College Essay Brainstorming: Creating a Life Map

One of my classes for my Masters of Teaching program at BIOLA had us complete a “Life Map.” It was a framework and tool to help us identify significant moments in our life that helped inform our view of the world and ourselves. It was a really moving assignment that helped me to see in one big picture view everything that was important in my life. 

As I started teaching college essay writing, I realized that I needed a tool to help my students first identify the events that made them who they are. So I adapted the Life Map tool as a college essay brainstorming exercise. 

When we think about core memories, I want you to think of Inside Out. Riley, the main character, experiences a life event that gets logged as a memory. If it’s especially tinted with an emotion, that memory (signified by a little ball that records a short video of the event) becomes a Core Memory.

A Core Memory then becomes a part of Riley’s Long Term Memory and eventually fuels one of her “Personality Islands.” 

Here’s a clip of that whole process here.

I love that movie in so many different ways, but my favorite thing is how it’s a really creative (and fairly accurate) way to represent personality and memory to children. So with this life map, what I want you to do is ferret out your Core Memories. 

Use the following exercise to brainstorm out all the your important life moments and your “Core Memories.” 

1. List!
Grab a sticky note pad. For the next 15-20 minutes, as fast as you can go, fill out one life event or core memory per sticky note. Try to get through as many sticky notes as you can. 

What are some clear and important memories you have?
•    Times you moved
•    First day of ____
•    Last day of _____
•    Family vacations
•    Family troubles
•    Important classes
•    Important extracurricular
•    Start or end of a job or program or extracurricular activity
•    Start or end of a hobby
•    Successes and wins
•    Disappointments and hurts
•    Major changes or shifts in mood or relationships
•    Family or cultural traditions
•    A day when everything changed

2. Map!
- On a blank sheet of paper, create 3-4 columns to represent every 3 - 4 years of your life. For example, this student broke it up into these years:  0- 10, 11 - 17, 18 -22, 22+. 

- Place the sticky notes in chronological order. If you want to, you can rewrite your negative experiences in a different color, so you can see the frequency of negative events in your life or if one era of your life had more positive or negative experiences. 

- Circle the most important life events that have made some lasting impact today. These events will be the topics for your college essay. 

It’s important to begin first with the important stories you have to share and then figure out which prompt to answer—it’s a more organic and authentic way of writing a heartfelt and honest college essay.

Here’s an example (I know, she has more than 2 colors and her ages aren’t very clear, but you can get an idea of what the final product looks like):

3. Write! 
Now you will have a large sheet of paper with a ton of sticky notes on it—each one containing an important Core Memory. It’s these memories that will become the building blocks of your college essay! Pick one memory and start writing your first draft.

Congratulations - you've completed the most challenging part of the essay process and now you're well on your way to completing your essay! 

- John and Lynn Chen

If you have more questions about brainstorming college essays, or want to chat with an Ilumin Counselor about how to craft the perfect application please contact us here! 

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE 2017 UC PERSONAL STATEMENTS

After over a decade of having the same personal statement prompts (I would know, it was the same ones I used when I applied over 10 years ago), the UCs have finally decided to update their prompts!

BUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTT……it’s not all great. The new “Personal Insight Questions” (gone are the days of “personal statements” when we have “personal insights” to explore) have a few caveats. And we're here to walk you through the changes, and help you get started on writing your UC personal statements with this “Unofficial Guide to the New 2017 UC Personal Statements.”

 This guide will help you:

1. Understand the major changes
2. Know what UC Readers actually want
3. Have a shortcut to really really knowing what each prompt is asking
4. Create a Life Map to ferret out your best stories to share
5. Choose which 4 UC Prompts you should answer
6. Start writing your “Personal Insight” essays

So, What Are The Major Changes?

I’m GLAD you asked!

For Incoming Freshmen of Fall of 2017, the UC Personal Statements have changed their format and questions. They now are asking EIGHT “personal insight questions” instead of two broad questions. You need to choose FOUR of those questions to answer. 

Because having more choices is never debilitating, right?

Oh yeah, and you have only 350 words per prompt. Max. Compared to the 650 max on common app, you’re really just writing four blurbs about yourself.

But not is all bad news!

The pros are the prompts are way better. Before, students wrote abstract ruminations about how the world they come from somehow shaped their aspirations. Students often sacrificed examples and details trying to cover the entire scope of the prompt. These updated questions are more genuine and are easier to answer because they’re more specific. Which means now, hopefully, your answers will be more specific too.

