There have been an increasing number of juniors visiting this sub asking for advice about writing essays. Below are some tips and advice for making your essay stand out as excellent. Feel free to ask questions because I will answer every single question in the comments.
I know from experience that many of you are struggling to identify a good topic for your essay. Conventional wisdom says to start by brainstorming a list of potential topics, and chances are, you have already started a mental list of ideas. You might think you only have a few choices for topics, based on your activities or experiences, or essay examples you read, or the rough draft you already started (or worse, that GPT started...). I advise, however, that you put down your list of topics and back away from it. Forget that exists for a moment. Seriously - thinking about this initial list tethers you to certain ideas that might not actually be your best options.
Now you can begin brainstorming with a clean slate.
Start with thinking about what you want to show in your entire application, not just one essay. Every single component in your app has one purpose – to tell more about YOU. Filling out the rest of the application by rote and focusing solely on the essay is short-sighted and will leave so much potential untapped in your application.

It's About You. Tell Your Story - And Be The Protagonist

An admissions officer’s goal is to understand you fully, in the context of your background and the rest of the applicant pool. They will begin this with assessing your academic abilities and potential. Then they will evaluate how you will fit into the student body they’re trying to curate. All of this can be somewhat broad and diverse and touch on several institutional goals. But they will dig deep to find out what each applicant is like, what your core values and motivations are, what kind of student you will be, how you will contribute to the vibrant and intellectual campus community they’re building, etc.
Your goal with essay brainstorming is to ascertain how to powerfully tell your story in a manner that will fit these criteria. The entirety of your application (again, not just one essay) aims to showcase your abilities, qualifications, and uncommon attributes as a person in a positive way. Before you begin outlining or writing your application, you must determine what is unique about you that will stand out to an admissions panel. All students are truly unique. Not one other student has the same combination of life experiences, personality, passions, or goals as you do. Your job in your application is to frame your unique personal attributes in a positive and compelling way. How will you fit on campus? What personal qualities, strengths, core values, talents, or different perspectives do you bring to the table? What stories, deeper motivations/beliefs, or formative experiences can you use to illustrate all of this?
It is always helpful to start with some soul-searching or self-examination. You might not immediately know what you want to share about yourself. It’s not a simple task to decide how to summarize your whole life and being in a powerful and eloquent way on your application. Introspection prior to starting your application takes additional time and effort rather than jumping straight into your first draft. But it is also a valuable method to start writing a winning application that stands out from the stack.
You'll see the advice everywhere that all essay prompts are really about the same thing - you. The goal of each essay then is to showcase who you are, what matters to you, and how you think. I guarantee if you're on this sub enough, you'll hear the advice to "show, don't tell" when writing about yourself. But what does this mean really, and how do you do it well? How do you even get started on an essay that does this?

Introspection Questions

It’s often easiest to start thinking in terms of superlatives, especially those related to personal insights -- what are the most meaningful things about you, and what do you value the most? Here is a list of questions to help you brainstorm broadly before you narrow down your focus for writing:

• What are your interests?
  
• What sparks your curiosity?
  
• About what topics do you enjoy reading?
  
• With whom do you enjoy spending time? Who has impacted your life the most?
  
• Reflect upon “superlatives” in your life. What moments were most memorable, formative, enlightening, enjoyable, or valuable? What physical possessions, experiences, dreams, or lessons could make your superlatives list?
  
• Stop and think about what things, people, or circumstances in your life are really unique, fascinating, or outlandish. Are there any that really have a lot of "cultural flavor" (whatever your culture is)?
  

I have a free introspection worksheet with over 100 questions like this designed to help you find ideas worth exploring in your essays. You can find it on the A2C Discord or download it directly here.

Find Your Story And Arc

Think of a small anecdote or story from your life that you could share that serves as a microcosm of who you are and what is important to you. It will massively help you narrow this down and find a gem of a story if you first start by thinking about your application arc or theme. This is the one-phrase summary of your entire application. It could be "brilliant entrepreneur who started her own successful business" or "talented athlete who wants to study economics and finance as they pertain to sports", or even "avid baker whose hobby sparked an interest in chemistry". It doesn't have to be related to your intended major, but it can help your arc be stronger and clearer if it is.
Once you have an arc determined and a story to share, think about what you want that story to say about you. This is where it can help to think of this as something you would share on a date - what impression does it make about you to the reader? Once you know this, start showing, not telling this attribute of yourself through your story. For example, instead of saying that you're compassionate toward others, you show an example of a time you were compassionate, then elaborate on why, and what it means to you.

Essay Brainstorming Techniques

If you are having trouble finding a story, or simply have writer’s block once you have picked your topic, here are some ideas to get your juices flowing:

• Stream of consciousness writing -- Start writing whatever is in your head, and don’t stop for 30 minutes. You probably won’t use what you just wrote for your essay, but it will help you find a starting point.
  
• Journaling -- Answer the prompt as if you were writing in a journal. This will get you in the habit of writing about yourself and establish comfort with the concept. It will also take you to a new level of introspection and self-awareness.
  
