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INSTAGRAM brian 2018-08-01T14:02:24-07:00

academicimpact

Sacramento tutoring and college counseling. Reducing school and college admissions stress since 2008!
✏️Tutoring
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🎓College Admissions

📚 I've been so excited to share my thoughts abo

📚 I've been so excited to share my thoughts about Admission by @juliebuxbaum because I liked it so much! ⁠
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📚It follows Chloe, the daughter of a famous actress through the events leading up to and following her mom's arrest for her involvement in the college admissions scandal. I was worried that it was going to feel gossipy or salacious, or maybe even glorify the scandal, but it didn't at all. It's a thoughtful take on what it might have felt like for a teenager to find herself embroiled in a massive scandal, as she has to come to terms with her actions, her privilege, and the kind of person she wants to be.⁠
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📚 I highly recommend this one and if you read it let me know so we can talk about it!⁠
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📚 What are you reading this week?⁠
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#admission #yareads #currentlyreading #ireadya #bookworm #bookstagram #collegeadmissions #collegegoals #highschool #admission2021 #sacramento #sacramentosmallbusiness

Anybody else feel like they need a brownie this we

Anybody else feel like they need a brownie this week??⁠
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I've been having trouble concentrating lately, which is something that happens to me when I feel stressed. It's no secret that I like to bake when I'm stressed - and when I'm not - but recently I've been trying to find activities that will help keep me from scrolling mindlessly through my phone, which I know does not help anything.⁠
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I wrote about some of the things that have been helping me lately in my newsletter this week (sign up for it at the link in our bio!), including color-by-number coloring books, hand lettering practice, and cross-stitch. I'm not much of a craft person (crafts bring out the worst in me) so I especially like that these activities require virtually no talent!⁠
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What do you turn to when you feel stressed? Do you have any tricks for keeping yourself off your phone? Let me know! ⁠
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(I got a new brownie cookbook and have grand plans of making every single recipe. It's from @mikebakesnyc, whose IG stories are very relaxing!)⁠
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#collegeadmissions #academicsuccess #studymotivation #accomplishyourgoals #collegeadvice #highschool #sacramento #sacramentosmallbusiness #stressrelief

⏰ Juniors, it's time to start your college plann

⏰ Juniors, it's time to start your college planning!⁠
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I always think of January as the start of the new college application season. Seniors are done with their applications and it's time for me to switch over to focusing on getting juniors ready for their applications in the fall. ⁠
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It might seem like fall is a long way away, but it'll get here faster than you know it and there is A LOT to do before then! Over the next few months I'll be sharing tips and reminders and things you can be doing to make sure you're set up for a stress-free college application season.⁠
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Start by thinking about what you want out of your college experience and jotting down any schools/majors/careers/college locations that might be of any interest to you right now. This isn't anywhere near a final list so just brainstorm and write down whatever comes to you!⁠
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#collegeadmissions #collegeapps #collegeapplicationseason #collegegoals #academicsuccess #studyhacks #studymotivation #accomplishyourgoals #onlinelearning #collegeadvice #admission2021 #highschool #sacramento #sacramentosmallbusiness #sacramentolife #classof2021🎓

🦙 Happy New Year! ⁠ ⁠ 🦙 Today is probabl

🦙 Happy New Year! ⁠
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🦙 Today is probably your first day back to school/real life after the holidays, right? It's always kind of a nasty shock to have to get back to regular life after all that time off. ⁠
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🦙 This year I've felt kind of annoyed at all the New Year hype - it feels like tempting fate to even try to plan for this year! But one thing that's guiding my approach to the new year is that at least this year, the pandemic and all it entails isn't coming as a surprise. We know what we're in for for the foreseeable future and we know now how to make the best of it. ⁠
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🦙 So for this year, I hope your goal is to make the best of what you have available to you. Some days that might mean you're taking great care of yourself and are on top of everything, and some days it might mean you just make it through the day to try again tomorrow. Both mean you've had a successful day.⁠
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🦙 Do you have any goals for the new year? Let me know!⁠
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#collegeadmissions #collegeapps #collegegoals #academicsuccess #studymotivation #accomplishyourgoals #learnfromhome #collegeadvice #admission2020 #highschool #disneyquote #sacramento #sacramentosmallbusiness

