The college essay provides teens their single best chance to speak from the heart and share something significant that does not come through the rest of the application. But what happens when a student can't find anything significant to share? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Carrie Bedard to extol the virtues of utilizing a reflection journal to prepare for a college essay.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is a reflection journal and how does it differ from a diary?
2. How does keeping a reflection journal help the essay writing process?
3. How does keeping a reflection journal help college and career choice?
4. What other benefits accrue from keeping a reflection journal?
5. How can parents and counselors motivate students to maintain journals?

MEET OUR GUEST

Carrie Bedard of Soar 2 Success Consulting graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Hospitality and a Minor in Psychology. She has worked in education throughout her career, including teaching, tutoring and personal essay development. She has an extensive background in Marketing and Public Speaking, which she uses to help her students to become the best they can be to achieve their goals. In 2012, she decided to make helping students a full time venture, after seeing parents had no idea how to guide their students in the college guidance and admissions process and guidance counselors were over worked with hundreds of students and couldn't give the 1-1 attention necessary to properly guide students. She has traveled and met with college admissions staff, joined the Southern Association of College Admissions Counselors, and worked with over 100 families around the globe.

Find Carrie at [email protected].

LINKS

How to Keep a Reflection Journal

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.