🍦 Today's Scoops Sep 5: What makes a good essay stand out

Good morning folks! Here’s what we have today:

1. School of the Day: University of Oregon

2. Counselor Corner: Conversations with Mr. Klein - Part 1

3. TikTok Thursday: Our favorite college admissions TikToks from the last week

SCHOOL OF THE DAY
University of Oregon

Every day, we cover a different school, helping you learn something new about your favorite schools or find a new school that could end up being your dream school.

📍 Location: Eugene, OR
🎓 Undergraduates Enrolled: 19,565
📊 Acceptance Rate: 86% (37,154 applicants)
📝 Average SAT/ACT: 1255/27
💸 Tuition: $12,512 (in-state), $39,158 (out-of-state)
📅 Admission Options: November 1 (Early Action), January 15 (Regular Decision)
🏆 Top Ranking Programs: Communications (#32), Architecture (#41), Psychology (#54) (Niche)
📈 Most Popular Majors: Social Sciences (24%), Business (15%), Communication & Journalism (14%) (Scoir)

Some positives

🎨 Excellent Design and Arts Programs: The University of Oregon (UO) excels in creative fields, with the School of Architecture & Environment consistently ranking highly for its programs in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. The School of Art + Design offers innovative programs in digital arts and product design, providing students with creative outlets and career pathways in design industries.

📚 Research Opportunities: UO offers robust research programs, particularly through the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, where students work alongside faculty on cutting-edge biomedical and technology projects. Professors like Dr. Geri Richmond, renowned for her work in chemistry and materials science, offer mentorship and research opportunities for undergraduates.

🏞️ Campus and Location: The UO campus is known for its beautiful setting in Eugene, surrounded by lush greenery and close to outdoor recreational activities. The university’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and forests provides numerous opportunities for hiking, skiing, and exploring nature, making it a great choice for students who enjoy the outdoors.

💼 Strong Business School: The Lundquist College of Business has a growing reputation, especially for its focus on sports marketing through the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, one of the top programs for students interested in the business side of sports. Alumni from this program have gone on to work at Nike, Adidas, and other major sports brands.

💰 Extensive Financial Aid and Scholarships: UO offers a wide range of financial aid options, including scholarships funded by donations from notable alumni like Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. These generous contributions have enabled UO to provide substantial financial support to students, making it more accessible for many, regardless of their financial background. Programs like the PathwayOregon Scholarship are designed to cover tuition costs for in-state students from lower-income families, ensuring financial security throughout their education. Find a full list of scholarships for incoming freshman on their Financial Aid website.

🎉 Inclusive and Active Student Life: UO fosters a vibrant student community with more than 300 student organizations, ranging from academic clubs to recreational sports teams. Groups like the Outdoor Program help students explore the Pacific Northwest, while the Student Sustainability Center promotes initiatives around environmental awareness and sustainable practices on campus.

Some negatives

🌧️ Rainy Climate: Eugene’s weather can be dreary for those unaccustomed to frequent rain. The Pacific Northwest is known for its wet winters, which may be a challenge for students seeking sunnier environments.

🎓 Limited Academic Prestige in STEM Fields: While UO excels in creative and business programs, its STEM offerings are not as well-known or as highly ranked compared to other universities. Students looking for top-tier programs in engineering or computer science might find UO’s offerings less robust.

🏙️ Small City Atmosphere: Eugene is a small city with a laid-back vibe, which can be limiting for students seeking a more urban experience. While it has a rich arts and cultural scene, it lacks the fast-paced energy and job opportunities found in larger metropolitan areas.

📚 Fewer Internship Opportunities Nearby: While UO has strong ties with the sports industry, particularly in Portland, the local job market and internship opportunities in Eugene itself can be somewhat limited for students in fields like business, technology, or finance. Students may need to look outside of the city for more robust professional experiences.

COUNSELOR CORNER
Conversations with Mr. Klein - Part 1

Today, we’re introducing a new section called Counselor’s Corner. In this section, you’ll get expert advice straight from seasoned college counselors. We’re excited to have Mr. Daniel Klein join us—a veteran certified counselor with nearly a decade of experience including California private schools. Over the course of the next three days, we’ll share his insights on essay writing, college strategy, and trends in the admissions world. Stay tuned for expert insights that could transform your college application journey!

