#066 Everything You Think You Know About College Essays Is Wrong with Susan Knoppow

Flourish Coaching

Apr 18, 2023

In this episode Lisa and Susan discuss:

What admissions officers really want your teen to write about in their personal statement
Why your student shouldn’t look at online sample essays
A good plan of attack for essays over the summer so your child finishes on time

Key Takeaways:

It is important for your student to know that a college essay is not just a writing assignment but an opportunity to show their best qualities and characteristics that enable them to reflect as well.
If you want to show a sample essay to your student, you also need to consider the entire application to avoid imitation and repetition and so to understand how the essay supports the rest of the application.
The student must understand the prompt well and maintain momentum in order to achieve a successful and effective college application essay.

“The real prompt is the schools want to know something about a student beyond what they’ve done. They’re looking for insight into their best qualities and characteristics.”

– Susan Knoppow

About our guest Susan Knoppow:

Susan Knoppow is the CEO of Wow Writing Workshop. Wow teaches students and educational professionals a simple, step-by-step process for writing effective college essays so students can stand out and tell their stories. Susan and her business partner Kim Lifton are members or affiliates of the Michigan Association of College Admission Counseling (MACAC), the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). They write and speak regularly to high school, parent and professional groups about the role of the college essay within the competitive admissions world.

Take Lisa’s free quiz “Is your teen ready for coaching?” here: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/608984a7a898980017089b21/q/1

Links mentioned in this episode:

Launch College & Career Clarity Course

Marni Levine Ep 065- https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/065-how-your-teen-can-get-admitted-to-the-college-they-love-with-marni-levine/

Andy Borst Ep 057- https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/057-college-admission-by-major/

Free E-Book: How To Write An Effective College Application Essay: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/free-student-book/