My student on the telephone is writing for 10 minutes so I thought I’d take this opportunity to write a few words of my own. He is writing an essay to submit to the University of Calfornia schools and I can hear the clicking of his computer keys as he works away. He lives in Palas Verdes, which is south of Los Angeles, and would be an impossible commute to see me in person. We have met several times, but work primarily on the phone with a shared google doc. This is what I do with all of my long-distanced students and it works very well.
Earlier, I worked with my beloved nephew Eli, who is the grandson of my deceased sister, Leslie. Eli and his family live in Salt Lake City, Utah where he is a senior in a science academy there. He and I have had the chance to work together on his college essays this year and I must say this has been quite a treat for me. I have had the chance to spend quality time with this darling boy via the airwaves and also help him write both his Common App essay plus a supplemental essay for the University of Washington. I believe we’ll have a few more short essays to write before we’re done, but, as of today, he is all set to apply to the University of Washington, Seattle, whose deadline is November 15th. We finished tonight and I could hear the relief in his voice when I said, “Okay, I think this is really good.” Yes, a real treat indeed to get to spend time with my sweet Eli. It’s even better to know that next week, he and his family will be driving to CA to spend Thanksgiving with us at the orange grove.
I have two minutes left, so I better wrap this up. Today has been a day of nervous texts and emails from my many students who have a November deadline for the UCs. “Are we going to finish?” “Are my essays good enough?” “When can we get together to go over the application?” are all questions I’ve had and with each the answer it, “We’re going to make it.” “Your essays are great.” “I will definitely see you before you send in that application.”
The truth is all the essays are exceptional this year. I am proud of that and pleased. I believe there will be a number of kids who are accepted to their first choice UC school in just a few months. That makes my job very satisfying.
Oh, there goes the timer. So, this is what 10 minutes of writing looks like for me.
Happy Tuesday, folks. I hope you’re all doing well.
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