It’ll just be more laborious because you need to write more essays--short, pithy essays at that. Short essays are harder since it’s easier to data-dump rather than exercise judgment. But the prompts help ground you to one experience, so that’s nice.

So in sum:

So, What Do UC Readers Really Want in an Essay?

They want concrete examples. Specific details. Clear insights. They want visceral examples that will, in the words of the UC, “express who you are, what matters to you and what you want to share with UC.” Stories that will conjure your soul and spirit before the eyes of the reader, and help serve as proof that you meet their 14-Point criteria. Narratives that will ultimately inform their decision to admit you or not.

The UC Reader wants to know who you are and what matters to you. The reader will be asking questions about you, such as: “Are you curious? Courageous? Do you take initiative or are you a follower? Why did you choose the path you chose? What are you passionate about and why? How do you react to setbacks and failures?” And then the follow up question is: “How do I know that’s true?”

So you need two major parts of your essay. You need to tell a good story. And you need to explain what that means about who you are. You need to give clear-as-day specifics of what you’ve done. So that way the UC Reader can tell another: “This student is an impassioned leader. How do I know that? Well, he had this powerful and clear example of how he… [INSERT STORY HERE]”

See how that works? A strong example is now proof that you are who you say you are. A good story is now concrete evidence you belong to their campus. So give them one. Or four.

So, without further ado….

The Personal Insight Questions for 2017…..As Episode Titles

The prompts are pretty confusing since they’re one giant block of text. I figured they could each use a title. One of my favorite TV shows was FRIENDS growing up, and each episode is titled: “The One With…” or “The One Where..” Like “The One Where Nana Died Twice” or “The One With The Jellyfish.” You get the picture.

In that same vein, I decided to title each prompt like it was a TV episode. Hopefully it’ll help ground you in a clear, specific example of sorts. Enjoy.

Prompt 1: The Time I Led or Helped A Group: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.  

Prompt 2: The Time I Created Something Cool or Solved That Hard Problem: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.  

Prompt 3: The Time I Showcased My Special Skill: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?  

Prompt 4: That Time I Learned, Did or Overcame Something Extraordinary Outside of School: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Prompt 5. That Time The Struggle Was Real And I Worked Through It: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Prompt 6.  That Time My Favorite Subject Became My Favorite Subject: Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.

Prompt 7. That Time I Helped My Community Become Better: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  

Prompt 8. That Time I Proved To The World I’m One-of-a-kind: What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Annndddd, I bet a few of you are feeling like this now:

UC Essay Brainstorming Tool--Which Prompts Should I Choose?

Okay. Don’t panic. I know looking at the eight different prompts can be overwhelming. How do you know which four to choose?

 I have always found it more useful to help students approach the essay inside-out instead of outside in. What I mean by that is it’s more authentic when you begin with your memories and then match them to a prompt. When start outside of yourself and use the prompt to remember a story—it sometimes becomes forced, inauthentic, and false.

So, before you use this UC Essay Brainstorming Tool, you are going to need a list of significant memories or moments in your life.

Lucky for you, I’ve adapted a process called a Life Map to help you do that. It uses sticky notes and crafting, and it originally was a counseling tool that I’ve now adapted into an essay tool. Because that’s how teachers roll.

So. Stop Right Now.

Step 1: Complete your Life Map Exercise —then come back here.

Have Core Memory list handy? Okay, let’s move on.

College Essay Archetypes

To help narrow it down, we have three main college essay archetypes that show up either in the Common App Prompts or private college supplemental essay prompts.

1.       My Story-Significant life events that shape who you are. What makes you you?

2.       My Community-Significant times in which you led or helped a community become better or solve a problem. Your contributions to a group.

3.       My Future-Significant times in your life in which you began to discover your life’s purpose and calling in terms of a career. Think of classes you’ve taken, clubs you’ve participated in, programs you attended, and projects you did in one field of study.  Think about why this has led you to choose the major you want and why.

Almost all prompts can fit into one of those three categories. So remember, we are moving inside out. Take your memory list, and work with the next part.

Step 2: For the tool, under each section, list a significant Core Memory that could fall under that kind of prompt.

Step 3: Now you’ve organized your memories, you can finally choose your prompts. We have categorized the 2017 UC Personal Insight Questions under these three main college essay archetypes. Identify the prompts your memories best fit. Please note that some prompts show up in more than one category.

And there you have it—you have identified which prompts you want to answer (hopefully). 

