What are you thankful for this school year? Here at Study Hut Consulting, we balance our love for Thanksgiving with our duty to accurately teach US History (among other AP courses!). It can be a tall order, conveying both the joy of life and the understanding of hard facts. Many of our college hopefuls have submitted their first applications into the world — they can tell you all about this juggling act, as well.
Yes, if anything is more bittersweet than cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, it would have to be farewells to my college applications students. I have gotten to know them better than their teachers through hours of one-on-one tutoring. We’ve conducted our interview, learned the art of essay writing, practiced idea generation and organization, and finally, distilled their personalities into a finely-crafted set of essays. As a tutor, I lose myself in the sheer excitement of the craft. But when that first “Submit” button gets pressed, it all needs to be perfect. At Study Hut Consulting, I’m proud to say that it is.
For those students who may be reading — those, perhaps, without someone to guide them — let me tell you this: Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for writing college essays. Let me explain. So many of my students walk in my door thinking they have nothing to say. College applications are so competitive, what can one “normal” kid possibly write about? And yet, student after student leaves with a unique, heartfelt essay. College writing, it turns out, is an act of discovery. Get excited about your life, rejoice in the smallest of moments, because even they can show your character. In short: be Thankful.
And it’s true, sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes to see just how unique you are. That’s where our college admissions team can help. We know every student has a story to tell. We’ve helped tell quite a few. So as you sit down to write (we suggest starting with the Contact Form), ask yourself: what will you be thankful for next year?
I am thankful for the opportunity to work with college applications students. What are you Thankful for this school year?
Here at Study Hut Tutoring, we balance our love for Thanksgiving with our duty to accurately teach US History (among other courses!). It can be a tall order, conveying both the joy of life and the understanding of cold hard facts. Many of our college hopefuls have submitted their first applications into the world — they can tell you all about this juggling act, as well.
Yes, if anything is more bittersweet than cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, it would have to be farewells to my college application students. I have gotten to know them better than their teachers through hours of one-on-one college application tutoring. We’ve conducted our interview, learned the art of essay writing, practiced idea generation and organization, and finally, distilled their very essence into a finely-crafted set of essays. As a tutor, I lose myself in the sheer excitement of the craft. But when that first “Submit” button gets pressed, it all needs to be perfect. At Study Hut Tutoring, I’m proud to say that it is.
For those students who may be reading — those, perhaps, without someone to guide them — let me tell you this: Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for writing college essays. And no, I’m not just being cheesy (save that for the potatoes). So many of my students walk in my door thinking they have nothing to say. College applications are so competitive, what can one “normal” kid possibly write about? And yet, student after student leaves with a unique, heartfelt essay. College writing, it turns out, is an act of discovery. Get excited about your life, rejoice in the smallest of moments because even they can show your character. In short: be Thankful.
And it’s true, sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes to see just how unique you are. That’s where our college admissions team can help. We know every student has a story to tell. We’ve helped tell quite a few. So as you sit down to write (we suggest starting with the Contact Form, below), ask yourself: what will you be thankful for next year?
The modern-day college application and essay tutoring process can be rather overwhelming. With transcripts, letters of recommendation, resumes, SAT and/or ACT scores, supplemental writing questions, essays, etc., it can be a lot to handle. But do not fear, Study Hut is here to help you execute properly and efficiently.
Our college applications & essays tutors will guide you through the entire process. First, they will assist you with conducting an in-depth college search based on your major choice and interests. Then, they will help you to create a varied list of schools and stay organized to ensure all submission deadlines are met. Our tutors will also aid in building a resume as well as requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation.
Most importantly, our tutors have a special set of skills and will help you masterfully write all the essays required in order to paint you in the best light for prospective universities. An original essay is all you need to set yourself apart from other applicants. Taking the time to create a well written essay before you’re bogged down with work in the Fall will not only increase your odds of getting into your dream schools, but will also make you more confident during the application process. Our tutors know how to help you bring out your inner writing genius and will help you write an essay that makes you shine.
Finally, once all of your applications have been submitted, we will help you apply for scholarships that are tailored to your skills and interests. There’s nothing better than finding schools that will pay you to attend their campus in the fall!
Study Hut offers three College Application Tutoring packages:
Skimboard: three universities;
Shortboard: six universities;
Longboard: ten universities;
Eliminate your worries by starting early! Dedicating a small amount of time to your college applications during your summer vacation will save you endless amounts of stress during fall semester, so you can just focus on your classes and enjoying your senior year!
As summer in El Segundo arrives and the school year comes to an end, Study Hut is relishing the achievements of our students and looking forward to summertime and the next school year. The 2014-2015 academic year has been exciting and enjoyable for Study Hut, El Segundo. We take great pride in seeing the growth and progress of our students as they strive to reach their academic goals, and we put forth our best effort to assist them every step of the way.
