YCBK 61: What Admissions Counselors Look for in Personal Essays

In this episode you will hear: (2:56) In this week’s news,a Vox. com article“What the college admissions scandal reveals about the psychology of wealth in America”, by Anna North.When the Department of Justice revealed that dozens of people were accused of bribery and lying so their kids could get into elite colleges,one question kept coming up: why?North suggests that this scandal could cause people to reevaluate their beliefs about wealth and success, as Americans realize how rich people can buy things. (23:10) We are in Chapter 61 of 171 Answers and we’re talking about what college admission counselors look for in a personal statement or main essay.We tried to coordinate our book chapter discussion with our interview this time as our interview will also look at this same topic (32:59) This week’s question is from a mom who wants to know how to help her child make their final decision on which college to attend.Julie from Lakewood, Tennessee asked this question but two others also sent in this same question (46:03) Mark continues his interview with Susan Tree,former Admissions Counselor at Bates College and former Director of College Counseling at Westtown, in Part III:Writing the Persona Essay: Don't miss your opportunity to fill in the gaps and bring yourself to life (67:36) Mark’s recommended resource of the week is the book, “On writing the college admissions essay, 25th anniversary edition,the Key to Acceptance” by Harry Bauld Don’t forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to   Every episode of Your College-Bound Kid will align with a chapter from the book 171 Answers to the Most-Asked College Admission Questions. To get a copy visit  and if you want to see what future episodes will cover just click the red button “See exactly what 171 Answers covers.