How To Start Drafting:

Once you got your prompts, you can start drafting. My students’ least favorite part, but with this tool, I hope it’ll be easier.

Follow this format. Copy and paste the following into a separate document and free write from there. 

Prompt (copy and paste prompt here):

Memory (150-200 words): Ground us in what happened. Narrate dialogue, descriptions, and details.

Reflection (150-200 words): Reflect on what this memory says or shows about who you are and what your aspirations are. Answer the reflection questions listed below by the UC (and the ones in bolded are written by me). The UC Provided an additional worksheet here. 

Reflection Questions

Prompt 1: Leadership

1. The Time I Led or Helped A Group: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.  

Things to consider: A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or a taking lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about your accomplishments and what you learned from the experience.  What were your responsibilities?

Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities.  For example, do you help out or take care of your family?

My questions: How did you manage conflict or communicate clearly? How did you practice perspective taking and empathy? How did you foster kindness, harmony, forgiveness, unity and teamwork?

Prompt 2: Creativity

2. The Time I Created Something Cool or Solved That Hard Problem: “Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.  

Things to consider:  What does creativity mean to you? Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do with that skill? If you used creativity to solve a problem, what was your solution? What are the steps you took to solve the problem?

How does your creativity influence your decisions inside or outside the classroom? Does your creativity relate to your major or a future career?

My questions: What inspired you to create something new? How did you go about it? Was it successful-why or why not?

What problem did you identify? Why was this problem significant? What was your process to try and come up with a solution? Was the solution successful-why or why not? What does this process showcase about your passion, your intellect, and your heart?

Prompt 3: Talent or Skill

3. The Time I Showcased My Special Skill: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

Things to consider: If there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of, this is the time to share it. You don’t necessarily have to be recognized or have received awards for your talent (although if you did and you want to talk about, feel free to do so). Why is this talent or skill meaningful to you?

Does the talent come naturally or have you worked hard to develop this skill or talent? Does your talent or skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? If so, what are they and how do they fit into your schedule?

My questions: What started your interest in this skill and why did you keep on doing it? How did this skill begin to shape and inform other areas of your life? What has this skill taught you? How has it changed your outlook on yourself, others, and the world?

Prompt 4: Educational Opportunity or Barrier

4. That Time I Learned or Did Something Extraordinary Outside of School: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Things to consider: An educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. For example, participation in an honors or academic enrichment program, or enrollment in an academy that’s geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — just to name a few.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you’ve faced, how did you overcome or strived to overcome them? What personal characteristics or skills did you call on to overcome this challenge? How did overcoming this barrier help shape who are you today?

My questions: What was especially thought-provoking about this experience? How did it confirm one way or the other your career goals? How did you showcase your passion or interest in this certain area of study?

Prompt 5: Significant Challenge

5. That Time The Struggle Was Real And I Worked Through It: Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, “How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?

My notes: Reserve answering this question ONLY for truly significant life experiences. You can’t write about failing a test or getting a low grade in class. The topic here applies more to some truly traumatic life experience that few teenagers have to go through—to the point that it actually impeded on other areas of your life. Give this topic the gravitas and respect it deserves.

My questions: What were your beliefs about yourself and the world before this event happened? What was lost or gained because of this episode? How did you heal or work through this difficult life circumstance? Who are you now because of it and how does it inform your beliefs about others and the world? Because of this, what hopes do you have for yourself and others?

Prompt 6: Favorite Subject

6.  That Time My Favorite Subject Became My Favorite Subject: Describe your favorite academic subject and explain how it has influenced you.

Things to consider: Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or activities — and what you have gained from your involvement.

Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)?

My questions: What was especially thought-provoking about this class? How did it confirm one way or the other your career goals? How did your part in the class showcase your passion or interest in this certain area of study?

Prompt 7: Community

7. That Time I Helped My Community Become Better: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  

Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place – like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act?  What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community?

My questions: What problem did you identify that this community was facing? What was your process to try and come up with a solution? Was the solution successful-why or why not? What does this process showcase about your passion, your intellect, and your heart?

How did you manage conflict or communicate clearly? How did you practice perspective taking and empathy? How did you foster kindness, harmony, forgiveness, unity and teamwork?

Prompt 8: Unique

8. That Time I Proved To The World I’m One-of-a-kind: What is the one thing that you think sets you apart from other candidates applying to the University of California?

