Five Things Not to Do on College Application Essays

College Application essays are challenging.  It requires writing for a new audience, new topic, and a new purpose.   The student has never written for the audience of the college admissions officer before.  The topics are very general, and basically the prompts tell students to write about themselves, which they didn’t really have to do before in English classes.  Also, the essays’ purpose is to really sell yourself as a good candidate for the school, and that is also foreign to many students.

Here are some things not to do, that I’ve gleaned from reading thousands of college application essays over the years:

1. Don’t write about the following topics:  difficulties of a certain class and how much homework you do; how you worked hard to get straight A’s; controversial news topics that do not reveal anything personal about yourself; general list about your sports, activities and how great you are at them.
2. Don’t overshare about your hardships or struggles: There is a fine line between describing your struggles and scaring the reader.  Always share from the angle of how you overcame struggles.  We do not want the admissions officer to be unsure about your emotional stability and common sense.
3. Don’t try gimmicks:  I heard that a student wrote “Am I crazy?” 500 times on her college application essay.  I think it was an urban legend.  It certainly will not work today.   Admissions officers have seen it all.
4. Don’t bore the reader: Admissions officers read thousands of essays a year, and only spend a few minutes to scan each one. It would be good to try to capture their attention from the beginning. But don’t make things up–be genuine and be yourself. Let your particular unique story shine, but structure the essay so that the most interesting details are in the first few paragraphs.
5. Don’t write to impress: Don’t try to add lots of SAT vocabulary words or make it overly complex. Be natural and  make the essay sound like yourself. Read it out loud to see if it sounds like the way you may talk–a slightly more polished version of you. If your voice and personality comes through to the reader clearly, that’s a successful essay.

One extra tip: Don’t stress too much about the topic, but focus on letting your character, values, and personality shine through.  If you write about what you like and are passionate about, that will naturally showcase who you are.

Pure Barre On Demand Review Update October 2017

I have been doing Pure Barre On Demand since July 2017; I usually do the workout every other day.  I got a great deal–the Founder’s rate of $14.99/month.  It costs about $16 with tax, and I can cancel anytime.

I have been enjoying the Pure Barre workouts, and I have my computer monitor, yoga mat, weights, band and ball all set up in my office so that I can quickly fit a workout in.  I have found that I do not miss having a barre for support.  I just use a chair or the wall for support.  The other days, I have added strength training to my routine, using an app called Stronglifts,  which I highly recommend.  (I can squat 115 pounds, which is pretty good for me, considering I’m a petite Asian lady who has never exercised before).

Pros of Pure Barre On Demand:

• Convenience (I can do the workout anywhere, using my phone)
• Variety of videos

Cons of Pure Barre On Demand: 

• Not as many new full length 60 minute videos (all of the new videos added are 45 min or less.)
• Not as challenging (I think that in the studio, with the instructor correcting your form and everyone following along, it’s harder to slack off.

I have to really push myself to give it my all while I’m following along the videos.  I usually use my Apple watch to check my heart rate and calories burned to make sure I’m making the most of the workout.

That relates to my final thought about Pure Barre exercises in general.  They are great for toning and working on the waist and other trouble areas, but they do not help that much with weight loss.  I have had to add strength training and some cardio cycling to burn off the fat.  It is easy to get complacent with the workouts and reach a plateau, where I wasn’t losing any weight.  As with any exercise, the body gets used to things, and we have to mix it up.

Please see my original review of Pure Barre On Demand HERE.