• Twitter X style -- Write several rapid-fire responses to the prompt in 280 characters or less. Choose an idea from these responses to expound upon in your essay.
  
• Read each essay prompt, then go through your introspection worksheet responses and connect the stories and insights to one or more of the prompts. Some students like using color coding to visually see how their different ideas might work together.
  

Why Essays Matter

Here's the thing a lot of people don't realize about college admission: it's not an award for being the smartest, most accomplished, or most impressive. It's an invitation to join a community. Far too many students think that if they can just show that they're smart enough, they'll get in. Yale even says right on their admissions website that 75% of their applicants are academically qualified to succeed at Yale. But only ~4% are getting in. That should tell you that they're looking for more than just top tier test scores and grades. To be perfectly clear, you will need top tier grades and (optionally) test scores to show that you're qualified, and the vast majority of my students come to me with this part already in the bank. But what sets the admits apart? It's personal insight - sharing who you are, how you think, what matters to you, and how you engage community. You can't just say "/IAmVerySmart, please admit me," or even "I did a cool thing guys! Isn't that neat!" You need to go deeper and show them your core values, personal strengths, motivations, aspirations, character traits, foundational beliefs, personality, etc. And you need to do it in a charming, winsome way that makes them like you and want to invite you to join their community.
So how do I get students to do this? All of my students complete that introspection worksheet. We go through it and find the stories, examples, anecdotes, conversations, memories, relationships, and other things from their life that will help us craft a strong and personally insightful narrative. We also make lists of the values, strengths, and key personal qualities we want to showcase. Once we have some topics, outlines, abstracts, or rough drafts, we talk about which stories to tell where, how to tell them well, and what details to include to present the best they have to offer. Then we refine, edit, polish, and enhance over and over until the story sings, but more importantly shows their heart and soul. We also go through all the other application components to ensure consistency, quality, and distinctiveness.
Here's why this works so well: at most highly selective colleges there is a primary reader (or 2-3) who will review everything first and then present it to the admissions committee, who then votes on whether to admit you. That presentation typically goes one of three ways:

1. Total enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. They strongly advocate for admission and paint a clear picture of how you will contribute to their goals and community. Everyone in the room picks up on that energy and is leaning forward in their chairs, looking for reasons to admit you. This is quite rare, generally less than 5 out of every 100 applications, even among those which are "fully qualified." When you do this right, you show depth, meaning, and valuable personal insights so the reviewer is learning about who you are and how you might engage the community they're curating. You come alive off the page as a person, not just another file.
   
2. Business as usual. You're another great applicant in a pile of great applicants. They share a basic review of the facts, your profile, stats, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Maybe someone on the committee finds something they love, and they really push for admission. More likely, not and you get deferred/waitlisted even though there wasn't anything "wrong" with your application. They just didn't love you enough to commit.
   
3. "Here's a stack of 20 applications that I didn't find all that compelling, so we won't present them individually, but you guys are the committee and you make the decisions. So let me know if there are any you want to talk about." In this case, unless there's a letter of endorsement from an athletics coach or your last name matches several buildings on campus, you're probably not getting additional consideration, much less admission. They will regret to inform you.
   

Everything we're doing is designed to help them get to know themselves, present the best they have to offer, and land in that first group. Having top tier essays is the single best way to get there. Get started on brainstorming in the next few weeks so you'll have time to get a few essays completed over the summer.

Of course I think in the early years you should do it for them but I think just before puberty (4th grade) they should learn to make their own lunches and wake themselves up to prepare them not only to halep them become more responsible but also the freedom it gives them. Being woken up feels forceful but waking yourself up and getting up by yourself with an alarm feels much less invasive and its great for people who don't like to be talked to or looked at first thing in the morning. Also by letting them make their own lunch they can put in what they like and don't like and put in the amount of food they want. I always thought it was weird that peoples parents still wake them up in high school and complain about school lunch but also don't know how to make a lunch and I feel like it shows a lack of Independence and discipline which is partially the adults fault.

so i watched anna mcnulty videos back in 4th grade to do the splits and she helped me alot but ivelost my progress so since my mom is sleeping im going to try and do her excerisses and get the splits again
byeeeeeeeeeeeee

I 19f and my best friend 19f have been best friends since 4th grade. Her and her husband got married a little over 6 months ago, and he left for a military deployment 2 weeks later. Now his mission was top secret so no one was allowed to know where he went. I told my in laws about this, since we are Christians and i wanted to pray for his safety.
My father in law said it was odd that my friends husband didn't have a code for where he was going so my friend knew at least where he went. This was because he did that with my mother in law and their family unit. This was so they could know where he was at and know he was safe and okay.
Now for my problem. My friends husband is back now from his deployment, and safe and sound. I haven't told her about my suspension because I have no proof that he was doing anything sketchy, just that he was following military orders.
I haven't trusted this man for a long time so I'm a little biased. For context, my friend and him broke up multiple times for various times him trying to control and manipulate her. Or make her think he was the only important thing in her life. After he came back from basic he "changed."
I trust my friends judgement, but I do not trust this man. I'll support her through this and continue to even if I was the one wrong.
I haven't told my friend about any of this, and I don't plan to but I've been wondering if I'm the bad apple for not telling her what my husband's family did when my father in law was deployed. I realize he might just be trying to follow all the rules to not be targeted, but with his past I just don't know what to do. Would I be the bad apple for continuing to keep my mouth shut?