You’ve probably read thousands of essays, and you may have forgotten some and remembered some. Are there any common traits among the ones that you remember?
Definitely the one thing that stands out the most is the quality of essays. As counselors, readers, and admissions officers, we can definitely tell which essays were rushed and which ones were well thought out and given enough time. I know how hectic it can get but to make sure you don’t end up having to rush any of your essays, start as early as possible; your best writing happens when you’re not on a time crunch. Also don’t use AI, we know when it’s you writing and we know when it’s Chat-GPT.

Another place students go wrong is listening too much to others. I know this might seem odd coming from a counselor, but trust your gut with essays. Your opinion matters the most. Definitely be open to advice but remember that your essays are your place to shine. Write an essay that makes you happy.

Any essay topics that have become cliche?

Honestly just anything that repeats itself. Things like talking too much about your accomplishments, talking about your struggles without direction or resolution all fall into this category. I’ve had kids copy an essay they saw online where a kid wrote about Cheerios and got into CMU. Please don’t do this. Being genuine and writing from your heart is always best, and once again, start early so you have ample time to think.

I also too often see kids trying to pander to the admissions readers by using overly fancy words and trying to look more polished then they should. Remember you’re a 17 year old kid at the end of the day, and trying to over-prove yourself sends the wrong message. Be vulnerable, be human, and don’t be afraid that you’ll come off as unsophisticated. The most confident people are often the ones at a dress party wearing sandals.

How do you advise students to approach writing an essay when they feel like they don’t have any “unique” experiences to share?

First of all, just get away from your laptop, take a step back, and breathe. Remind yourself that college is not the end of the world. When you’re too scared or locked in a box, you’re simply not going to be able to write a good essay. I always tell my students to embrace the nuance when trying to come up with something unique. Think about your experiences and what’s shaped you as a person. And last but not least remember you can talk about literally anything from an embarrassing experience you had in elementary school to your best friends in 9th grade.

We hope you found today’s insights from Counselor’s Corner helpful and inspiring. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more expert advice from Mr. Klein that could take your college applications to the next level!

TIKTOK THURSDAY
Our favorite college admissions TikToks from the last week

Common App Essay DOs and DON’Ts - This video goes over tips for writing your Common App personal statement. It goes over what cliche topics to avoid and what topics that may help you find out new insights about yourself to share with the admission officers.

Stanford 5 things that are important to you - This video shares a great answer to one of Stanford’s unique short questions. While the video doesn’t analyze the prompt or the response, the essay itself can help you get inspiration for your own responses.

Great personal statement essay - Our motto here is “why gatekeep?” and this TikTok slideshow shares a great example of a personal statement that worked for this student. The student claims that this is “the essay that got me into college,” but this is a disclaimer that no one essay can get you in/out of college.

LINK LOUNGE
Key Resources & Scholarships

In the Link Lounge section, you can find links to great resources such as scholarships during the college application process. These links can be really helpful and will be updated every Wednesday, so be sure to check back frequently!

The College Essay Guy Podcast - This podcast by Ethan Sawyer, a seasoned college counselor, provides great insights into the college application process. Currently, he is doing a series where he is recording and sharing his counseling sessions with one of his students, Cassidy.

Scoir - This platform provides great information on almost every single college you can think of. It is a great hub for finding out stats about each school’s academics and admissions.

College Application Notion Template - This great Notion template can help you organize all the work you need to complete for your applications. The author of the template also included a YouTube video explaining how to use the template.

DAILY DEADLINE UPDATES
Important testing dates are coming up!

In the Daily Deadlines section, we will keep you updated on upcoming deadlines in the college admissions world. Remember to not procrastinate and stay ahead of these deadlines!

September ACT: Saturday, September 14
University of Texas/UNC Chapel Hill Early Action Deadline: October 15
Most ED, REA & EA Deadlines: November 1

THE ARCHIVE
Looking for past mailings?

You can view all our previous posts at our website at https://scholarscoops.beehiiv.com

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