The word on the street is that this was a challenging and unpredictable admissions year. My parents, my students, and other college counselors have been sharing stories of the disappointing results (lots of waitlists!) experienced by their friends’ children, peers and clients. However, I feel like that has become an annual story.

As this year’s admissions cycle comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the insights into college admissions from this cycle that will inform my approach to working with rising seniors, juniors, and sophomores.

Tools are there to help us not get bogged down by our weaknesses. But anyone can learn to write. Anyone. Full stop. It is a discipline. It is also a skill that should not be lost to technological advances. Why? Writing requires other skills that are valuable: critical thinking, analysis, wrestling with hard ideas, and slowing down in a frenetic world.

I love my job. I am lucky that I get to do the work I do with, and on behalf of, the extraordinary students who trust me with their college journey. Here is something I wrote just for them.