Things to consider: Don’t be afraid to brag a little. Even if you don’t think you’re unique, you are — remember, there’s only one of you in the world. From your point of view, what do you feel makes you belong on one of UC’s campuses? When looking at your life, what does a stranger need to understand in order to know you?

What have you not shared with us that will highlight a skill, talent, challenge, or opportunity that you think will help us know you better? We’re not necessarily looking for what makes you unique compared to others, but what makes you, YOU.

My questions: What is an experience or quality that really sets you apart and why? What values does this event or quality showcase about you? Who are you now because of it and how does it inform your beliefs about others and the world? Because of this, what hopes do you have for yourself and others?

And there you have it! Hopefully you have at least some drafts and ideas to begin tackling the 2017 UC Personal Insight Questions! Writing is a process, and so give yourself plenty of time to revisit these steps and revisit your essays.

I know there’s still a lot of panicking going on, but hopefully after this Unofficial Guide to the 2017 UC Personal Statements, these new essays won’t be something you’re panicking about. 

Update: If you wanted these brainstorming exercises in a word document so it's easier to work through--you can access the file here. Also in there is some insights on how to best structure a college essay as well. Enjoy!

- John and Lynn Chen

If you have more questions about the new UC application essays, or want to chat with an Ilumin Counselor about how to craft the perfect application please contact us here! 

New SAT vs. New ACT: 4 Major Changes You Must Know

My usual advice to students trying to decide between ACT and SAT has gone something like this: SAT and ACT are equal in college admissions. Colleges do not prefer one over the other. As you’re approaching junior year, take a practice test for both without any preparation, and make the decision based on your stronger score. Or, if the scores are similar, go with the test that seems more comfortable to you.

I tell students that SAT questions tend to be tricky. Part of doing well on SAT requires students to interpret the questions correctly. On the other hand, ACT is more straightforward without the tricky questions. ACT calls for a quicker pace when compared to the relatively slow, methodical approach required by the SAT. Both tests cover math, reading comprehension, and writing. ACT also includes a science section that isn’t about any particular field of science but basic scientific principles, like the scientific method.

With ACT’s increasing popularity as the more accessible option to SAT, College Board has unveiled a new version of the SAT in March 2016 that is, well, more like the ACT. ACT has also instrumented some changes to its test in 2015. What do these changes mean for students?

1. How is the new SAT more like the ACT?

The new SAT is designed to be more closely aligned with standard high school curriculum, specifically Common Core. For example, roughly 60% of the math section is now comprised of algebra and data analysis, with only 10% dedicated to advanced math topics like geometry and trigonometry. This change balances the new policy of no calculators allowed for most of the SAT math section.

In the reading section, the obscure vocabulary that SAT is infamous for has been replaced with what College Board terms as “high utility” vocabulary, words commonly used across many disciplines. Students answer questions about vocabulary used in context of a passage, as opposed to fill in the blank.

And, no longer will students be penalized for a wrong answer on SAT with a 0.25 deduction, making guessing on the SAT a better bet. Now, for both tests, it’s always better to guess rather than leave an answer blank.

More here on how the SAT and ACT sections have changed.

2. Is the essay really optional?

Yes and no. The new SAT essay is technically optional now, just like the ACT. And, the scoring for the SAT essay is now a separate score that doesn’t factor into your overall SAT score, also just like the ACT.

The new SAT essay score includes three scores, each between 2 and 8, for Reading, Analysis, and Writing. The ACT score has also changed, now including 4 scores, each between 2 and 12, on Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions.

So, does that mean that students don’t have to take the writing test? It’s true that not all colleges require the writing test, but there are so many that do, such as the University of California, that it’s usually in a student’s best interest to opt for the writing test. For sample prompts and essays, see here for ACT and here for SAT.

3. What is a strong SAT score?

Ultimately, a strong SAT or ACT score is your best score. Ask yourself: is this my personal best? If the answer is yes, your time would probably be better spent on your academics and pursuing meaningful activities outside of class than taking SAT or ACT again and again.

If you think you can improve on your last SAT or ACT score, then you haven’t reached your strongest score. That is, until you’ve reached the zone where there isn’t a statistical difference in admit rates. Typically, for ACT, the sweet spot is roughly in the 35-36 range, while for the previous version of the SAT, it was roughly 2300 and above.

Now that SAT is reverting back to a 1600 scale, the “don’t take another SAT” score is about 1530 and above. See here for a detailed breakdown on the most competitive SAT scores.

