Long-time listener, first-time caller

We're entering the home stretch of college essay writing for January deadlines (though I know several high school seniors who would be quick to point out that the "home stretch" won't start for them until December 30.) One of these seniors bemoaned recently, "I just don't know what they're looking for!" Ah, a common sentiment that plagues application essay writers of all ages: sophomores and juniors applying to the Joyce Ivy Summer Scholars program, seniors applying to college, college graduates now applying to graduate school.

This is a quote from Lloyd Thacker, former college counselor and founder of The Education Conservancy, that I have returned to many times:

Your need for learning, your desire to know, your appetite for new activities and new ideas; your willingness to be stretched beyond your comfort zone; your tolerance for ambiguity; your fondness for hard work; your interest in people, places and things; and your passion for life – these are your educational assets. These are what you must invest if you want to make (not get) ‘a good college education’.

Lloyd Thacker, College Unranked: AffirmingEducational Values In College Admissions

This quote strikes me on a couple of levels: One, it's an accurate list of the kinds of topics an admissions officer, or admissions committee, is interested in considering when reviewing an application. Your "educational assets" say a lot about you and what you will bring to your new community. Second, it highlights the idea that a great college education (or any kind of great experience) is fueled by what you invest in it. Regardless of the institution, you "make it" and don't "get it."

Okay, list of potential topics and essays prompts tacked to the wall. Check. Here comes the really challenging, excruciating, exhausting part for the essay writer: identifying these "educational assets" and articulating them (on paper, in an interview) to someone who doesn't know you. I'd consult a few outside sources. Who are those individuals who have watched you and listened to you over time? While crafting the college essay is a deeply personal endeavor, don't be afraid to pull others into the fray.

Last week I had the chance to hear my brother perform classical guitar and lute pieces as part of his most recent graduate studies. My brother is 8 years older than I am and an exceptionally talented musician. Over the years, I've inched my way into his room to listen to hours of practice time. The sounds of the red electric guitar I remember as a small child gave way to the sounds of his undergraduate studies in jazz. He then migrated to Bluegrass, playing both guitar and dobro. Now he is focused on classical guitar, and the lute is a new instrument in the mix. Sitting in the audience during his performance, I was struck by the range of music I have heard my brother create over the years. It has ranged vastly, yet I always seem to be able to find his distinctive sound.

Who has been in your audience over the years? Who has been your "long-time listener, first-time caller" who has watched your music, ideas, athletic endeavors, social activism, humor, writing, style change over the years? Seek out your long-time listeners and see what their reactions are to your ideas (and drafts.) Let them be a first-time caller. Maybe it'll help wrap up your home stretch.