All Articles tagged high-school.

5 Steps to Building A Compelling Art Portfolio

July 5, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

At My Learning Springboard, we have all kinds of students: Athletes, mathletes, actors, activists, and entrepreneurs. Most of these students apply to traditional colleges and universities, but some of our more creative students may also find themselves interested in pursuing a degree from a college specializing in art or design. But for many parents, art school is foreign territory, with admissions requirements that are quite different, including building an art portfolio. In this article, we get behind the scenes advice from Erin Stine, former Director of Admissions at Parsons School of Design (the top ranked art and design college in the US) and former Vice President of Enrollment at the New School. Currently a manager of external partnerships at ed-tech startup Motimatic, Stine has spent years examining student work. Here, she breaks down five key steps for students to build a compelling art portfolio.

Step 1: Start building your art portfolio early

Whether it’s fine art, fashion, or graphic design, most art and design programs will expect portfolios with at least 20 slides, including still and moving images. Students considering applying to an art or design program in the fall of their senior year will need to work backwards to pace out the development of their portfolio. Six months is the minimum amount of time Stine recommends to develop an art portfolio, and students should expect to “be making work all summer prior to their senior year.” However, for those who have already begun gathering pieces, she cautions against the urge to include everything you’ve ever made. “We want to see what you’re engaged in at this moment,” Stine says. So it’s best to stick to work from your junior and senior year that shows off your current skills and interests.

Step 2: Highlight your strengths while showing variety

By taking stock early (with the help of a trusted teacher or tutor), students can identify their strengths as well as areas they need to improve further. “We’re hoping to get some understanding of what range of skills that you have,” says Stine. If you’re an expert with charcoal, stretch yourself to include painting, or even 3D sculpture. If you’re technically savvy, it’s fine to emphasize digital media, but make sure there are some examples of analog media in your art portfolio as well. “If you lean only on one medium,” says Stine, “that medium has to be so good that a committee is going to believe that you can do other things.” It’s not impossible to gain admission to a top program this way, but this portfolio strategy is much riskier.

Step 3: Creativity matters, not just technical mastery

An art portfolio should show not only what you’re good at now, but how you will be capable of growing over four years at an art or design school. For Stine, this means including work that showcases your ideas and personality. “By the time you’re applying to go to university or college, we hope that you’ve evolved beyond still life,” she says. Perfectly rendered bowls of fruit are fine, but art portfolio examiners would rather see a conceptually adventurous or experimental work that perhaps isn’t fully realized. According to Stine, admissions committees want to see how students “take those skills of light and shadow and line–and channel them towards ideas, interests, your day to day. We want to see a reflection of you.”

Step 4: Document, document, document

Nothing will let down your art portfolio like poorly lit, uncropped pictures. The problem is that many young students would rather be printing in the darkroom or developing intricate architectural renderings than taking the time to properly document their work. This is a mistake, says Stine, who advises students to create a well lit space to photograph their work, and to take installation shots if their work has been exhibited. Likewise, she urges students to use the captions in their art portfolio, which “can be really useful in adding context or a tiny snapshot of history” that went into each piece. Because admissions committees will be familiar with the technical processes of the medium, Stine suggests students focus on the ideas that went into the piece and how the work evolved.

Step 5: Tailor your art portfolio to each school and ask for feedback (often)

Lastly, Stine recommends closely reading each program’s application page and “swapping a couple pieces in and out, depending on what that institution might be asking for.” Different schools will require different numbers of slides, and more specialized programs will ask to see more technical portfolios. The best way to get a sense of what each program requires is to take advantage of portfolio review days (https://apply.newschool.edu/portal/portfolio_days). These sessions are offered for free by most top art and design colleges and give students a chance to get early feedback from the people who will likely be reviewing their art portfolio once they apply. And if you are lucky to have friends, family, and teachers familiar with your work, ask for their honest (and supportive) assessments. Don’t be scared, and don’t be defensive, advises Stine. All of these folks are rooting for you.