Originally my admin said id be moving to 2nd grade next year. Today as we met to sign EOY paperwork I was informed/told to consider moving to 3rd.
If I move to 2nd Id likely move again the following year. Generally not opposed to it but I feel like its a big leap from 4th to 2nd.
If I move to 3rd, Id pretty much stay there until I retire as theres always set amount of 3rd grades.
Im going into year 6 with my doctorate. Gen Ed K-6 cert. Experience in 4th and 5th contracted. Experience SPED preK- Post secondary SPED.

Hi, I already passed the ustet this year and I was wondering if mawawala ba slot ko kapag nagkabelow 85 ako sa card sa 4th quarter right now? I'm grade 10 as of now and nakapasa nako sa shs sa ust stem but I'm wondering if may chance bang mawala o di ako makaenroll next year given my 4th quarter grade rn? Thank u!

I'm so tired of being called big back. It does not really bother me, but it's so annoying, and it will probably get worse when I start high school. I have big arms, fat behind my knees, a double chin, and I genuinely cannot live like this. I have a lot of stretch marks, too. I don't play sports because I'm simply not interested in a lot of them, I can't go out and run by myself because of safety reasons and I don't have a key to my house, I barely have time and school burns me out. I walk every day, but I don't see any changes. To be fair, I eat a large amount of food every day after school, but I can't tell when I feel full. Give me any kind of advice besides dieting or going to the gym. I've been trying to eat less, but it's not really working that well.
EDIT: I'm only 14, so give me advice that will work cause I'm still growing, and I won't look like this forever.. I've always had some kind of body dismorphia. When i was in 5th or 4th grade, I nearly gave myself an ED, I used to eat a lot one day, then barely the next day. I did this because I thought I was fat and tall when, in reality, no one ever called me fat, I just thought I wasn't pretty. I wish I thought differently. Right now, I think I'm skinny, but I KNOW I'm not. I'd also like to add that when I say I'm not "interested in sports," i mean I'm not interested in long-term school sports. Like basketball or volleyball. I don't have time for that, and school is already as draining as it is, I do not want to spend 3 more hours at school for a sport.