4. What do I need to know about the new version of the ACT?

The changes for ACT are more subtle than SAT’s overhaul. The two main changes have to do with the new “Enhanced ACT Writing Test” and what’s called paired passages in the ACT reading section.

The ACT writing test not only includes a new essay scoring system, as mentioned above, but a more complex essay prompt. Students are not just asked to take a position, but to analyze multiple positions. And, the prompt is much more open-ended. Clearly, the new ACT essay requires students to practice the new format. More here about how to prepare.

The other ACT change worth mentioning is the addition of one set of paired passages to the reading section. Essentially, students read two passages before answering questions that involve analyzing the information from both passages. Although this change is not as dramatic as the changes to the writing section, students should familiarize themselves with this new reading format. See here.

With the new SAT and ACT formats, how will my advice to students change? Not as much as you might think. The SAT still includes more challenging vocabulary than ACT and allows for more time per question. So, ACT remains the more accessible yet faster-paced test.

Regardless of which test, you decide to go with, I do recommend that you pick either SAT or ACT, as opposed to doing both. High school students have enough to contend with these days without preparing for an extra exam. Despite the trend in recent years of students who take both exams, the goal is for you to achieve your personal best on either SAT or ACT.

-Azure Brown

ILUMIN INTERVIEW ON BAY VOICE RADIO - COURSE PLANS!

This past week, Azure provided her insights into effective course planning on Bay Voice Radio, 96.1 FM (Bay Area, NorCal). 

Knowing how to structure your classes is an important step, not only to prepare for college applications but to prepare to be successful in college. Check out what Azure would like every student to know before choosing next year's classes. 

Although the interview questions are in Chinese,  Azure's answers are in English with Chinese translations. If you would like to find out more, we'd be happy to do a free consultation and discuss how we can help. Click HERE to contact us and click on the link below to listen to the interview!

Bay Voice Interview -- Suggestions For Planning Your Courses

ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORKSHOP FOR TEENS // LED BY STANFORD D-SCHOOL ALUM

Want to help your son or daughter develop an entrepreneurial mindset?
Want to see your son or daughter get an idea off the ground?
Want to help your son or daughter develop tools to life-long success?

The Design Farm, an educational non-profit started by Stanford d.school (Institute of Design) alumni, is putting on a four-day entrepreneurship workshop for teens based on the design principles taught in Stanford's d.school.

The goal is to help students develop solutions to real problems through the lens of empathy. The training will equip students with the same concepts used by Apple, Google, and GE Health to innovate out ground-breaking products.

March 12, 13, 19, 20th - 1-6pm
Palo Alto High School Library
50 Embarcadero Road
Palo Alto, CA

AND... ILUMIN friends get a discount!

$75 off the registration if you use the coupon code "ILUMIN"!

First session starts March 12th - go HERE for more info and to register! Click HERE for more info on The Design Farm. 

Feel free to contact us for more info: info@ilumineducation.com.

Seminar - REAL Applications Through the Eyes of an Admissions Reviewer

MARCH 19TH - 1PM - SEATING LIMITED - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

UCs are getting more competitive every year. In 2016, over 200,000 students applied to the UC campuses.  What can students do to standout?

Come to ILUMIN Education’s Admitted or Denied: College Applications from a UC Reviewer event to hear Azure Brown, a former UC admissions counselor, give insight into common questions such as:

1. How does the admissions office review applications?

2. What are admissions reviewers looking for in a student?

3. What are the most important elements for admissions reviewers (grades, tests scores or activities)?

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn directly from an admissions reviewer and see what the UCs and other TOP universities really want in a student!

FREE drawing for the following items (starting at 1pm sharp!)

• Apple Watch

• SAT Class with AJ Tutoring

• 1 year of FREE Consulting Sessions with Azure Brown herself*

Seating is LIMITED, reserve your spot now! To REGISTER, click HERE.

Saturday, March 19th: 1 - 3 pm
Sunnyvale Community Center (The Community Room - See map below)
550 E Remington Dr.
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

For more information, contact us at info@ILUMINeducation.com or call (408) 479-4742 and leave your name, phone AND email. Or click HERE to register. 

Hosted by:

ILUMIN Education
College Admissions Counseling and Life Coaching
www.ILUMINeducation.com
(408) 479-4742
info@ILUMINeducation.com

* - One free year of coaching services included after signing a complete contract that includes services for the remainder of the high school years. Current sophomore students (as of March 2016) or younger ONLY. 

