in your own work. 

Another perspective can also provide ideas you might not have thought of. 

Don’t be afraid to ask multiple people either! Everyone has something to offer and can give you advice and pointers for focusing on the powerful points in your essay. 

Most importantly: be yourself! 

It’s important to keep it personable and let your personality shine. This isn’t a school essay being graded. This is your shot to convince them that they want you at their college and your college essay helps the people at the college learn more about you as a student and as an individual. 

Crossing the Finish Line

June 4, 2023 by bethmcgaw in Blog | Comments Off on Crossing the Finish Line

Congratulations seniors, you’ve completed high school! You’ve crossed that finish line! But you’re not finished yet. What’s next? You’re about to start a whole new chapter. For many of you, that means starting over as a freshman but in college this time. You have to figure out dorms, orientation, what classes to take, and much more! We have a few tips to keep you on track and make these next steps a little easier. 

Prepare for Adjusting to Your New Home

In just a few months you’ll be in a completely new place with new people. Take time this summer to prepare and you will make your fall much easier. 

Sign up for orientation now.  

Orientation is an important time for any incoming freshmen. It offers you a chance to learn more about campus and start becoming familiar with the layout and the different buildings. It’s also a valuable time for making friends! 

Make sure you’re keeping an eye on your emails, or school portal to see how you need to register and pick the perfect date for you.

If you haven’t seen anything yet, check your school’s website or give your school a call!

Attend summer programs offered by your college.

Orientation is a great way to learn and make friends but so is attending summer programs. Many schools offer summer programs in a variety of interest areas. Take advantage of these opportunities to strengthen your learning, your experience, and to expose yourself to new things.

Trying new things helps you broaden your network and push yourself; it also will help you make your new campus feel more like home so your transition in the fall will be much more comfortable. 

Bonus Tip:

Make sure you’ve finished any paperwork needed such as: 

  • loan paperwork
  • financial aid applications or documentation (including your FAFSA!)
  • any pre-surveys that the college or university requires

Most of this information can be found in your school’s portal or email. You may need additional information from your high school. Keep in mind that the school guidance counselors do not work all summer so don’t put this paperwork off until fall!

Research your Campus

After you’ve prepared for orientation or any other paperwork necessary for a strong start in the fall, research your school. 

Get familiar with the campus and nearby off-campus areas. 

Where can you find some basic groceries or snacks? 

Where can you get prescriptions filled? 

Where is a great place for your parents to take you to eat when they visit? 

Where can you purchase an extra phone charger if yours goes missing or dies? 

Are you looking for a job while you’re at school? Students that are interested in obtaining a job during the school year should start checking available openings now. Your campus should offer a variety of on-campus positions but they may go quickly! 

Check out clubs and life on campus.

Look into different groups the school may offer from clubs related to your major, to clubs that focus on one of your interest areas. Learn more about Greek Life opportunities or how to join an intramural sports team!

Joining a group once you get to campus is a perfect way to make your new “world” feel less overwhelming and more like home. Groups also give you perfect opportunities to network and meet new people along with providing excellent experiences you can add to your resume! 

Prepare to Move

Not only will you be attending a new school you’ll be living in a completely new environment. Dorms can be intimidating and a change to what you are used to but being prepared helps you tackle this challenge!

Use a dorm checklist. 

Many colleges offer a dorm checklist which includes some suggestions for what to bring along with the important things to know like bed size and space measurements.  

If you know anyone who went to college recently, see what suggestions they have on what to get – keeping in mind that many college campuses have different specifics for what is and what is not available in their dorm rooms and common spaces. 

Living in a place without your parents or your friends can be intimidating. So make sure you’re prepared to create your own space that will feel like home. Some LaunchPad suggestions for what to prepare include:

  • Water filter
  • Laundry basket or bag
  • Towels (2)
  • Mattress pad (make sure you check what size of bed you’ll have)
  • Comforter, blanket, pillow
  • Shower caddy/shower shoes
  • Microwave and/or mini-fridge (if allowed in your dorms)
  • A bowl, set of silverware and a plate
  • Extension cord(s)
  • Hangers
  • Couches or seating for living room or extra space
  • Desk supplies
  • Decorations
  • Fans
  • 3-M/Command Hooks for hanging things on the walls

If you have a roommate, or multiple roommates, make sure you coordinate who’s bringing what. Items such as microwaves, mini-fridges, living room seating, or TVs are items you won’t have a lot of space for so make sure you’re in contact with one another to coordinate. 

Prepare for Academic Success

You’re not only moving into a dorm room, you’re moving into a whole new school. You will not have the same classes every day so it can be easy to feel like you have tons of free time but college classes come with a lot of work, readings, and other assignments that you need to plan out for yourself.

Depending on the state of your school supplies, now might be a good time to upgrade. Perhaps a new backpack, laptop, notebook, or other key tools that will keep you on track like a planner! Planners are excellent organizational tools.

An average college class load is about 5 classes so you will need a good system and resources to help you keep up. Five classes can mean at least 8-10 hours outside of class will be needed to complete the work. A planner is a great tool to keep yourself on track!

Bonus tip: 

Check out Launchpad on Facebook or Instagram for our Tech Tuesday posts with suggestions for organizational apps and other tools for setting yourself up for success!