✍️ As soon as you get the hang of writing coll

✍️ As soon as you get the hang of writing college essays, along come the UC Personal Insight Questions and you have to throw it all out and start over!⁠
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✍️ Ok, maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But they are pretty different from regular college essays. Here are some tips for writing effective UC PIQs.⁠
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- You only have 350 words, so they each need to count. ⁠
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- Respond to the prompt like you would answer it if someone asked you the question in person. No metaphors and flowery language here, just get straight to the point.⁠
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- There isn't room for sentences that aren't about you. Keep the focus on you, not people in general. ⁠
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- Use specific examples. Don't just say you have leadership skills, give specific examples of how you have used those leadership skills. Don't just say you feel creative when playing the piano, give examples of times you've been creative while playing the piano.⁠
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- Answer the question that is being asked, not the question you wish they were asking. ⁠
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- Throw those lessons you learned about clever introductions and hooks right out the window! Straightforward and simple is best for these. Get straight to the point. ⁠
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✍️ If you're still finishing up your UC application, good luck! Give yourself time to review your PIQs again and to submit a couple of days ahead of time.⁠
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#uc #ucapplication #ucapp #ucpiqs #collegeadmissions #collegeadvice #collegeessays #collegegoals #collegeapps #essaywriting #collegedreams #classof2021🎓⁠
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🦍 It's the time of year when students start to

🦍 It's the time of year when students start to feel burned out on their college applications - and I can't blame them. College applications are a ton of work! But just remember that the effort you put in now will pay off in just a few months when you're getting your acceptances.⁠
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🦍 The students who put in real effort and are thoughtful and thorough with their applications are the ones who will be successful no matter where they end up attending college. Shortcuts and phoning it in might seem appealing in the short term, but the won't serve you in the long term. I promise you're almost done and just need to keep up the hard work for a couple more weeks. You can do it!⁠
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🦍 Are you losing steam on your college applications? How are you motivating yourself?⁠
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#collegeapplications #collegeadmissions #collegeapps #collegeadvice #collegegoals #classof2021 #disneyquote #collegebound

📚 I'm excited about today because it's 🌧️

📚 I'm excited about today because it's 🌧️ almost raining 🌧️ and rainy days are my favorite reading days! With the cold, rainy weather and everything shutting down again, now would be an excellent time to start reading more!⁠
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📚 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is my book club's book for this month and I kind of can't wait to talk to everybody about it (even though my book club usually only talks about the book for about five minutes and then we move on to catching up and what everybody has been watching on Netflix). ⁠
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📚 Addie LaRue is a deal-with-the-devil story about a woman who makes a desperate deal that leaves her cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Like, as soon as she's out of their sight, they don't remember ever meeting her. She spends 300 years like this, until one day a man in a bookstore recognizes her. It's sweeping and mystical, and took twists and turns I wasn't expecting at all. I hope everyone at book club read it because I feel like I really need to talk about the ending!⁠
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📚 What are you reading this week?⁠
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#collegegoals #collegedreams #collegebound #collegeapps #collegeprep #collegeadvice #collegeadmissions⁠
#books #reading #bookrecs #bookworm #bookstagram #currentlyreading #theinvisiblelifeofaddielarue

🗓️ It's time to make a plan to finish up your

🗓️ It's time to make a plan to finish up your college applications!⁠
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🗓️ You really can be almost done with your apps as long as you make a plan and stick to it. Most students are just finishing up supplemental essays now, after having submitted some early applications. If that's you, don't give in to the temptation to put everything else off until Christmas - get it done now and your happy, relaxed, festive Christmas-self will be so happy you did!⁠
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🗓️ Make a list of everything you have left to do and all of your due dates. Then start moving through each task as if they're all due much sooner. You can be finished with everything in just a couple of weeks as long as you stick to your plan!⁠
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🗓️ Do you have a plan in place for finishing up your applications? How is it going?⁠
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#collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegegoals #collegeadvice #collegeadmissions #classof2021 #classof2021🎓⁠
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🍪 Happy Wednesday! How is everyone doing this w

🍪 Happy Wednesday! How is everyone doing this week? ⁠
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🍪 I've seen a lot of students looking extremely relieved as they realize how little they have left to do on their college applications compared to how much they've done already. They're so close to being done!⁠
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🍪 If you're not quite at the point of feeling relieved yet, keep working a little bit at a time. You'll get there!⁠
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🍪 Reminder to my students - I have office hours today at 3:00 and Friday at 4:00 if you have any questions or need to give me an update. Hope to see you there!⁠
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🍪 And if you have a minute to bake some cookies, these browned butter chocolate chip cookies from @pinchofyum might be the perfect chocolate chip cookies!⁠
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#collegeadvice #collegeadmissions #collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegegoals #collegedreams

💻 Virtual College Interview Tips 💻 Like eve

💻 Virtual College Interview Tips 💻

Like everything else this year, college interviews look a little different now. Many colleges that have traditionally used interviews as part of their admissions process are still continuing to do so now, but have switched to virtual interviews rather than in-person. So in addition to knowing how to approach a college interview, it's important to remember some general virtual meeting guidelines.

💻 Make sure your background isn't embarrassing. No messy rooms or anything on your walls that you wouldn't want a college admissions person seeing.

💻 Try to find some good lighting so that the person interviewing you can see you well. Be careful of glares behind you that can obscure the view of the person watching you on the screen.