High School Course Planning: 5 Things You Must Know

I often get questions about what classes admissions readers want to see on college applications. And the truth is that a good course plan is important. It will not only make you stronger for college applications, it will make you stronger in college.

Before you sign up for another year of classes, here are 5 recommendations to help you make the right decisions.

1. Know when to compare yourself to others.

When parents tell me about a student they’ve heard about with a 3.8 GPA and just above average SAT score who was admitted to Stanford, my initial question is: from what high school?

You should know that as a college applicant, you’re compared to your peers. When evaluating freshman applications, one of the first things I looked at was high school information. Your GPA will be viewed differently depending on the average GPA at your high school as well as how many honors and AP courses you take in the context of how many are offered, not to mention other factors that can make your academic performance look remarkably different.

Despite being compared to others, you should still be realistic about your ability to manage your course load. If you’re stuck on taking 5 AP courses your junior year because you hear this is how your cousin got into Cornell, but then earn multiple C’s, it will not only make Cornell impossible, it will eliminate so many other college options that may otherwise be a good fit.

2.  Challenge yourself.

On the other hand, earning a perfect GPA with low course rigor is not the path to your best college results. It’s truly better to risk B’s with a challenging course load than it is to maintain straight A’s with a relatively easy course load. When I was trained to read UC freshman applications, I was told to pay attention to rigor. If a student was taking a challenging course load, even the occasional C can be forgiven.

As a consultant, I worked with Charles who earned a 3.5 unweighted/3.9 weighted GPA but had taken all of the AP math and science courses offered at his competitive high school. He wasn’t sure what his college results would be, especially considering his 2000 SAT score, but he was admitted to the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon. Clearly, his high course rigor balanced his relatively low GPA.

3.  Find your direction.

The reality is your prospective major means so much in terms of what classes you should take to be a strong college applicant. If you’re aiming for a top-ranked business school, it would benefit you to include AP US History and AP Gov in your course plan. If you’re applying as an Engineering major, you should plan for AP Physics in your junior year.

A successful course plan can look so different depending on the prospective major. Kevin, a theater major, took AP Psychology, Drama, and AP English. Despite a below average GPA for his high school, his strong performance in these classes contributed to his admittance to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

4. Try something new for your language other than English.

When you’ve grown up learning a language other than English (LOTE), it often means that your academic achievements in that language, even perfect scores on the SAT and AP exams, will not set you apart for college admissions.

I firmly believe that every decision regarding high school planning should not be based on whether it will make a student look good for college admissions. If you are a first-generation American, learning the language of your parents can be a richly rewarding experience that extends beyond college results.

And, there are exceptions to practically any recommendation for college admissions. For example, my student Stella immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan in 9th grade. She struggled to improve her English, and therefore, I recommended she meet her LOTE requirement with Chinese so she could focus on English. Stella made great strides in her English abilities and even took an advanced English course as well as AP Econ and AP Biology in her senior year. Her hard work paid off when she was admitted to NYU and USC.

However, if you aren’t in Stella’s position and want to be as competitive as possible for college applications, enroll in a LOTE that is not the language of your parents during your high school years and “finish” the language by completing courses through the AP level. Taking your time to study - and excel - at a language other than any you were taught as a child is a sure way to strengthen your profile for college applications.

 5. Achieve your balance.

There are going to be certain classes that are easier for you than others. Use this self-understanding to balance your course plan. In other words, if pursuing art isn’t a serious endeavor for you, perhaps you want to plan for a painting class that meets your UC art requirement during junior year as a welcome relief to all those AP math and science classes.

Or maybe, as a business major, you know you want to take AP US History your junior year, so you take AP Environmental Science that year instead of AP Biology, a course that competes with AP US History for requiring the most  memorization.

Another way to look at it is if you have a natural talent for a certain subject area, plan your courses to showcase that talents. I worked with Sandy who wanted to study business and had a passion for learning languages. Through high school and community college classes, she took classes in three languages. These classes didn’t seem like work to her, and her achievement in multiple languages made her stand out for college applications.

The most important perspective you can have when planning your high school courses is knowing what makes sense for you. If you challenge yourself, keeping in mind your strengths and abilities in the context of your goals, you will maximize your college options.

If you have any questions about course planning I'm happy to help. Click here to schedule a free consultation or give us a call at (408) 479-4742.