Spend Time with Friends and Family

As busy as your summer may be, don’t forget to have fun and spend time with your loved ones! 

In just a few months you’ll be somewhere completely new. For some students, this somewhere new could be hours away but even if your new home is only an hour away, it’s still going to be different than being with your family every day. Use these last few months to cherish the time you have with them as you start to get excited about all the new things you will experience in just a couple of months!

For more tips, check out our blog post, 10 Things You Need to do to be Ready for Success in College.

Don’t Let Senioritis Beat You

April 3, 2023 by bethmcgaw in Blog | Comments Off on Don’t Let Senioritis Beat You

Some suggestions from a college senior

It’s April – the last stretch for high school seniors!

Graduation is looming.

The finish line is in sight.

Most seniors will have received offer letters for college. They may start to think “I’m already in college, why do my high school grades matter?” Senioritis starts to set in.

For many high school seniors, senioritis can lead to a big struggle to reach the finish line to graduation. They may give up on their study habits. Grades drop. They might not pass a class and then need to attend summer school. This can lead to their college acceptance being revoked.

But, there are ways to beat senioritis! Nicole, LaunchPad’s college intern, has put together some tips for seniors to fight through senioritis, graduate strong, AND still enjoy their senior year.

Keep the End Goal in Sight!

In order to finish the year without mentally checking out, it’s important to create goals for yourself. It’s most important to keep your end goal in sight. Just because you’ve received an acceptance letter, poor grades in your senior year could change your college’s decision. Having goals keeps you motivated and moving forward while keeping your study habits strong. 

Keep your goals in the forefront of your mind and even write them down and put them somewhere you will see them frequently. It can be hard to hold yourself accountable, so be sure to surround yourself with people who will push you. See if your friends will make arrangements to set goals for themselves and you can hold each other accountable. 

Keep in mind, it’s easy to adopt the habits of the people you’re surrounded with. If you surround yourself with people who slack off and don’t take school seriously, you’ll find it harder for yourself to stay motivated. Surround yourself with people who have the same habits and values as you. It will help you maintain your habits and values and push you to maintain them. These people will also push you to be the best version of yourself which will help keep you on track.

Have fun!

However, don’t be afraid to have fun and be goofy. Senior year shouldn’t be all work and no play. Find people who take work seriously but don’t let it consume your life. It’s important to recognize you can have fun while achieving your goals. 

Be sure to reward yourself. High school is full of hard work. You have survived. That’s an accomplishment!

Received college acceptance letters? That’s another accomplishment! You put in the work, so finish strong AND reward yourself and acknowledge your accomplishment. 

Plan important events with your friends and family throughout the semester. This not only gives you something to look forward to, but also means you spend some quality time with your loved ones before you leave for college.

Change Things Up!

Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit. By now, you’ve been in high school for close to 4 years and may always follow the same routine. Make small changes, even if it’s just switching up where you study by doing schoolwork somewhere new like a coffee shop or a library. Small changes with new scenery can stimulate your motivation and prepare you for the changes coming with going to college.

Change can also include participating in other activities. Explore new opportunities. Join a community engagement project, try out a new interesting class, or join a new club. With only a few months left, don’t be afraid to seek out new challenges and new experiences.

Changes in your routine keep things exciting. It allows you to look forward to something new and stimulates your brain in a new way.

Stay Organized and on Schedule

Don’t let yourself get behind with due dates and other events. To cross the finish line, it’s important to stay organized and on schedule. Senioritis takes advantage of disorganization and poor time management. Stay ahead of it and keep yourself organized. Not only will this help fight off senioritis it will help ease your stress and allow you to feel at ease. 

Use a planner, calendar, or reminder app to keep track of time and tasks. It’s easier said than done to say you’ll remember everything in your head! At the end of the day, we’re all human. Using a planner or calendar will help you stay ahead of due dates and feel more stress-free. 

Make to-do lists to help prioritize your day. Having a written reminder of tasks you want to accomplish not only keeps you organized, but it also keeps you motivated. You want to accomplish the tasks on your list and feel the satisfaction of crossing them off! Writing things down also allows you to delegate your time appropriately. Thinking about which tasks may be harder or take more time can help you plan when to do them. For instance, some people prefer to knock off the more time-consuming tasks earlier in their day. Having a list in front of you allows you to make these decisions confidently and stay on schedule. 

Don’t be afraid to take breaks! As much as senioritis can be a thing, burnout is a real thing too. Part of staying organized is recognizing and prioritizing downtime. Know when your mind needs a break. Giving your brain time to relax and recharge stimulates motivation and will help you stay on task.

Organizing your school work and responsibilities also helps organize your mind which allows you to physically and mentally prepare for life beyond high school! College is a whole new world. You have independence and freedom that you may not have had in high school. Learning how to keep yourself organized and how to plan your own time will make the transition into college more successful. 

Not only will staying organized help you finish your senior year strong, but you will then take these habits into college. Regularly attending class, being on time for events, submitting your homework on time, and preparing for your tests are all good habits you must have for success in college. If you keep up with them now, you’ll carry them into college. They’ll also turn into life-long habits which puts you in a great position for living the life you want. 

Are you feeling like senioritis is taking over your spring? Beth can help! Contact LaunchPad today for help with staying on track for starting college strong. 

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