I posted about this awhile back and did not get much response but I am gaslighting myself and need people who have gone through this or similar to help me be objective.
I will Try to keep this brief but it's a lot.
-long history of stricturing Crohn's of terminal ileum diagnosed in 2006. First resection Sept 2018, Last resection in April 2022. Surgeon told me he found Crohn's high up in small bowel, could not remove safely, hoped new biologic (Stelara) would take care of it.
-6 month delay in starting Stelara due to GI F up (forgot to send preauthorization)
-July 2022 began having severe upper gastric pain (under ribs and belly button) after even the smallest amount of food, followed by severe nausea and often vomiting. Within half hour multiple liquid BM's undigested food and insane amount of fluid. Began to eat less and less, moved to soft diet, and finally to complete liquids in August 2023
-July 2023-Oct 2023- Weight loss of 20 lbs over 3 month period. Many ER visits needed for rehydration and IV anti emetics and pain meds as could not keep down any oral meds. GI did colonoscopy but only found microscopic Crohn's in anastomosis site (he only took 2 biopsies from that area and nowhere else). CT's done in hospital showed thickening of wall of ascending colon, and collapsed bowel, free fluid in peritoneum. GI dismissed as "not reliable". Fecal Cal slightly elevated. Constant low grade anemia. After 4th ER visit in Oct 2023 they did a high res Ultrasound and I was admitted by surgery department. However, as I was urgent but not emergent, there were no beds available. Was given choice of staying in ER and receiving IV steroids, or going home and following up with GI. Chose home and was given Entocort. Entocort slowed down bowel from 30-50 bm's a day to ten. Did not help pain, nausea, vomiting, lack of ability to eat. After several desperate emails where I begged for help, said I wanted to die-GI ordered urgent MRI, would not change meds or give prednisone without "proof".
-November 2023-Began to experience fatigue like never before. Could hardly keep eyes open. This would be followed by severe upper gastric pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that went on for days, followed by constipation for 1-2 days and severe bloating, only on the left side of belly which would be rock hard and hot to the touch. Then the diarrhea cycle woud begin again. Always pure liquid, sometimes black, always tons of mucous.
-Went to Mexico to visit my parents for the holidays where I usually feel better but still could not eat. Injecting myself with IM Gravol (anti emetic) just to keep fluids down. I lived off of chicken broth with rice. Saw GI in private hospital. Ordered full workup. Blood found in stool. 3 D CT ordered (could not find a vein for IV after 5 nurses, two doctors, and a radiologist with a vein finder so only had oral contrast) showed inflammation in small bowel, thickening of the ascending colon wall 11 mm, and inflammation of ileum. He wanted to send me to special IBD hospital in Mexico City for MRI but it would have cost 2500$ so I decided to wait till I got home to Canada where it would be free. Treated me with antibiotics for IBS (only available in Mexico and Germany) Zero improvement. I lived off of electrolyte drinks.
-Jan 29th 2024 returned to hospital because I could not keep any oral meds in (pills would be in toilet) also pain was 9/10, high fever, vomiting. Admitted again, but no beds. Left AMA with another prescription for Entocort.
-Feb 12 2024- High fever followed by two days of 40 plus liquid BM's, some of them bloody, all of them black. Husband insisted back to ER where I was admitted immediately. Cortisol levels 11 (close to adrenal failure) very low potassium. Doc said if we'd waited I likely would have died from heart event. Spent 8 + weeks in hospital having every kind of test imaginable. NOTHING showed on MRI, inflammation on CT, lower scope clear, upper endoscopy showed inflammation in esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Negative for H Pylori, negative for celiac. Started on 150 mg of hydrocortisone for low cortisol to rescue my organs. MRI of brain showed small tumour on pituitary. Endocrinologist did ACTH test and was unhappy, kept me on 40 mg of hydrocortisone IV. PICC line insertion went awry when they Discovered I had complete stenosis of veins and needed port catheter surgically implanted. Was on TPN for 5 weeks. Needed pain meds and anti emetics every 4 hours or severe vomiting and diarrhea would ensue. 30-50 liquid bm's continued (they made me write down everything I ingested and every time I had a BM. They tested me for everything. No blood, NO CDiff, no parasites, no infection. High fever 104.5 plus delirium and CRP shot up to 50. Continued Anemia, blood work all over the place, even with TPN I needed potassium and sodium boluses 3 times a day.
-Requested pill endoscopy, GI said no Crohn's, no need for test. Suggested psych evaluation for a fucking eating disorder. Endocrinologist disagreed, said starvation and whatever disease process was causing symptoms was causing my cortisol issue. Psych diagnosed medical PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder (no shit) but NO eating disorder. Fired GI and hired IBD specialist from another city. Re ran all tests, CT showed huge diverticulum on duodenum otherwise clear. Was going to be moved to a ward from a private room. Had a panic attack because I could not share a bathroom and was not about to use a commode. Asked to be discharged after nearly 9 weeks. They were so overcrowded and basically did not know what else to do to help me, so they let me go even though I was still on TPN and NPO. Got a 5 minute instruction on how to insert a butterfly catheter for pain meds, and let go.
-Present-3 weeks later, still on liquid diet, (Boost drinks, blended oatmeal, yoghurt and soup) still on sub q and IM meds. Finally got new IBD doc to order capsule endoscopy and is treating me for SIBO (never been tested) plus set me up with nutritionist and psychologist for support. MRI repeated- totally clear.
I FEEL CRAZY. This is the sickest I have ever felt. It's been almost a year since I chewed food. The pain under my ribs just to the left of my belly button is now constant, whether I eat or not, pain meds barely take the edge off. Sometimes it's so intense I can hardly breathe. I keep passing out on the toilet. I projectile vomit daily, even using Gravol and Pantoprozole, the bile acid is awful. I've been doing tons of research and have learned that GDC and Jejunal Crohn's are extremely hard to diagnose. I have every single symptom and fit the criteria. Does this sound familiar to anyone????

Okay so, I'm currently in my freshmen year of high school, and me and my friend both like the same guy. He's silly, caring, super cute, and makes me laugh a lot! Me and my friend have both liked him since 7th grade, and he was like one of our friends but not exactly in our friend group. Me and my friend are in the same friend group, and he's in a separate one, but both our friend groups do hangout with each other often. (I hope this makes sense.) I told my friend that I like him, about 2 months ago right after she told me she had a crush on him, and we agreed that things are still gonna stay the same between us, and whatever happens, we're not going to ruin our friendship just because of a boy since we've been close since 4th grade. Recently, me and our crush (Roman) have been getting closer because we are in the same group for a chemistry project, and I also sit next to him in english and we've been talking a lot. He asked me out about 5 days ago, and I said yes! And when my friend found out she was really mad because I'm now with Roman. She said, and I quote, "That's literally not fair cause I liked him first" (She had a crush on him in the first 2 weeks of when 7th grade because he was new.) And now, she's ignoring me because I "backstabbed" her. Me personally, I don't think I'm in the wrong because Roman said that he didn't even like her, and he likes me, and we've both had a crush on him for so long, but he just likes me back. My other friends in my friend group are saying that I'm a backstabber for doing this, but I don't know since they've always favourited her over me. So, AITAH?