For college counseling assistance, please contact Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman at My Learning Springboard.

By Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planners and College Counselors

Writing Process: Down Draft, UP Draft, and Dental Draft

May 2, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The best way to write effective papers is a three-step writing process we like to call the 1) DOWN draft, 2) the UP draft, and 3) the DENTAL draft.

In a separate blog post, we talked about all the ways to get a first draft finished. Remember a first draft is just a draft, it can be riddled with mistakes! All you need is to finish it. The first of three steps in the writing process is the DOWN draft.

Again, it’s important to emphasize DOWN because many students edit while they write and get derailed. They start and stop and start and then never finish. The goal here is only to get words on the page and it is the most difficult stage for most.

The next step in the writing process is the UP draft which is when you fix up the DOWN draft with vertical editing and make sure the thesis is clear and supports the content. This stage is more involved. A common pitfall for many students is they meticulously go through their writing line by line only to later delete entire paragraphs because they are not relevant to the paper. Before you look at things at the sentence level (Horizontal Editing), it’s best to first make sure everything makes sense vertically. Vertical Editing means reading the thesis, then looking at the topic sentences and evidence presented in the paper along with the eventual conclusion to make sure whatever point needs to be made is made and every point is presented in the correct order. This is the most important step in the writing process because the point of writing is communicating an idea clearly to another person, and you need to make sure that there is a clear message for the reader.

The final stage is the DENTAL draft. Usually grammar and punctuation are the first things marked up by a teacher, but the most important priority is writing a coherent paper. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation can get in the way of this goal, so here is where you fix it.

The DENTAL draft is named after getting a cleaning at the dentist office. You go tooth by tooth and make each one perfect and then polish it. The DENTAL draft is important to come last because (and it is worth repeating because it happens so often) many students focus on their paper line by line but need to delete entire edited paragraphs if the thesis is not clearly supported. It saves SO MUCH TIME to start editing at the line level ONLY AFTER making sure the thesis and support for the points are present. Use this writing process to make sure there are no issues with your writing that could distract the reader from your message.

Write with passion and your reader will feel your interest and keep turning the pages. The UP draft, DOWN draft, and DENTAL draft are the keys in this writing process to polishing your writing. Write your first draft as fast as possible. Edit your second draft with a focus on logic and the reader understanding your points, whatever they are. Make your final draft have the best grammar, spelling, citations, and presentation. Three steps to really say something on the page. Now, go make it happen. Speak from your heart. Edit with your mind. Your reader is waiting!

My Learning Springboard is here to support you throughout the writing process. To organize writing coaching for yourself or your student, please contact Brad Hoffman or Faya Hoffman.

By Grant Bergland, MFA and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Learning Specialist.

Drafting Process: Just Get Your Ideas Down

April 29, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The hardest part of writing an essay for most students is beginning the drafting process. Once the first draft is done, it’s relatively easier to fix up the paper, refine a thesis, and put the final polish on it.

The best advice on getting drafts finished is from Stephen King. No one can deny that Stephen King is very good at finishing first drafts. Sixty-three novels, 5 nonfiction books, and 11 short story collections comprise an opus of several hundred thousand pages that many people have loved. And, next to J.K. Rowling, he’s the best-selling author of all time. It’s fair to say that Stephen King knows a thing or two about beginning and completing the drafting process.

According to Stephen King, the first draft is supposed to come out as fast as possible, so fast you never stop writing:

“I write as fast as I can and still remain comfortable. If I write rapidly… I find that I can keep up with my original enthusiasm and at the same time outrun the self-doubt that’s always waiting to settle in.” – Stephen King On Writing

King explains that the thing that slows him down the most is editing (and self-doubt) while writing. He asserts it is impossible to edit while writing because writing is the process of getting your ideas out and reflecting and refining them happens during editing.

A student starts with an idea and then doesn’t like the way they phrased their sentence. They stop and edit, and edit, and rewrite that clever phrase. By the time they finish, most students have lost the thread that inspired them and have a hard time getting started again. The flow of the drafting process is lost.

