Tips for “helpful” parents…

Here are some tips for parents who just want to help…The trick is knowing when, to intervene: Some students are self-motivated, driven and will knock out these essays with ease. Leave them alone! Other students (the majority) could use a little help. However, unless...

More on “Show, Don’t Tell”

I remember wanting to improve my writing in high school, and feeling frustrated by all the “tips” in the popular how-to-write books: “Be concise,” “Use action verbs,” and the all-popular, “Show, don’t tell.” OK,...

Put yourself behind the camera

A strong college admissions essay often involves creative writing. These essays often tell a story, or use an anecdote (a mini story using narrative writing style) to lead into the piece. Sadly, many high schools and English teachers don’t have a lot of time to...

Where to start

One of the biggest obstacles in writing anything, especially “essays,” is getting started. The other night, I walked into my 15-year-old son’s room where he sat at his desk, very distraught. He admitted up front that he had blown it. The assignment,...

Learning to write better essays to get into college

My name is Janine Robinson and I am a professional writer, editor and journalist. For the last 20 years, I have reported for top daily newspapers, been the editor for a monthly lifestyle magazine and worked for an Internet company for teachers.Currently, I am working...