Okay so, I'm currently in my freshmen year of high school, and me and my friend both like the same guy. He's silly, caring, super cute, and makes me laugh a lot! Me and my friend have both liked him since 7th grade, and he was like one of our friends but not exactly in our friend group. Me and my friend are in the same friend group, and he's in a separate one, but both our friend groups do hangout with each other often. (I hope this makes sense.) I told my friend that I like him, about 2 months ago right after she told me she had a crush on him, and we agreed that things are still gonna stay the same between us, and whatever happens, we're not going to ruin our friendship just because of a boy since we've been close since 4th grade. Recently, me and our crush (Roman) have been getting closer because we are in the same group for a chemistry project, and I also sit next to him in english and we've been talking a lot. He asked me out about 5 days ago, and I said yes! And when my friend found out she was really mad because I'm now with Roman. She said, and I quote, "That's literally not fair cause I liked him first" (She had a crush on him in the first 2 weeks of when 7th grade because he was new.) And now, she's ignoring me because I "backstabbed" her. Me personally, I don't think I'm in the wrong because Roman said that he didn't even like her, and he likes me, and we've both had a crush on him for so long, but he just likes me back. My other friends in my friend group are saying that I'm a backstabber for doing this, but I don't know since they've always favourited her over me. So, AITAH?

im 14 F and would like to be a boy, im not trans. i dont think men have easier lives than women, but i want to be a man. theres nothing wrong with women as a whole but i hate being one simply because of feelings and aesthetics, i think men are just better to look at, i see myself in the mirror i see an hourglass and narrow shoulders, but i want to be beefy and bulky built like a triangle, i want to be super tall and with the body of a man, i want a 5'o clock shadow and a moustache, i want clothes to fit me the same way they fit boys. even if i was a muscular woman i just dont like the way it looks, any talk of sexual dimorphism or biology really drives me insane which i know is bad but i hate the fact i was born as a woman, it feels humiliating for people to even look at me. i try to look like a man just so people will see me as one, even when it makes no difference. and when i say i want to be muscular i dont mean toned or fit, i mean i want to look straight out of a bara yaoi. ill see women who are comfortable in their bodies and i honestly feel confused and a bit angry, why are you happy and girly?? what is the appeal of looking like a girl. i really just dont know. last night my sister brought up the fact i was a girl and i kind of snapped at her i just hate talking about it it makes me sick. even if i was trans id never be a real man id never fully look like one, but im not trans. im a Christian and in a conservative family, so id never consider it. obviously im going to put my god over my feelings, but idk if the feelings will ever go away. ever since i was a little girl i would dress up like a boy, and not because i felt comfortable but because i truly felt like being one. there was countless occasions where i would tell someone i was a boy, i would tell my sisters friends im her brother, i would introduce myself with random boy names. on all my socials people think im a guy. its like being a girl is only okay when other girls do it. i used to think i was trans in 4th-5th grade but ik i was just young and going through a phase which is fine, i was just exploring new things. but really ive been tame my whole life about being a girl, i mean im normally pretty layed back, so i was kind of shocked that i got so upset after my sister reminded me of my biology. i still feel upset over it, i feel like lately the urge has been getting worse, a week ago i cut off all my hair and ive started working out again. i went to the movies with a group of unfamiliar people and tried my best to look like a guy. i think really its because i feel like i have a male brain(not to sound like a pick me) and it feels awkward having a masculine brain and appearing female, it just seems like being a man fits me so much better. my roblox avatars are always male, i have boards on Pinterest about how i would dress, style my hair, etc- if i was a man. i feel like being a woman sets me back, im pretty dumb, i dont like anything traditionally feminine, im a wrestler and know that my biology gives me a disadvantage and it makes me seethe daily, knowing men out there hate me so much for what i was born, that i'll never be taken seriously, and no one believes in me. but also i know lots of men dont really think about stuff like that, and i for sure seek out media to enable me. its not just the appearance and strength of men that i want but the experience, i want to be a chivalrous gentleman with male friends, i want to wear swim trunks to the beach instead of a swimsuit, i want to be waiting outside of a changing room in a clothing store with other men doing the same thing, i want to play on the boys team in sports, use the mens restroom, etc-. i want to go through male experiences and live a male life, i want to be raised as a boy. the main thing holding me back from being trans besides god is that boys like girls, and i really like boys and want to kiss and date them, i like everything about boys and everything masculine. i hate anything to do with gender roles or "male and female" which sounds so liberal and newgen but its true, it makes me so uncomfortable like i cant stand even hearing about it because i know ill end up getting a reality check, that im a girl and cant compete with boys. its just odd to me since most girls want to look like Adriana Lima or Megan Fox, but i wanna look like Jake Gyllenhaal with the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. again im not trans because its not natural and im a Christian but has anyone else ever felt this way?? i mean do you think I'll ever grow out of this?

Hi guys so yeah this is my 4th year in university. I am 22 yrs old and i rewlly struggled when I came to university. I used to be top 3 of my class frince grade 9 till i finished. I repeated first year Engineering twice and switched to computer science after doing 2 successfully appeals afer academic exclusions though I got super depressedand was passively su*cidal. Last year was when i switched to computer science and the condition was I pass everything. I managed to pass everything except for one module because my laptop was stolen. The uni allowed me to register this year without being excluded and i cannot fail any module. This semester i have on three math module and I didn't get to 50% in any of them for the mid semester tests (half syllabus). Im about to write the end of semester exams in 2 weeks and I scared i wont pass. Mh parents are paying for my fees and I dont think me failing again is an option. Do you have anything that I implement in the last few days so that I can save the semester? I habe lost my confidence because in my whole life I have never failed and now things are looking shaky again.