The fastest way to finish papers is to simply get your ideas down without stopping. It seems like an oversimplification, but to get those drafts you need to say something like: “don’t worry about who is reading it, don’t worry about how it sounds, just explain it to me.”

This part of the writing process is kind of magical because whatever a student is most interested in or passionate about comes out in their own words. There’s so much life and character in an honest opinion or a thoughtful explanation and you really get to know a person by how they write. No judgements, no critique, just speak.

The dictation option on Google Docs (it’s under the TOOLS menu) can really help get those ideas down and enhance your drafting process. You can even try having your child explain what they want to write about to you and just let the dictation tools in your smartphone convert their words to text. You can help your kids compose those pesky first drafts anywhere.

Don’t worry about the details, the grammar, the order, the citations — all of that comes later. Start with passion and don’t stop until you’ve gotten it all down! Once it’s “down” on the page, your drafting process can progress to further refinement via the UP draft and then the DENTAL draft.

My Learning Springboard is here to support you throughout the drafting process. To organize writing coaching for yourself or your student, please contact Brad Hoffman or Faya Hoffman.

By Grant Bergland, MFA and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Learning Specialist.

Why Take A Gap Year?

March 28, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

As universities around the country mail out their final round of admission decisions, many students and families may be feeling a mixture of excitement, dread, and burnout. The college application process is a grueling one, and senior year during these uncertain times can be particularly taxing. Even students who are receiving offers to their dream schools are deciding to take a gap year rather than start in the fall.

Why Take a Gap Year?

Given the stress adults have been under during the pandemic and the changes many are opting to make in their personal and professional lives, it’s no surprise that more students are rethinking their academic trajectories. For some, a year away from the classroom (or their desks at home) presents the opportunity to reassess, reflect, and learn experientially through work and internships, travel, or service. When they begin university the following fall, gap year students report being more focused, sure of themselves, and able to more easily handle the demands of college life. For parents, the idea of not attending university in the fall, after all of the effort put into getting accepted, may be difficult to comprehend. However, there can be real benefits to gap years, and with the right plan, your student may enter college with a fresh perspective, new skills, and a greater sense of what exactly they want to do at university–and beyond.

What Kinds of Students Do Gap Years?

From Malia Obama taking a year before Harvard to work in the film industry to Kate Middleton spending a year volunteering in Chile and crewing a boat in the Round the World Challenge before starting at St. Andrews–taking a gap year does not make your child an underachiever. In fact, the number of gap year students is growing exponentially. In a recent survey, research firm Foundry10 found that 16 percent of students took a gap year for 2020–21, up from just 3 percent in 2018. According to Nina Hoe Gallagher, director of research and evaluation of ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania, there has been a 300 percent increase in incoming freshman electing to take gap years at UPenn. “These are all preprofessional, Ivy League kids,” she told Town and Country. “But with the pandemic there’s this big increase. It’s becoming more acceptable, even in more rigorous academic environments.”

First, Talk to Your College

The first step to taking a gap year is to make sure that your college allows deferred admission. Students who take gap years report getting more out of the experience when they have already been admitted to a university rather than waiting to apply once they’ve graduated high school. And while many universities are open to the idea of students taking a year off before their freshman year, some have strict policies around gap years and only permit them for extenuating circumstances. Before you begin planning a polar expedition or building a canoe in your garage, make sure your admissions office is aware of and supports your decision.

What Do You Want to Get Out of the Experience?

Gap year students should think of their time away from school as not just a break from the academic slog, but a chance to undertake a project or embark on a new adventure. According to a 2015 survey conducted by the American Gap Association in conjunction with Temple University, the two of the most common reasons for students to take a gap year were personal growth and experiencing new cultures. After completing their gap years, 98% of student respondents said their year fostered personal growth, 96% found it boosted their self-confidence, and 93% agreed that it had improved their communications skills. The vast majority also said their gap year helped them learn new skills relevant to their intended careers, develop cultural literacy, and helped them see themselves as global citizens.

