Common App Core Question Topic Selection: Tip One

Last summer, I was working with a student at the Huntington Learning Center who attended a College Application Essay writing class at a local high school. The class was taught by a high school English teacher, ran for two weeks and resulted in a final draft of a response to the core question. So, I asked to see it.


The essay was technically perfect and followed all the conventional wisdom on what college admissions officers want to see. It was written in the active voice, full of active verbs, and was free from grammatical and spelling errors. The student wrote in his own voice on a topic of his choice. Flawless: and yet all wrong.

The essay was about an experience the student had with bungee jumping. It described in vivid detail his ascent to the top of a bridge, painted a picture of the panoramic view before him. You could here his heart pounding as he looked down and experienced true fear for he first time in his life. The essay moved to the student’s inner conversation as he struggled to find the courage to jump; and finally the climatic leap off the bridge; flying, soaring, breathless. This student had learned to overcome his fears! A life lesson to be sure. The essay was thrilling, engaging, memorable…surely this would make and impression on college admissions officers. It made an impression on me! In fact, Selective College Acceptance Counseling was born as a result of reading this essay.

I asked the student how he chose his essay topic. Did the teacher give him any guidance? No. Did she review his transcripts and test scores? No. Did she look over his completed Common app as if she were in college admissions? No. She left the topic up to him. But, his theme seriously missed the mark. Why?

The student carried a 2.5 GPA at the end of his junior year. With Huntington’s help, he was able to increase his ACT score to a 27. Admissions officers will view him as a smart, unmotivated kid. Not good. I happen to know that he surprised himself with how well he was able to score on the ACT. Prior to that, he had no idea that he had that kind of potential. He also had a 504 plan for ADD/ADHD and took medication to help him focus. What he actually learned at Huntington was that if he put forth a consistent effort, he could produce amazing results. This should have been the topic of his essay. He needed to address the glaring discord between his GPA and test scores. He needed to talk about overcoming adversity and learning to become a good student. He needed to prove to admissions reps that he was a mature young man who is ready for college and would excel in that environment as a result of what he learned about himself the summer between his junior and senior year. Did his essay on bungee jumping accomplish that? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

I implored the student to revise his essay, but he had spent two weeks on it and it was done! It was then I decided that I had something to offer to students beyond SAT/ACT Prep. I decided that an effective college application essay begins with a review of the Common app as a whole to identify the questions admissions reps will still have about the student after they have read everything else. I decided students need guidance and direction in selecting a topic that will enhance their application and not detract from it. I decided students need to work with a counselor (not an English teacher or writer) to develop a persuasive essay rather than a narrative. The Common app core question is a student’s ONE opportunity to speak for himself about his unique perspectives and experiences. Clearly, they need someone with expertise in the college admissions process to direct them. Thus Selective College Acceptance Counseling was born.

Selective College Acceptance Counseling provides individual academic and extra-curricular guidance to students seeking entrance to highly-selective universities. We understand the current college admissions landscape and provide keen insight, clear direction, moral support and strategic planning to students in Rochester, NY. Our services include:

• Individual College Counseling

• Summer Workshops

• International Student Packages

Call (585) 233-9502 for a FREE Initial Consultation to include: Review of transcripts, activities, test scores, fall schedule and recommendations for the fall.

When is the right time to start planning for college?

So, when is the right time to start planning for college? 

Did you think junior year or even senior year?

I bet some ambitious parents even thought sophomore year or first year.

Did anyone think middle school?

Well, if your child has Ivy League or Top 40 college aspirations, middle school is the time when planning should begin.

In order to be on an advanced math track for example, your son or daughter MUST take Algebra in the 8th grade.  That means he or she must take Pre-algebra in 7th grade and score well enough to be recommended for Algebra.  This means that if your child is struggling with math in 5th or 6th grade, you must intervene immediately. 

Three main factors influence admissions to highly selective colleges: academic record (or GPA), rigor of secondary school curriculum and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT).  I served as the director of a learning center for several years and I cannot tell you how many parents brought their children in for remedial skill work in the 10th grade. By that point, half of your child’s academic record has already been recorded and cannot be changed.  It may be too late!

Parents need to ensure that students have a solid academic foundation in middle school and the study skills to earn high grades.  Middle school sets the stage for an accelerated course of study in core subjects, as well as access to Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework in high school.  However, many Middle schools throughout the country do not have Guidance Counselors; even fewer have College Counselors.  Often students are “tracked” into regular or advanced courses of study based on teacher recommendations/observation alone.  Parents are not asked (or even told) which course of study their child will pursue.

Do yourself (and your child) a favor; talk to a college counselor as early as possible if your goal is to help your child gain acceptance to a top-notch college.  I suggest having your first college-planning meeting the summer before 6th grade.  A college counselor will work with your child to begin to assess strengths and weaknesses, recommend any needed remedial skill work, and complete interest and personality inventories to identify possible career pathways   

Remember, top colleges are looking for top students.  Give your child the opportunity to start high school with the skills and motivation to perform his or her best from day one.

Holly M. Asposto, Ed. M is an Independent College Counselor with Selective College Acceptance Counseling.  She has successfully guided hundreds of students through the college application process over the past 15 years.  Students who have worked with Holly are now attending Cornell, University of Southern California, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, University of California at Berkeley, Boston University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Call or email today for a FREE College Readiness Evaluation.  585-233-9502 or holly@getaccepted.org.