I feel like I’ve worked my butt off, and I feel I’ve only gotten better from Christmas to the end of the year. Despite having some amazing i-Ready growth from August to December, a large portion of my students’ data dropped on our diagnostics last week. I have had some behavior problems, which is not uncommon with 28 4th graders. Today, my principal stayed in my room for 30 minutes watching my students work independently while I worked with students making up work (she also cleaned up some papers that my students had knocked over and not cleaned up before she entered). I feel like I’m not hitting my principal’s expectations, especially when other classes seem like they’re on autopilot. She told me in a meeting last week I’m probably changing grades for next year (I thrived with kindergarten when I was a long term sub), but she didn’t completely confirm I would be there next year. What are some strategies y’all use when you feel defeated?

I lived in Quincy Illinois, I moved away when I passed 4th grade. It was a suprise move meaning I never got to say goodbye to my closet friend. Delilah Crook(f). I would do anything to reconnect with her and I already checked all social platforms and nothing. I miss her so much. She would be around 14 or 15 now. I have no way to contact her at all. I wish I could see you one last time Delilah.

When applying to grad school some of them mostly look at your most recent 60 credits or most recent 2 years. If I want to apply during my 4th year of undergrad, will the grad school take my 3rd and 2nd year grades or 3rd and once finished, 4th year grades. Thanks in advance :)

I have a student who lost their mother to violence over a year ago. They are also LD.
I have another student who lost their dad to a heart attack about 2 months ago.
The first student doesn't try, doesn't ask for help, doesn't even put on answer on a worksheet. When I approach and say, hey, how.can I help you get started, they just suck their thumb (6th grade) and mumble, no thanks.
The other student missed about 2 weeks, came back and made all the work up and had an A. First student has an F bc they have turned in literally nothing.
I am torn. I totally get where first student is traumatized. As was 2nd student because there are multiple issues (health) with their remaining parent, whose health is on the decline rapidly.
For me, 1st student should be able to grieve, but understand that doing zero work does not help them. I have tried, guidance counselor has tried, and on site therapist has tried. 1st student just refuses.
Should I let 1st student fail for refusing help? I personally feel like if I just pass them, they'll get into that mindset that they'll be "successful" with zero effort, and the world is going to be a horrible place for them when they go out into it. Can't read. Can barely write, and gives zero effort. All o can think is homelessness, abusive relationships bc of financial needs...I know you get what I'm trying to say, so I'll leave it at that.
To clarify, have contacted Dad with concerns and he assures me he can take 1st student to the library to finish assignments. Student 1 has come back on Monday with no finished work. Talked to dad, he said he took student 1 to the library and put them on the computer (where my work is posted), but said they just wouldn't do anything.
Do I fail student 1? I've followed all the IEP requirements and have gone out of my way to assist them.
I'm really torn. Thanks, and please be kind.

After Dallas makes a few cuts of their own, they may be looking to fill a few holes of their own. Might some of these guys fill those potential holes?

Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers - personally, I've never been a huge fan of Sanders' running style. He really only had one good year, and Philly traded him right after that. Not sure how he'd fit with our existing room.

Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, Miami Dolphin - Decent runner and receiver, who had his best season a year ago, but could find himself the odd man out in Miami. I feel he'd be an instant upgrade over any of our current RBs.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans - Big guy (6-2, 225lb), good hands. Had some injury trouble which kept hum off the field for the Titans. Could be a nice addition to the wr corps.

Terrace Marshall, WR, Carolina Panthers - highly touted 2nd-round pick languished in Carolina. Not sure if he would make the team here.

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers - If the 9ers can't afford him, I'm not sure how Dallas can.
Dan Moore Jr., OT, Pittsburgh Steelers - Young guy, drafted in the 4th round just 3 years ago out of A&M... However, according to Pro Football Focus, Moore was one of the worst qualifying offensive tackles in the NFL in pass blocking with a grade of only 39.7. But, you can never have too many offensive linemen, right? Right?
Analysis

Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers used a second-round selection on Texas RB Jonathon Brooks, who will team up with Chuba Hubbard.
The Panthers signed Miles Sanders last off-season to a four-year, $25.4 million contract, and he has $6 million guaranteed this season. If Carolina trades him, it’d likely need to absorb some of that money.
Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins drafted Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright in the fourth round, adding him to the mix with De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.
Miami, which is tight against the cap, would clear $1.2M if it moved on from Jeff Wilson Jr.

Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a massive contract in free agency, adding him alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.
Despite that, they still have quietly been in the receiver market, and there was some talk in league circles that they considered Rome Odunze with the No. 7 pick before settling on Alabama OT JC Latham.
After the draft, they scheduled a meeting with Bengals free agent WR Tyler Boyd. Tennessee’s actions seem to indicate that its front office, which didn't draft Burks, and its new coaching staff aren’t too high on the former first-round pick, so he could be available.
The Tennessee Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a massive contract in free agency, adding him alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers dabbled with the idea of trading Deebo Samuel during draft week but never received a good enough offer.
The plan is to retain Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. If a team becomes desperate for a receiver in the coming months because of an injury and shows interest in Samuel, the 49ers could move him. The only scenario I see that happening is if the trade involves a player returning to San Francisco.
Otherwise, the 49ers are prepared to run it back.

Terrace Marshall, WR, Carolina Panthers

Terrace Marshall has been trying to leave Carolina since last season and received permission to seek a trade, only to find there wasn’t much of a market.
After trading for Diontae Johnson and drafting Xavier Legette, it’s hard to see Marshall getting much playing time entering the final year of his rookie contract. A fresh start just makes too much sense.
Dan Moore Jr., OT, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dan Moore Jr. has started 49 games in three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his time as a starter could end with the drafting of Troy Fautanu.
Moore had his fair share of struggles, but Pittsburgh could consider keeping him as a reserve option. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract.

So,basically it happened when I was in second semester.There was a girl who used to stare at me during lectures and there were various moments when we had a eye contact but I used to ignore that thing.Then things started to escalate when she started saying hello to me when I was with my friends.So, my friends suggested me to go and talk to her.So I gathered my confidence and approached her.She interacted with me but left very soon.Later that day she sent me Instagram request and we started having conversation about random things(politics, studies etc).
She knew I was good in academics so she asked for help and as a human being I helped her and then after this we were talking 1-1.5 hrs daily on phone and when I didn't saw her message she used to call me continuously(One time she called me 7 times in interval of 3-4 mins) and every time she would ask me that if I am okay or has she committed some mistake that is why I am ignoring her.She used to ask for my suggestions for every thing.
Then we started going to library,where I used to teach her on the expense of my own academics but I didn't cared.Things were going well. She became a support system for me.We used to go on walks etc. She appreciated my physique (I go to gym).
But things started going downhill on June 3rd,it was her birthday and she didn't invite me,I thought she might be busy with her friends but foolish me called her and asked that am I just for her academic support!She denied and said that she wanted to give me party alone and I said I don't want a party from you .Things were not going well, we didn't called each other much.
Fast forward to 16th June ,I was working on my project and it was around 3 in the morning and she texted me that his boyfriend is asking about you,My heart fell down and I just replied her it's your matter and you have to answer it but she insisted me to tell something to reply him.. Then I wrote a long paragraph in which I said I don't want to become a barrier between both of you.I trusted you but you betrayed me and used me. I wish you all the best and please don't try to text me again.. then she started spamming that sorry,I know it's my mistake. Don't leave me blah blah... I didn't reacted to her messages. Then I went to my bed and it was around 4:30 AM, I am having project submission at 9:00 AM and after 2 days I am having my end semester exams. I tried to sleep but after 1 hour, I woke up and was feeling heavy, I called my friend and told him that everything thing is over and I broke down. Then he and one more friend of mine came running to my room and took me to the balcony and consoled me and told me that don't be sad..
Then afterwards I gathered myself and went for the project evaluation,it went good but I was feeling a void. Then in the evening she texted me again asking me that If I am angry because of her.. my friends suggested me not to reply so I didn't reply.. But the night before the exams she texted me asking for the solutions of worksheets, I didn't send her.Then she called with a different number.But then again she started spamming. Then I texted her that I want to meet and want to end everything, she came and I gave her a short reality check and saw her tears rolling down her cheeks,I again said that please don't cry etc etc.... So I gave my exams and went home.
Again on July 2nd she texted me that I met with an accident and broke my hand. I replied take care. She said are you still angry with me,please give me a chance I want to normalise everything but I asked why should I give you a second chance which she didn't bother to reply.
Now fast forward to 4th semester, everything is going fine(My CG is 9.0) but now again she is staring at me and is trying to initiate a conversation but I ignore her completely but deep down I also want to initiate a conversation again. So what should I do? Kindly guide me!!
Thank You :⁠-⁠D

So... I woke up late and had to get out of the house asap, im on the bus I was hungry as fuck, i looked through my bag ans found a plastic container of gummies, which i was going to consume on the last day of gcses (after the exam ofc), whilst off 5 hours of sleep with no sleep i downed 8 gummies (50mg per piece) without a second thought, 1st lesson, its cool, then 2nd... half way through It hits and i realise "fuck... what have i done", im geeking thinking that everyone knows and that the teachers are going to call SLT on me, i make it to break and the next lesson I just dont feel like going to lesson so I sit in the toilet for most of it, then 4th lesson, in class and someone snitches and I get pulled out by a teacher, i blame it on my meds and say that i took too much and have been having mood swings and sickness, I get put in the special room for the exam since they didnt want me "being sick" in the main hall, I cant comprehend shit on this test and im thinking to myself "I cant do this, im too fucked...", which is sad because most people in the class including the teacher thought i was going to get max marks, I ask if i can just go home and do it tommorow and im explained to by the invigilators i cant and have to stay or i fail the exam, i try sober up and take extra time and even that doesnt work, I go home afterwards mad at myself and forget about it and just watch netflix for the remainder of the day.
So moral of the story, don't do substances during your GCSEs, although many people I know are... Also use this as a feel good story for yourself that makes you happy that I lowered the grade boundaries😂😂😂

