My panicked little sister frantically bbms, facebook chats, and calls me non stop with concerns over her college transfer essay. Where do I begin, she asks. What do I give as my reasoning for wanting to go to a different school? These are all tough questions that in reality, only she could answer. I could give her answers and we could play the game about what the colleges want to hear, but what's the point if she can't argue that reasoning? I told her to go on skype and we had a little sisterly heart to heart. I said, Brianne, be honest with them.
We first went through honestly why she wants to transfer. Its not because she isn't having fun or meeting friends or wants to be closer to home or near her boyfriend. She wants to study at a school is has a better program for her field of study. The girl is determined and knows what she wants and needs a school on her level. I know this, now let's put this on paper. The trick to this is reasoning is to make it sound sincere like she is.
I suggested that she brainstorm a little bit by going to the college websites and looking at her chosen field of study so she has some support for her reasoning. If she can demonstrate how she would excel more at the transfer college then not only is she giving reasoning but also giving support to her reasoning.
We hung up on skype and a few hours later she sent me a very rough draft of some points. She was finally getting at the honesty I think she needed.
I can definitely relate to the kind of frustration that your sister was going through, as I'm sure we all can. It's funny but so true, how sometimes the answer we are looking for is so simple, yet we need someone else to help us realize it.
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