--Azure Brown

5 QUESTIONS FOR AZURE BROWN, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A UC EVALUATOR

Azure Brown joined Ilumin Education’s consulting team in September 2015. For more than 10 years, she worked in secondary education as a high school teacher and administrator that included English department lead and vice principal. Since 2009, she has been counseling students in college admissions. Before joining Ilumin, she was a senior evaluator and counselor for the University of California, reading applications and counseling high school and transfer students on the UC application process.

As an Ilumin consultant, Azure coaches students from 8th grade through college, supporting the application process for every stage, including private high school, undergrad, and grad school. We are excited about the experience and passion she brings to our team.

We asked Azure five questions to help you get to know her better.

1. What is one of your favorite aspects of working with students?

I love supporting application essays. For the students applying to summer programs, my advice is centered around encouragement and application essay mechanics. A typical case would be Stacy, a 10th grader who didn’t think she was “good enough” for COSMOS, a summer academic science program, which is quite competitive. With a little guidance, she wrote thoughtful and enthusiastic essays. I was thrilled, not just because she was admitted to the program, but because she felt empowered through the writing process.

This process is even more complicated - and rewarding - for college application essays. The writing is often casual and creative, like an entertaining conversation with a trusted friend. Supporting students through this sometimes scary writing process can be so challenging - but when students tell me I’ve helped them express themselves more authentically than they could on their own, I know that a kind of personal success has been achieved that extends beyond college results.

And, from my experience, those that are most authentic in their essays achieve their best results, like Phil who wrote about standing up to bullying - even exposing those moments when he didn’t behave at his best - and was admitted to both UCLA and UC Berkeley with somewhat average test scores.

2. What is one insight you’ve gained from being an admissions reviewer?

I believe the most important quality for your best college results is resiliency. I’ve sat with parents who have cried over a “C” in junior year and students who felt like their college dreams were over when they received a weak SAT score. However, it’s important to gain a wider perspective on your future.

As an admissions reviewer, I was humbled by gaining a glimpse into the lives of a cross-section of UC applicants. It’s important to understand that no matter your challenges, there are likely to be so many other applicants confronting even greater challenges. And the truth is that a UC reader is evaluating your application holistically, which means they are not as concerned with your weaknesses as they are with the sum of your strengths.

No matter your setback, it’s all about how you respond. Stella, a brilliant junior I worked with, was turned down to every competitive research program she applied to for that critical summer before senior year. So she got to work - until she had secured a job shadow that led to research completed partly at home because there was limited space available in her mentor’s lab. She was admitted to Cornell, UPenn, and UC Berkeley.

3. What do you want students to know?

I want students of every grade level to know the surest path to future success is to try something new. If you think you know your direction in life, look for ways to get more firsthand experience in your prospective major. If you have no leadership experience, think about what you do well and how your strengths could benefit others. If you’re not sure about your direction or strengths, sign up for a volunteering experience, join a school club, or apply to a program that interests you to start figuring it out.

No matter where you are in the process of finding your direction in life, going out of your comfort zone will surely pay off in greater self-knowledge and confidence.

4. What do you want parents to know?

Parents often ask me how they can help their sons and daughters achieve their greatest success.

What I tell them, after working in education for more than 20 years, is the best thing that parents can do for their teens is to give them a certain level of independence in making decisions, even if it sometimes means watching them fail.

Being a protective parent myself of two daughters, I understand this message can be counterintuitive. However, I’ve seen too many students who run into trouble after becoming an adult because they don’t know how to think for themselves. It’s so much better for your child to experience the outcomes of their decisions, in the context of your supportive home and patient guidance, than it is to send your child off for freshman year of college without the ability to think and act independently.

5. What is one way you can help?

Every student - and family - is different in terms of what type of guidance they would most benefit from. As a coach, my role is to help each student take that next step, whether it’s improving study skills, increasing organization, exploring interests, setting goals, creating solutions to problems, assessing progress, or presenting yourself effectively on applications.

I truly enjoy helping students make incremental changes that result in greater confidence and achievement.

Click here to schedule a free consultation with Azure and discover how she can help your child! 

ILUMIN Interview on Bay Voice Radio - Summer Plans!

It's important to properly plan your child's summer...

This past week, John continued his popular series of radio interviews on Bay Voice Radio, 96.1 FM (Bay Area, NorCal). Throughout this series, he'll be highlighting aspects that help students find the right majors, write the best (and most honest) essays and reach the right universities.

This time... summer plans! What to do this summer that will really make a difference. 

