Rockville, MD (April 6, 2020) – Journalist and publicist Amy Kossoff Smith, owner of Power Hour Editing, brings her storytelling skills to college- and graduate-school bound students to stand out in the competitive admissions process. While the process typically brings a lot of stress to students – and parents – it is really an opportunity to provide a unique window to what makes the student unique.
Thanks to the Common and Coalition Application portals, it’s much easier to submit a larger number of applications. As the inventory of applications to review soars, so does the competition. In fact, as reported by The Pew Research Center, “By 2017, the total number of applications had more than doubled (since 2002) to almost 10.2 million, or 6.8 per enrolled student.” (Drew DeSilver, April 2019).
Standing out in this process is key, and students have several opportunities to write their way to success. Confirmed in a recent survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Character Collaborative, while grades, curriculum, and test scores were important, a large percentage of college admissions officers considered “positive character attributes” to be of “considerable…or moderate importance.” (Inside Higher Ed, February 2020).
So what’s the secret sauce? “Anyone who tells you they can unlock the exact formula to college admissions is lying,” says Power Hour Editing’s Smith. She explains that college admissions is often a numbers game, and while test scores and grades are already written in permanent ink by application time, the writing portion of the application is an opportunity to stand out. “From the activity section to the main and supplemental essays, there’s definitely an opportunity to communicate your story in a meaningful way,” she explains.
Smith shares some tips for applicants:
· Be authentic. Speak in a teenage voice. Admissions officers are savvy and can tell if your parent wrote your essay or if it is over-edited. Don’t let anyone mute your voice – keep it real!
· Plan ahead. College main essay prompts for the Common App were recently announced, and the activity section is something current juniors can start now. A recent Power Hour Editing survey found that virtually all of the company’s recent graduates had one key tip for the next round of applicants: Start early!
· Find and communicate YOUR “Wow Factor.” Each student has a special story to tell, a logical connection to make. Find specific ways you’ve made a difference in your own community to showcase how you’ve spent your time in high school and how you’ll bring this “wow” to college.
· Connect the dots in a meaningful way. Don’t repeat the school’s website verbatim or write like Wikipedia. Find specific things about your desired school that appeal to you, and explain why with examples from your own experiences.
· It doesn’t have to be complicated. Students put so much stress into finding their perfect story that they often overlook their perfect story. Simplicity wins. Admissions officers have said their favorite essays were about a pair of shoes, waffles and pancakes, and believe it or not, shopping for a bra! Find your own magic, and it’s a winning story.
About Power Hour Editing
Amy Kossoff Smith, owner of Power Hour Editing, uses her journalism and PR experience to help students find and amplify their own unique voice. She has an extensive track record in coaching students to get to the heart of the story fast to communicate messaging to stand out in the competitive admissions process. Amy graduated in the top 10% of her class from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Her article on offbeat tactics students used to catch the eye of admissions officers – first written in high school - won first place in the William Randolph Hearst Pulitzers of college journalism contest. Featured on The Today Show, ABC National News, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, Amy is a prior national wire columnist. She authored an essay in Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex & Work in Our ‘40s and was featured in I Love Mondays…and Other Confessions from Devoted Working Moms. Amy was an invited panelist at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference and speaks at PTSAs and parent groups.
Update - Smith recently added a series of online courses to help students access information virtually in a group format.
For more information, visit Power Hour Editing.