This school year we served local El Segundo School District students from El Segundo High School, El Segundo Middle School, Center Street School, and Richmond Street School. We also had the privilege of working with students from the surrounding districts of LAUSD, MBUSD, and RBUSD, coming from Mira Costa High, Redondo Union High, Reseda High, Manhattan Beach Middle School, and Parras Middle School. Additionally, we had some wonderful students from the local private schools Vistamar, St. John Bosco, Bishop Montgomery, Loyola, and Chadwick.
Working with such a wide variety of students and school districts has been a wonderful way for us to grow as a service: broadening our knowledge of varying curriculums and school expectations. Whether we were working with a 3rd grader on Common Core math enrichment and reading comprehension, or helping a high school Junior succeed in challenging Spanish and calculus classes, we have been able to exceed expectations and propel students to new heights in their personal academic success. We also enjoyed working with El Segundo High this school year by administering, proctoring, and reviewing full-length practice SATs and ACTs for our local students, creating a valuable resource to them as they strive to achieve their best result on these crucial tests. Now that summer in El Segundo has arrived, we are enjoying a brief respite from the rigours of the academic year, and refocusing our energy to best assist our summer students.
We will continue to work with students through the summer in El Segundo, concentrating on varying areas determined by student need. The waning obligations of summertime offers a great opportunity for students to get a head start on upcoming classes with one-on-one tutoring. Our summer students will be introduced to forthcoming concepts, solidify fundamentals while enriching current understanding, and/or undertake a test preparation program to improve on the SAT and/or ACT. For our incoming Seniors, summer is a great time to make the final push for a solid SAT/ACT score in the fall, and to begin working with a tutor to develop a plan of attack for college applications and their entailing essays and personal statements. Regardless of the specific focus, summer tutoring is an excellent way for students to stay engaged and enter the upcoming school year with a smooth transition to more advanced coursework.
We look forward to continuing to serve El Segundo and the surrounding communities through the summer and next school year. Check out the Hut!
For many students, Study Hut is not just their tutoring center, it’s almost like another home, especially Study Hut Seniors. They have come here for many years, and formed special bonds with their tutors. Their tutors have seen them through their most difficult tests and most impressive triumphs.
One special pair is Laura and her student Kelly. Kelly looks up to Laura like a big sister, and has spent the majority of her high school career as Laura’s student. Together the duo have tackled monstrous English essays for Kelly’s challenging AP Literature classes. Some nights Kelly would come in for hours and Laura would stay late just to make sure that every last line was absolutely perfect.
When it was time to work on test prep, Kelly didn’t want to work with anyone but Laura. This gave her an extra advantage because Laura was already familiar with Kelly’s learning style, so she was able to tailor their sessions so that Kelly could get the most out of them. Laura also knew how to present difficult content and the techniques for mastering the ACT in a way that was easy for Kelly to digest and practice. Working together, they were able to raise Kelly’s score.
Kelly also trusted Laura to help her on her final leg of college apps. From college application essays to the grueling senior capstone project, they have worked on everything together. They are both going to be so heartbroken when Kelly’s days at Study Hut come to an end. However, both of them are incredibly excited for Kelly’s promising future in the highly competitive USC Thornton School of Music.
Olivia has worked with Laura for years on all of her difficult assignments. From ambiguous essay topics and intense cram sessions, to capstone and marine biology vocabulary they had studied it all. When it came time to write her college application essays, Olivia knew that she wanted Laura to guide her through the stressful process.
Laura helped Olivia narrow down what schools she wanted to apply to from her very long list. Olivia would visit some of her choices over spring and winter breaks, long weekends, and any other time that she could. She always reported back what she thought of each school to Laura and together they kept track of where she would be sending her applications. They sorted all of the schools into Olivia’s safety schools, schools she would most likely get into, and her dream schools. Her number one choice was USC.
Olivia decided that she wanted to write her essay about her adopted brother and the impact he has had and continues to have on her life. Laura helped Olivia focus her essay on herself, and how her brother had helped her grow, instead of focusing too much on him. She also helped Olivia achieve the critical thinking and brainstorming she needed to discover what she really wanted to tell the schools about herself. At the end, Olivia had a clear idea of who she was, and how she wanted to portray herself to her schools.
Olivia has been hearing back from all of her schools, including her top choice USC. She got in to the highly competitive program to study marine science. Congratulations, Olivia!
Hayley started coming to Study Hut her freshman year of high school. She came almost every day to work on all of her challenging classes with her tutors. From studying for insane math tests to acing AP English, Study Hut has always had Hayley’s back when it came to helping her get her achieve her best.
When it came time to start looking at colleges and filling out her college applications, Hayley knew exactly who she wanted to have help her along the way. Hayley worked on everything related to college with her tutor Laura. Laura had watched her grow through the years both academically and personally. She helped Hayley narrow down her list of schools to apply to so they were left with only the schools that met all of Hayley’s requirements. They sorted through safety schools, reaches, and Hayley’s top choice: San Diego State University.
