Students have a choice of five prompts when writing their essay for the Common Application. In 2015-2016, forty seven percent of applicants submitted an answer for question number 1, making it the most common essay submitted: “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. … Continue reading Common Application Personal Statement Essay: The Slippery Slope of Question #1
College Essay Help Blog
On an early summer evening over dessert, the table talk turned to admission essays. I was eager to hear what our group of 20-somethings had to say about helping others with these essays – the writing to get into (or stay out of) health professional schools. The second-year dental school student at the head of … Continue reading The squish test: is the essay mushy?
A student arrived soaking wet and smiling from ear to ear - he biked over to our home in pouring rain. I hosted an Italian feast for my first undergrad students from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. My husband gave the young man some sweat pants and we put the wet clothes … Continue reading Cooking for my First Students
College application time is exciting yet stressful. Keep calm by reaching out to me. Drawing on my experiences from more than 1,000 student advising meetings, I am able to assist both students and parents. From essay editing to application strategy, I'm here for your family. Looking forward to helping you "Keep Calm!" Michelle machiele.m@gmail.com
Aug. 12, 2015 - College Application session for families, please RSVP to machiele.m@gmail.com This is a very exciting time of year - sunshine, swimming pools, and the Common Application! Please pass along to your friends that on the evening of Aug. 12, 2015, I will host a College Application session for families. Rising seniors and … Continue reading Aug. 12, 2015 – College Application session for families, please RSVP to machiele.m@gmail.com
For my high school families, I serve as a pre-college advisor for students and parents. I tell stories as a way of teaching without preaching. Parents of a high school junior wrote, "We continue to be grateful to you for your great advice as we figure out the next steps..." College applications can be a … Continue reading Pre-college advising: “…grateful to you for your great advice”
About once per month I host a college application session for families. Students and/or parents are welcome, all invited. Feel free to pass along to families of high school juniors as well as planning-ahead-sophomores. RSVP to machiele.m@gmail.com for directions Another exciting year ahead! See you soon, Michelle
What a wonderful year of connecting with families for college applications. Here’s a bit of reflection on the 'old' year, and a request as we head into the New Year. 2013 may be remembered as 'the year when they updated the Common Application' - oh boy! How interesting to be interviewed by a New York … Continue reading Reflecting and looking ahead to the New Year
"Our whole family was settling into a new location due to my husband's job change and our daughter's college applications were all coming due. Michelle was able to not only fine tune the wording on her essays etc. but more importantly to help her consider the suitable options for her here in Michigan. Having someone … Continue reading
Michelle helps make the college application process feel much more manageable! She has a very friendly, calming and reassuring presence that can be felt by both parents and students. She is well versed in the pros and cons of different type of colleges (small/large, public/private, etc.) and does a great job in helping students and … Continue reading Michelle helps …