Make a Plan (And Have a Backup)

Once you’ve figured out why you want to take a gap year, make a plan with your family and structure your time around that goal. For example, a student who has been studying Spanish for seven years may want to achieve fluency; a gap year in a Spanish-speaking country, or working with a Spanish speaking community in the US, may be the right fit. If you’re unsure about organizing a trip or volunteer experience yourself, there are dozens of reputable services who specialize in creating experiential learning trips for gap year students, including Outward Bound, The Year Out Group and J2Guides.

Volunteer options include City Year and the Student Conservation Corps, which offer gap year students opportunities to serve communities in their local community or around the country in a variety of fields and locations. Team-based or individual internships, urban or rural, students learn by doing and by giving back–working on projects related to climate change, food insecurity, habitat restoration, and education.

Some students do a combination of all these things: taking pre-college classes, traveling, and volunteering at different times over a 12-month period. There’s no one-size fits all, and by its nature, your gap year should be tailored to your goals. And given the uncertainty of a post-Covid world, it’s important that students not be solely focused on international travel. Make a list of possible activities and projects, and stay flexible if things have to change.

Enjoy It

The beauty of a gap year is that for many students, it is the first time they will be learning without the rules of the classroom or the pressure of grades. Remember that this is an opportunity to explore interests that may have been left by the wayside in pursuit of a top GPA and to rekindle intellectual and creative passions.

If you think a gap year may be right for you, contact Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman – Board Certified Educational Planners and College Counselors – at My Learning Springboard to further discuss this planning.

Written by Daniel Penny, an educator and writer with an MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia University, a BA in English from Grinnell College, and an AA in liberal arts from Bard High School Early College.

The Gap Year: An Alternative Path to College

March 17, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Every year, more and more American students take a gap year as a transition into college. This concept is widely accepted in countries like England and Australia, and now Americans are embracing it too. College advisors, teachers, and even universities, notably Harvard and Princeton, are discussing the benefits of this option and encouraging students not to go to college right away!

The purpose of this blog post is to:
1) give you a better understanding of what a gap year is, its benefits and how it fits with college
2) the options available
3) how to make it meaningful. By the end, you should have a good sense of whether or not it may be the right path for you (or your child).

Let’s start by exploring the basics:

What Is A Gap Year?

It is any structured period of time that is intentionally taken away from formal education and/or employment to engage in a meaningful activity. Typically, this is done before proceeding to the next phase of life. So, the natural break between high school and college is a perfect time for a gap year!

The name is not what it seems as it is neither a GAP nor a YEAR. “Gap” implies emptiness and this is not a time to sit home on your couch playing video games. Rather, it is a fulfilling time to do something meaningful, structured, and constructive that is aligned with your strengths, values, and passions. This includes volunteering, interning, being immersed in a culture, developing a skill, taking non-academic courses, and more! The typical duration is nine months, the same as two semesters of college, though it can be as short as two months or as long as two years.

Who Takes A Gap Year?

It can benefit anyone but it might not be the right choice for everyone! This means that there is no right or wrong person to take a gap year. Academically high achieving students take gap years, and so do struggling students. Most students who take a gap year feel “burnt out” academically, are not sure what they want to study in college, need some time to mature, are not excited about their college options, and/or were granted spring admissions.

When it comes down to it, the ideal gap year student has an open mind, a willingness to step out of their comfort zone, and a desire to have a transformational experience.

Is A Gap Year Right For You (Or Your Child)?

Here are some questions to consider:

Do you feel burned out?
Are you feeling unprepared for college?
Do you want practical, real-world experience?
Are you unsure of what you’d like to study in college?
Do you want to pursue your passions and develop your strengths?

If you answered YES to one or more of the above, a gap year may be right for you.

By Deborah Friedman, Gap Year Coach

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