💻 Make sure the camera is framing you from the shoulders up. Perch your device on a stack of books or other stand to bring it up to face level, so that the interviewer isn't looking at you from below.

💻 Wear real clothes (at least from the waist up, but maybe put on real pants, too, to give you a boost of professionalism!) and sit up straight. No lying in bed for these! (Or any other virtual meetings, really, except a FaceTime chat with a friend.)

💻 College interviews tend to be more conversational, rather than a person firing questions at you. The interviewer is interested in getting to know who you are, what you're interested in, and why you want to attend the school. Be prepared to talk about these things.

💻 Jot down anything you don't want to forget to talk about. It's always ok to have notes and being nervous might make you more likely to forget something.

💻 Be prepared with some questions you can ask the interviewer, too. Interviewers are often alumni of the school and love talking about their experiences there. Some schools try to match you with an interviewer who has experiences that match your interests, so you can ask them about their education and career paths, too.

💻 Be yourself - but the most polished, best-behavior version of yourself.

#collegeinterview #collegeadvice #collegeapps #collegeadmissions #collegegoals #collegeapplications #classof2021 #classof2021🎓

🌸 I love this part of Mulan, when Mulan's fathe

🌸 I love this part of Mulan, when Mulan's father reassures her that her time is coming even though she feels like she doesn't quite fit in or has found her place just yet. ⁠
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🌸 If you've ever felt like that, let this be a reminder that your turn will come. Life isn't a competition and there is no set path or timeline that everyone has to follow. You'll find where you belong, you'll find your people, and you'll find where you shine. ⁠
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🌸 Hopefully college will be an experience that gives you plenty of room to grow and become the person you want to be. ⁠
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#collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegeadvice #collegegoals #collegedreams #collegebound #disneyquotes

📚 Remember that episode of I Love Lucy where Lu

📚 Remember that episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy is so invested in the book she's reading that she throws it out the window when she's startled? That's me reading Rebecca!⁠
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📚 I first read Rebecca when it was assigned in high school. Before that, I don't think I'd actually enjoyed an assigned book since my class read a Little House on the Prairie book in third grade!⁠
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📚 Rebecca is held up as a gold standard example of gothic suspense. It's dark and atmospheric in a way that makes you feel like you're there in a massive, old-fashioned estate where something sinister is happening but you don't quite know what. It's not the things-jumping-out-and-scaring-you type of suspense, but it'll keep you on the edge of your seat nonetheless. ⁠
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📚 If you're going to watch the Netflix movie, I absolutely insist you read the book first because the movie will ruin the fun of the book. ⁠
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📚 Have you read Rebecca? Do you love it as much as I do? What are you reading this week?⁠
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#currentlyreading #reading #bookrecs #bookworm #bookstagram #collegeadvice #collegeprep #collegeadvice #collegegoals #collegeapps

🥧 The aftermath of yesterday's stress baking!⁠
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🥧 It's been kind of a doozy of a week! Making this apple crisp from @sallysbakeblog definitely helped make yesterday a little easier, though. (Not pictured: the salted caramel I made to drizzle on top. If you make this, don't skip it!) Sometimes I need something to focus my attention on and keep my hands busy and baking is often that for me. ⁠
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🥧 What do you do when you need to keep worry and stress at bay?⁠
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🥧 Seniors who are already working with me - don't forget my new Office Hours start this week! Check in with me from 4:00 - 5:00 today or from 3:30 - 4:30 on Thursday. I hope to see you there!⁠
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#collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegegoals #collegedreams #collegeadvice #classof2021 #classof2021🎓 #stressbaking

I know some of you were working very hard this pas

I know some of you were working very hard this past weekend, finishing up your early admission college applications. And some of you might be feeling some extra election-related anxiety this week. Either way, I'm here to remind you today to give yourself a break and do something nice for yourself.⁠
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If you were working on applications this weekend, it's ok to take a day or two off from writing essays and getting application tasks accomplished to reward yourself for all of your hard work and recharge for the next round. Take a real break and use whatever time you would have otherwise spent working on your applications and do something you WANT to do instead. ⁠
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If you're feeling anxious this week for any reason at all, try scheduling something into your day that you know will make you feel better. Maybe that's going for a walk with a friend, taking a bath, or even taking a nap. Taking care of yourself needs to be a priority in times of stress!⁠
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Instead of constantly checking my phone today, I'm planning to sneak away to this spot to read for a little bit. And then I might have all the ingredients lined up to make an apple crisp in case I need to do any stress baking. ⁠
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What are you doing to take care of yourself today?⁠
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#collegegoals #collegeapps #collegeapplications #anxiety #stressmanagement #collegeadvice #takeabreak #takecare #stressrelief

