Sharp Focus College Consulting

High school seniors who are planning to attend college should use the summer to work on their personal statements for college applications. However, many students tend to procrastinate on this important task because they are unsure of how to approach it. 😬

In the blog post titled "How to Write a Stellar Personal Statement for Your College Application," you will learn:
1. What a personal statement is
2. What mistakes to avoid
3. A straightforward process for writing your personal statement effectively

Feel free to share this valuable information with high school seniors who are preparing for college and their parents. It will help alleviate some of the stress associated with this particular college application requirement. 📝

How to Write a Stellar Personal Statement for Your College Application Writing "The College Essay" can be very stressful for many students applying to college. It might feel overwhelming if you lack confidence in your writing ability or find it difficult to write about yourself. You might feel like you don't have anything worth writing about, or that you should write a...

As summer heats up, so does orientation season at colleges across the country! Incoming first-year students and their families get 1-3 days on campus to meet other new students, learn about the college, and register for the first term. It's an exciting time, but it can also be very overwhelming! To make the most of college orientation, check out this 2-part blog series! And pass it along to students who are starting college in the fall and their parents!

Making the Most of Your College Orientation: Part I As summer starts, New Student Orientation season at colleges across the country is in full swing. Just about every first-year college student has an opportunity to attend an orientation designed to introduce them to their home for the next four years. Orientation is packed with social activities, in...

This is the first May in 20 years that I've not participated in Commencement ceremonies, and I'll admit it's strange. Commencement is a day when I celebrate a year of hard work alongside my students and their families and look back on how I contributed to each of their journeys in my own small ways.

Now, as a private success coach, I'm taking time to reflect on how I've been able to help students this year. Without facing capacity issues (I've typically had hundreds of students I'm responsible for while working in higher education), I have loved being able to really get to know the students I work with and support them in achieving their goals.

This year, my students have been able to set goals and execute action plans, increase their confidence, effectively balance academic, personal, professional, and social aspects of their lives, secure meaningful internship experiences, develop relationships with their professors, clarify their career direction, apply to competitive majors, and more.

Another aspect of my work this year has been supporting high school seniors applying to college and college students applying to graduate/professional school. My main role has been coaching them as they write their personal statement and supplemental essays. I love the storytelling aspect of this work and guiding students to discover they have an important story that only they can tell.

If you know of anyone who could benefit from college success coaching or essay support, please send them my way!

The first year of college is a huge transition, and most students do not feel prepared for it. Knowing what to expect can make your transition much smoother!

If you know someone starting college this fall, pass along these 10 tips for successful first-year college students so you're ready to go! 😊📚

10 Things Successful College Freshmen Do Lily appeared in front of my office door, beaming with the joy and pride of a college freshman who hadn’t started classes yet. A dance major, she had traveled to visit me from her dorm room by scooter, a transportation mode that many students use to navigate around campus. It was two days before t...

As May has arrived, it's the perfect time for students and parents to begin planning for the transition to college in the fall. To ensure a smooth transition, there are several things you can do, such as taking full advantage of orientation, having regular check-ins with your future roommate(s), and practicing time management skills.Now that it's May 📅, it's time for students and parents to start thinking 🤔 about how to prepare for the transition to college in the fall 🍁. There are lots of things you can do to ensure a smooth transition, including making the most of orientation 🎓, regular check-ins with future roommate(s) 🏠, and practicing time management skills ⏰.

Parent Edition: Your Guide to the College Transition 1998 - A Dorm Room Somewhere in ArkansasAs I approached the hallway of my dorm room for the first time, I heard a loud whirring noise. I couldn’t imagine what it was until I saw it with my own eyes. My new roommate’s dad was SAWING part of the closet door off so that her bright blue carpet could...