The interview is primarily in Chinese -- apologies to the non-Chinese speakers! If you would like to find out more, we'd be happy to do a free consultation and discuss how we can help. Click HERE to contact us and click on the link below to listen to the interview!

BAY VOICE INTERVIEW - SUGGESTIONS FOR PLANNING YOUR SUMMER

Summer Programs Alternatives: 5 Outstanding Summer Options

When faced with the question of what to do this summer, a program could be the most convenient answer. There is a worthwhile program for you, no matter your interests, GPA, or goals. Still, summer programs are not mandatory for your best college results. Every year, thousands of students who have never participated in a single summer program are admitted to even the most competitive colleges.

As a former UC admissions evaluator, I have been asked many times which summer activities increase a student’s admissions chances. The perhaps unsatisfactory answer is: it depends. There are numerous factors that can make a summer experience an asset to your college goals.

For one, admissions readers review extracurricular activities for evidence of your genuine interest in your prospective major. If you love it, why wouldn’t you be spending your free time doing it? And, if you’re not sure about your major, summer is the perfect time to try something new. Even if you don’t like what you try, the time you spend exploring demonstrates your intellectual curiosity, motivation to succeed, and discipline to see something through to completion.

What admissions readers aren’t looking for is how expensive the summer program or how prestigious the host university, even if you’re applying to that host university. So, if you have summer commitments that preclude you from participating in a program, it’s not in your family budget, or you are denied by your desired programs, here are five outstanding options for your consideration.

1. Volunteer locally

So many well-meaning families arrange for their sons and daughters to volunteer overseas. However, many colleges view these summer escapades as “voluntourism.” If you can pay, you can feel good about yourself. Instead, volunteer locally. What colleges want to see is: How does your commitment to social justice play out in your own backyard? How are you applying yourself selflessly in the long term, not just during an expensive trip?

Lisa volunteered in a food pantry during the school year. When she needed to stay in town for her SAT prep course, she increased her summer hours at the food pantry. She made it her mission that summer to find a better way to organize the food donations. The experience Lisa gained from leading the food pantry project became a strength that helped her achieve her college goals.

2. Take a class

Community college courses offer a wealth of opportunities to explore your interests at bargain rates. For Kristen, earning an A in a community college accounting course became a convincing argument to colleges that she was a strong candidate for their accounting programs.

For students in 10th and 11th grades, a passing grade in a UC-transferable California community college (CCC) course is guaranteed to be treated as a weighted GPA point for UC--just like an AP course. And now, with a searchable database of online CCC courses, it is easier than ever for high school students to pursue their interests while improving their UC GPAs through CCC courses.

3. Get a job

Working requires that you show up on time, be a team player, and meet the expectations of your customers and/or boss. Even those students earning a perfect GPA have something to learn from giving good customer service at the local burger joint for minimum wage, and college officials understand this.

My student, Jared, who was interested in business and fashion got a retail job at Macy’s, which led him to a new understanding of selling techniques. Jared’s job experience became the theme of his main personal statement, and he was admitted to top business schools.

Demonstrating your ability to maintain--and excel--at a humble job in the real world is worth more than your paycheck. And, if you’re able to contribute something new to the workplace you join, your accomplishments become brag worthy, a jewel in the activity section of your college applications.

So, start working on that resume. Even if you don’t have work experience, you can still write a resume.

4. Land an internship

What student wouldn’t want a summer internship? The challenge is the much celebrated internship in your field of choice may not be readily available. Therefore, aspiring interns need to be resourceful.

James’ summer research plans fell through at the last minute. So, I had him look up local researchers who were doing the specific kind of research he was interested in. James contacted several researchers to request a brief informational interview. One of his contacts replied to him, and the interview went well, leading to a job shadow, and eventually, an internship.

5. Start something new

Completing an independent project that you’re in charge of is one of the most impressive activities that you can report on a college application.

The options are endless. Mary taught a writing course at Boys and Girls Club and was admitted to almost every school she applied to. Other students I’ve worked with have done everything from creating a shopping service, writing an e-book, and spreading awareness about hepatitis B. You can’t go wrong with working toward a solution for a local problem.

No matter what you decide to pursue for summer, remember to have fun. Exploring your interests and demonstrating your passion should translate into enjoying your summer break. If you find your summer plans to be less than inspiring, it might be time to consider a new direction.

If you’d like to know how we can help with your--or your teen’s--summer, please contact us to schedule a free consultation at info@ILUMINeducation.com or (408) 479-4742.