Chance me for Cornell hotel admin-SHA
CHANCE ME FOR CORNELL SHA-Hotel
CHANCE COMA BOY WHO SAW HİMSELF GETTİNG CHASED İN TEXAS TO CORNELL SHA/HOTEL ADMİNİSTRATİON ED1
Demographics:FGLİ,African(Parents moved to Turkey then moved to US right before my junior year),very rural in Turkey(village with 1000 population,almost no one goes to college),semi-feeder public school in America, US RESİDENT(green card)
Went from rural village public school in Turkey for middle school to a private school in İstanbul(biggest city in Turkey) because the school was connected to a university and agreed to give me full ride and also university housing to my family. Was the only kid there that came from a public school(public schools are horrible in Turkey)
Gpa(UW/W):9th grade: 92.13(top 5 percent), 10th grade selective ib program:83.17(missed like 40 percent of the year due to car crash/coma) 11th: 4.0/4.85 Class rank 1/494
Coursework: No ap/ib offered in 9th grade, 6ib classes in 10th, 11 AP classes in 11th-12th(so total of 17ap+ib)
İB HL MATH A&A in 10th, AP PRECALC AND AB İN 12th
Sat: 1540(800 math, 740 eng)-They're test blind tho
Major:Hotel Admin
**ECS:*\*
İnterim CEO(10th grade): Ran/fully managed former uncle's now family-owned business/motel 42 hours a week. Really small motel tho,6 rooms. Did school work when nothing was happening.
Founder of financial/educational based organizaton(11th-12th):**Raised 14.5 thousand dollars/475 thousand lira for my former elementary school through collective funding/raising money. Money went to renovations/additions.
(2 ecs in 1)Founder of Nonprofit/Owner of small shoe-reselling business(9th-12)th: Ran shoe-reselling business and made 20k and 10k/325k lira of the money went to buying shoes with the money and distrubuted kids at my old village shoes.
İntern at Divan Taksim(Hotel) in turkey, going back summer after 11th
Real estate internship in summer of 10th
Political İntern with Mayor of Turkish City(Elazığ)(CHP)(10th summer)): networked through the time when İ was a lobbyist around a bunch of rich people(you'll see below) Noted that İ want to be the minister of culture and turism in Turkey
Associate to Turkish Volunteering Agency/leader at school(10th grade): Personally volunteered 200 hours for earthquake. Raised 3.8k usd/70k lira throughout my school and district for relief efforts in Southeast Turkey
Student lobbyist for school renovations(10th grade): Was selected to be the only student lobbyist for my school's multi-million Lira expansion to increase class sizes by around 25% with an additional side building and a new library. Mayors son went to my school so thats where the internship came from
Published a book(11th grade) : on outsiders view on hospitality and finance(20k words)
Family responsibilities(11th-12th)(wont go into detail but valid)
Awards:
3.12 percent on LGS-Standardized test that is the sole factor of high school admission. Best score my middle school has ever produced. Only kid that was in the top 10 percent coming out of my middle school since 1998.
TBB National Finance Competition: 2nd out of 10k+ in national Financial knowledge competition ran by Turkish banking association
10th grade research project qualified for Tubitak(Turkish research council: project was about Corona's effect on reading habits throughout Turkish students)
Takdir 9th grade(top 5 percent of freshmen)
4th in national school based swimming relay in 9th.(Was varsity/ A team swimming in 9th grade)
LOR:Ap lang , AP cogo
Additiional info
İnjuries from car crash(coma)- not a joke, got in car crash right before 10th. Was in a coma for 4 weeks and missed like 40 percent of the year from pt, rehab and surgeries.
İ had to delay taking preclac because İ moved here late so İ took precalc and ab senior instead of ab and bc.

im 5'10, age 15 and im female
When I was younger the only food I could access were sweets because the healthy food i would have had to cook so I ate sweets not knowing any better and I gained and gained weight..eventually when I was in the 4th grade I was 200 lbs, not thinking but of it because it was normal to me, I was fine with it..now im 277 lbs in the 10th grade and it's gotten worse..I was 270 a few months ago then went down to 250 and was so happy then gained it back but more than last time
I NEED to lose weight..I have a heart condition and I don't want it to get worse..I want to fix it and be better so in 20 years I'm not 350 lbs, sitting on my couch and dragging myself sround..I dont want to look like a newly discovered planet like most
I dont look my weight, I look 200 lbs around there but I need to lose weight and leg and belly fat and quick before my life is ruined