#074 What Admissions Officers Want Students to Know with Kim Lifton

Flourish Coaching

Jun 13, 2023

In this episode, Lisa and Kim discuss:

Secrets of admissions that might surprise students and their families.
The myths and confusion surrounding the admissions essay.
How to be genuine while writing admissions essays.
Understanding the questions being asked, answering the prompt, and not thinking about what other people want.

Key Takeaways:

When your student is starting to build their network, first, they should try to be interested before they try to be interesting.
In 2023, admissions advisors do not spend time talking about ChatGPT and AI. They have bigger fish to fry, such as the affirmative action conversations happening in the Supreme Court this summer.
There are no specific traits that college admissions advisors are looking for in every student. They are looking to get to know your student better and more genuinely.
Regardless of the question, encourage your student to answer the prompt and stay true to who they are.

“With the college essay, there is so much garbage out there. And so many myths. And so many people don’t understand that it’s not that big of a thing. You just have to answer the question, show a little bit of insight, and help these people understand who you are. That is it.” – Kim Lifton

About Kim Lifton:

Perceptive, resourceful, and curious, Wow President and Co-founder Kim Lifton can get a story out of anyone; she helped create the brainstorming process used in the Wow Method. Kim’s articles on the college essay appear regularly in print and on the web, and her work has been featured in a variety of newspapers, magazines, and online publications. Kim is a former newspaper reporter and corporate communications manager with a BA in Journalism from Michigan State University.