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Dr. Jennifer B. Bernstein

(516) 362-1929

MODULE 3: ESSAYS

SESSION 1: Essay Topics (9 minutes)

Learn how to interpret the directions for the Common App essay, get an overview of the essay topics, and understand why you shouldn’t choose your essay topic until you figure out your supplemental essays.

SESSION 2: What Admissions Officers Are Really Looking For (9 minutes)

Get the inside scoop on what truly matters to admissions officers and why your insight into yourself is so important.

SESSION 3: Find the Right Approach & Creative Mindsets (8 minutes)

Save time and avoid the pain of freezing up by listening to these tips on getting into a creative mindset.

SESSION 4: Special Techniques for Discovering Essay Topics (9 minutes)

Tap into these surprisingly simple ways of coming up with interesting angles on the essay topics and get lots of examples.

SESSION 5: Special Techniques for Discovering Essay Topics (Part 2) (5 minutes)

Receive more strategies and examples for finding just the right angle.

SESSION 6: Discover Essay Topics in your CV (4 minutes)

See how Brian and Miranda (the case studies in Module 1) used their CVs to come up with great angles for their essays.

SESSION 7: “Central to Your Identity” Essay (4 minutes)

Learn how to interpret what you’re really being asked about in this essay prompt.

SESSION 8: Sample Story & Structure for the “Central to Your Identity” Essay Option (10 minutes)

Go behind-the-scenes in my thought process as I describe how I might structure an essay about my life as a competitive figure skater.

SESSION 9: Why Colleges Want You to Write About Failure (5 minutes)

Learn why you might want to reveal a failure even though you’re trying to get accepted to college.

SESSION 10: What to Do–and Not Do–in an Essay on Failure (6 minutes)

Avoid the hackneyed approaches to the failure essay by listening to these important tips.

SESSION 11: Case Study of Allison (7 minutes)

Watch this case study of a student who came up with an interesting twist on how she thought she failed to live up to other people’s expectations of her.

SESSION 12: Challenging a Belief or an Idea Essay (9 minutes)

Understand why colleges want to know about how you’ve dealt with this kind of situation and discover what it really means to engage in critical thinking.

SESSION 13: Sample Stories & Structure for the “Challenge a Belief or Idea” Essay (10 minutes)

Watch this case study of a student who wrote about challenging another student’s ideas during a class discussion and learn how you can come up with creative approaches to this essay topic.

SESSION 14: “Environment” Essay (6 minutes)

Understand why colleges are interested in learning about an environment or place where you feel perfectly content.

SESSION 15: Sample Angles & Stories for the “Environment” Essay (10 minutes)

Learn creative ways of interpreting the essay question and get lots of examples.

SESSION 16: “Transition to Adulthood” Essay (7 minutes)

Discover why colleges are curious about these kinds of transitional experiences, what you should avoid doing if you choose this topic, and what you should definitely demonstrate if you opt for this prompt.