💪 After this past weekend, so many of you are o

💪 After this past weekend, so many of you are one step closer to making your college dreams come true!⁠
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💪 Congratulations on getting your early applications in! That first deadline is always a bit of a doozy, but you made it! After this one, the rest of the application season isn't so bad. Really! You've done a lot of the work, so now you'll pretty much just be writing supplemental essays - and now that you've written so many, what's a few more??⁠
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💪 Just one word of advice now that you've hit submit - remember not to pin all your hopes and dreams for the future on one school in particular. Your dreams and your future are dependent on YOU, not the college you go to. ⁠
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#collegegoals #collegedreams #collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegeadvice #earlyapplications #highered #disneyquote

Because this is a stressful week, please enjoy thi

Because this is a stressful week, please enjoy this soothing ocean view.

Even if you’re scrambling to finish up applications, you can still take a minute to pause and take a deep breath. It’s going to be ok. You can do this. I promise college applications get so much better after this first set of deadlines!

#collegeapps #collegeapplications #collegegoals #collegeadmissions #collegeadvice

🔔 These words of wisdom from Laverne are especi

🔔 These words of wisdom from Laverne are especially timely now that, just like Quasimodo, a lot of us are stuck inside! (Though she was encouraging him to go to a large, crowded festival. Please don't go to a large, crowded festival right now!)⁠
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🔔 I'd like to once again remind you that just because your life doesn't look the way you thought it would right now, doesn't mean you can't still participate in it! You can find safe ways to continue doing the kinds of activities you used to do or take on new projects, hobbies, and interests that are safe to do these days. ⁠
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🔔 Remember, colleges aren't going to be interested in what you didn't do during the pandemic, they're going to be interested in what you DID do, so do something! Do you have an answer to the question "What did you do during the pandemic?" that's not "Uh, I just hung out"? If not, it's time to find one!⁠
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🔔 Tell me what you've been doing lately! Have you taken up any new hobbies? Have you found ways to continue your regular activities? Have you started something new?⁠
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#collegeadmissions #collegebound #collegeapplications #collegeapps #collegeadvice #classof2021 #classof2021🎓⁠
#sacramento #sacramentobusiness #disneyquote #disneyadvice

📚 What's everybody reading this week?⁠
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🕵🏻‍♀️ I recently read the first in the Enola Holmes series, The Case of the Missing Marquess, because the Netflix version had come out and I always like to read the book before I watch the movie.⁠
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🕵🏻‍♀️ This might be one of those rare times when I actually like the movie better than the book, but both are really good! An old-fashioned mystery with a plucky heroine is one of my very favorite types of books so I had high hopes for this one. It's a series directed toward older tweens/teens that center around Enola (alone spelled backwards) Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, whose mother mysteriously disappears. The movie and the book have slightly different endings so it definitely made me want to keep reading the series to find out what happens!⁠
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📚 Tell me what you're reading this week!⁠
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#collegegoals #collegedreams #collegebound #collegeapps #collegeprep #highered #collegeadvice #sacramento #sacramentobusiness ⁠
#books #reading #bookrecs #bookworm #yabooks #currentlyreading

🍂 November 1 is right around the corner and tha

🍂 November 1 is right around the corner and that means Early Action and Early Decision college apps are due! ⁠
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🍂 I highly recommend getting those apps submitted by Wednesday or Thursday of next week so you don't get caught up in the last minute rush that can sometimes end in disaster. Servers crash and things don't get submitted correctly and you don't want that to happen to you!⁠
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🍂 Giving yourself a few days' buffer means you'll have time to fix any problems that occur or complete any steps you may have overlooked. And make sure you've already requested your transcripts and test scores (if you're using them) because those need some time to get there!⁠
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#collegeadvice #collegegoals #collegeapps #highered #classof2021 #sacramento⁠
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🎃 I really needed my house to smell like fall t

🎃 I really needed my house to smell like fall this week, so I made this cinnamon swirl chocolate chip pumpkin bread from @halfbakedharvest and it did not disappoint!⁠
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🎃 How is everybody doing this week? We're getting so close to Early Application due dates and from what I can tell, some of you are feeling just fine about it and some of you are super stressed! ⁠
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🎃 For those of you feeling just fine, that's great! But I hope you're feeling just fine because you've gotten your application materials all done ahead of time and not because you've either given up or decided not to care. I know many of you have been so great about being on top of things and getting your essays written well ahead of time and I hope you're enjoying the freedom that planning ahead earned you!⁠
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🎃 For those of you feeling stressed, first take a breath (and maybe have some pumpkin bread and a cup of tea), make a list, and get to work. Write down everything you have left to do before your November 1 deadlines so it's out of your head and somewhere you can see it. Then start working through your list one task at a time. There's still time for you to get those early applications in early!⁠
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🎃 Tell me how you're feeling this week - and if you've been baking any fall treats I should try!

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