Thoughtful Homeschooling

09/16/2026

Tiny memoir contest for teens! And the winning entries from last year provide wonderful examples of “show don’t tell.” Those who are writing college application essays may enjoy these examples of vivid writing!

We invite teenagers to tell a story about a meaningful life experience in just 100 words. Contest dates: Sept. 16-Oct. 28, 2026.

09/09/2026

Sewanee is offering an intriguing asynchronous winter writing opportunity for high schoolers:

Sewanee Young Writers' Conference online winter creative writing workshop

09/04/2026

Colleges appreciate kids who authentically pursue what interests them and matters to them.

Strategizing activities that “look good” to a college rather than speak to an genuine interest leads to unhappy humans (and often doesn’t nudge the admissions needle).

Be curious. Strive to be a happy human.

08/29/2026

My son is in a Ph.D. program in Higher Ed and Student Leadership. He’s writing an “educational confessions” assignment.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, all is not lost if you skip grammar in your homeschool.

08/24/2026

Hi! 👋 I notice I’ve gotten a lot of page views recently. That often happens when someone recommends me in a group.

I thought it might be helpful to introduce myself and offer a few tips on selecting a college admissions consultant.

Anyone can claim to be an admissions consultant, so look for someone who belongs to a professional organization like IECA, HECA, NACAC, or TACAC. Each of those organizations holds their members to a standard of best practice.

FWIW, I’ve been a college admissions consultant since 2017. I’m a professional member of IECA, and served several years as part of their Summer Training Institute faculty. I also belong to TACAC.

For many years, I taught high school essay writing to hundreds of high schoolers through Brave Writer and mentored about a dozen new BW coaches. My book about homeschoolers in the admissions process was published by College UnMazed in 2024. In a typical year, about a third of my clients are homeschooling families.

Happy to offer a free intro chat to see if I’m a fit for your needs. You can book through my website.

I help public, private, and homeschooled students create clear, concise, and compelling college applications to a balanced list of right fit colleges. Additionally, I guide homeschool parents to craft counselor documents that explain, enhance, and enrich their student’s application.

08/01/2026

The Common App opened last night.

Unless you're applying to Texas A&M, I suggest avoiding the Common App until Tuesday. Give it a couple of days to settle down, for others to find the errors, and for the glitches to calm themselves.

When you do go on the refreshed Common App, you will notice that the activities list section looks a bit different. The "position" line appears to be missing. It isn't!

You definitely want to use the 50-character position title you developed for each activity.

Here's how to get that line to pop up:

1. Check "Yes" to the question asking, "Did you have a specific position or leadership role?" This box is after the description box and just above the "When did you participate?" grade drop-down boxes.

2. Paste your position line from your draft into the pop-up box asking, "What was your role?"

3. Follow these steps for every activity in your list.

4. Pics below for easy visual reference.

07/27/2026

I’m always happy to teach educational consultants more about homeschooled clients.

05/29/2026

Hi! 👋 🤓 It’s your friendly college admissions consultant for homeschoolers and others.

Today, I want to share a resource important for students in recovery who are compiling college lists. These students often need additional support to ensure their success.

Here is a list of colleges and universities with recovery centers on campus:

Programs COLLEGIATE RECOVERYPROGRAM MEMBERS Universities and colleges across the world are leading the way in supporting students in recovery. Each member institution incorporates recovery on their campus in a way that is unique to their population and culture. Please feel free to contact the member...

03/14/2026

Chapman University is known for film, though one current institutional priority includes growing their engineering program, which offers strong departmental merit award (but is not yet ABET accredited).

Students are required to live on campus for three years and can bring a car for free.

The general ed requirements include nine different areas of inquiry. Chapman students are required to have a second major or a minor or an area of themed inquiry.

About three quarters of students (76%) apply to Chapman as test optional, and about the same percentage of admitted students (74%) were test optional. Chapman uses a recalculated, weighted gpa for admissions and includes high school classes that relate to a student’s prospective major. For example, music applicants will have their high school music classes counted in the recalculated, weighted gpa.

Chapman hosts approximately 7000 undergraduate students and their average class size is 23.

The financial award at Chapman averages around $35K, though their all-in COA hovers right around $90K.

Chapman University

01/10/2026

I so hope this is true!