Today is Saturday, February 11, 2012
Today is Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Tutorial Center is holding five Essay Days intended to assist students with their college application essays. The program, organized by Tutorial Center Coordinator Quyen Nguyen, takes place on a Tuesday of each month.
“It definitely helped,” senior Amanda Li said. “The tutors have experience and know what colleges look for in an essay, as well as how to make the essays stronger and stand out.”
The five essay coaches available are Grace Acosta, Peggy Jacobs, Geri Macomber, Bob Greenfield and Cathy Walz. All are volunteers with various professional backgrounds in writing, including novels and newspapers. Many are also familiar with the college application process.
“I attended multiple meetings held by college admission officers when my children reached senior year,” said Jacobs, whose son and daughter both graduated from the school. “I listened intently as they talked about what they were looking for and am glad to be of help passing on that information today.”
Nguyen said she is considering adding supplementary sessions in order to meet student demand.
The coaches look at the main ideas of the essays and later focus on the mechanics.
“I help with the content and organization,” Greenfield said. “After they’ve already accomplished the basics and necessary outline, we go into grammar and usage.”
Students are expected to bring at least one rough draft to the coaches. All topics ranging from personal statements to short answers are accepted.
According to Nguyen, the coaching for a typical application essay costs anywhere from $80 to $150. The Tutorial Center, however, offers the sessions to students free of charge.
“[The] many requests for help during this time of year … served as a source of inspiration,” Nguyen said. “Ten years ago I saw a retired English teacher helping out a student and was struck by how helpful that process was. The entire ordeal is stressful, even to proficient students.”
Many students felt that the session was effective and plan to return.
“They are really helpful not only in finding mistakes but also in seeing how readers respond to certain essays,” senior Edward Gu said. “For example, a humorous piece that does not make the reader chuckle is a failed piece.”
The remaining Essay Days will be held on Tuesday, October 27, Tuesday, November 17 and Tuesday, December 15. The first and second Essay Days were held on Tuesday, September 29 and Tuesday, October 13.
