“I was able to remove myself entirely from the college essay process knowing that my son was in great hands with Erin. Even though we came to her late in the process needing very last minute help, she delivered immediately and effectively, putting us both at ease. I cannot recommend her highly enough!” — Parent of UC Berkeley-Bound High School Grad
I spent more than two decades as a freelance journalist. Sometimes newspaper and magazine editors would reach out with an assignment that, usually for scheduling reasons, I couldn’t accept. Yet I didn’t want them to stop sending me assignments. So there were two ways I could respond to their email messages:
Option 1: “Unfortunately, I can’t do that assignment because I have too many other projects.”
Option 2: “I’d love to do that story for you. I have several other assignments due at that same time. Is there any wiggle room with the deadline?”
See the difference? Framing the response positively (“I’d love to do that story for you”) sends a far better message both emotionally and professionally than “Unfortunately, I can’t....”
What in the world does this have to do with admissions essays? A lot, actually…
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