Hayley and Laura spent a lot of time making sure that Hayley’s personal statement was perfect. Because they had worked together for so long, Hayley felt comfortable opening up to Laura about her ADD. Together they crafted a series of car analogies that related her experiences with ADD to her school work and other areas of her life. They brain stormed and remembered Hayley’s greatest academic accomplishments and personal triumphs for the other sections of her applications, and made sure not a single question was left unanswered. They patiently waited to hear back from schools. As acceptances rolled in Hayley kept checking for SDSU. They were delighted when they found out she was accepted!
No matter how prepared you are, or how much research you have done, the college application process is always stressful. It’s a big decision after all, and which college you go to will affect the next few years of your life! However, there are a few easy tricks we’ve learned during in all our college app sessions to help lower those stress levels!
1. Exercise
Sweating it out will help cure any college app jitters, or help you get past that writer’s block keeping you from finishing your personal statement for your dream school. Do some relaxing yoga or if that’s not your style, push yourself in an intense spin class. You’ll be so focused on trying to keep up, college apps won’t even cross your mind!
2. Treat Yourself
Grab a milkshake or one of your favorite snacks. There’s a ton of great food in the South Bay. It is a quick way to pick yourself up and mentally refresh yourself in the middle of apps.
3. Have Someone Else Read Over It
Having a teacher or tutor look over your application can be beneficial for a few reasons. They may catch any grammatical errors you may have overlooked. They can also help you remember an important academic achievement that you might have forgotten about that would be perfect for your college application.
4. Manage Your Time
Don’t try and save all your essays and applications until the day before they are due. Servers get overloaded, computers crash, and you won’t do your best work if you are trying to cram in three essays in three days. Work on it a little bit at a time over the course of a few weeks. You will write a better essay and keep yourself from having a melt down.
While applying for colleges and filling out college apps may be stressful, you should focus on how exciting it will be and all the opportunities you are going to have, no matter where you end up!
With all of the questions surrounding the college application process, the Common Application is designed to alleviate confusion and help streamline the application process. With all of the follow up concerns we field at Study Hut about the Common App, it is clear that there is still plenty of confusion regarding how this process works.
The Common Application membership association is a non-profit organization that allows first-year and transfer students to apply to over 500 colleges and universities using one simple application. For nearly 35 years this organization has supported countless students in applying to a variety of schools including private, public, bi-coastal, Midwestern, and even international.
Applications are available in both online and print versions to member institutions that promote student access to education through using a well-rounded evaluation and selection process. With the help of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) students have been provided with reliable services that promote success in the college application process.
In more simple English, certain colleges and universities accept the common application in place of an application specifically to that particular school. This is advantageous to students; it allows students to fill out the common application, including the essay and short answer questions, and then select which schools to apply to. Any student or parent who has ever been through the arduous college application process knows how tedious it can be to fill out application information over and over and over. With the Common Application, students can apply to any participating school by simply clicking on that school and selecting it for application. Obviously, there is a cost for this, as there will be will all college applications, but it is no more costly than any other application. With the Common App, students can focus on making sure that their essays and responses are perfect, and then move on to focus on the bigger, more important question: what college do I want to attend?
The time has come to reap the benefits of all these years of classes, extra curricular activities, and sacrificing TV hours for extra study time. This time next year, many of you will be in your first semester of college … but where?
October and November are the crunch months for college applications. The UC Application, which opened October 1st, is due November 30th – a mere month away. Many of you are applying to multiple schools around the country, and you are currently in the midst of answering several open-ended prompts along the lines of, “What characteristics define you?” and, “Name an event that shaped your life.” Or, maybe you’re tackling something like the infamous University of Chicago prompt: “How do you feel about Wednesday?”
How do you even start to answer a prompt like that?
The best way to start is with a brainstorm. Spend a couple days just thinking before you even open a Word document and start to type. If the prompt asks you to reflect on an event in your life, or a quality that you possess, think honestly about who you are. Ask your friends and family what they think your best characteristics are, and ask for examples of how you embody those qualities. Look through photo albums, listen to your favorite music, think of events in your life that changed you and helped to build the person that you are today.
Next, narrow down your top options. Think: Does this story portray me in a good light? Does it make me seem smart and introspective? Do my actions embody attributes that would make me a good college student?
Remember that college admissions officers read thousands of essays each day during admissions season. They are looking for potential students who will thrive at their university, excelling in courses while adding insight and individuality. They want students who will enhance the university’s community by volunteering and becoming involved. Most of all, they want to see that you are a well-rounded person who is serious about education, but also has interests that extend beyond the classroom and can enrich the lives of other students. They’re building a community, not just a class.
So, just be you. Or – even better – be the most insightful and interesting version of you. Tell the truth, but tell it in an interesting way that will stand out from the other essays. The best way to do this is to try to show the readers who you are, rather than just telling them. Try telling a story that shows your best characteristics, or an example of how a Wednesday changed your life. Be unique, be concise, and be articulate.
And if you get stuck, be at The Study Hut. We’ll help you get inspired.
