My First "Real" Consultation

     Today was our first person-to-person consultation, which fortunately went pretty well. Before meeting the student I was to work with, I was admittedly a bit nervous that I would run out of things to talk about with him or her. Or maybe his or her ideas would be so off track I would have to tell the student to rethink their topic, causing a possible blow to his or her confidence. Or even worse, maybe the student's ideas and writing would be so good I would have little to advise them on, causing a similar blow to my confidence. Anyhow, I had a student who was quite receptive to the topic of college in general, as I know most college-bound high school seniors are quite interested in their suspected upcoming burst of freedom. She or he was also fairly excited about writing the college essay, unless she or he was doing quite a good job faking. This tells me he'll or she'll either do well in college or be able to "bullshit" her or his way through with ease. She or he was, however, noticeably a bit nervous. She or he asked my advice on a few procedural issues of the application process, but her or his questions centered on how she or he should present herself or himself in the written form. I thought this was a very interesting question, and told her or him the college essay is about showcasing oneself in a positive way; however, we do not want to sound as if we're bragging to the extent of pompousness or arrogance.
     I began my session with the student by asking her or him some basic information, just to make the conversation seem more informal and friendly. I also was sure to use one of my token phrases: "no pressure," throughout our conversation. I felt that my job as a consultant could really only take shape when a dialogue is realized. Thus, I wanted to make sure she or he was at least as equally comfortable as me to partake in the discussion and share only what she or he felt comfortable with. She or he turned out to be very comfortable sharing one of his or her personal stories. She or he was most interested in "the Richmond question," which essentially asks one to describe a time they left their comfort zone. She or he had a great story about a time she or he went to Mexico alone, meeting family she or he had little to no former contact with. She or he encountered familial and cultural differences which ultimately taught him or her the need to express himself or herself more fully and explicitly. I thought there was great potential here to answer the question well. I told her or him to make sure she or he effectively conveys what she or he gained through her or his experiences in Mexico and upon returning to Richmond. To prepare her or him for this writing, I had her or him perform two three-minute free-writes. One, for how she or he might begin the essay (which she or he had a bit more trouble with) and one for how she or he might conclude. I thought these two sections were so important for her or him, especially in the context of the college essay, because these are the sections the admissions officers will most likely remember her or him by.
     I left my contact information with the student and promised to answer any questions he or she might have during the process of writing the essay. I told her or him I hoped the session we had together helped, and she or he seemed to react positively. I think the dialogue, more than anything else, helped her or him feel more comfortable about starting a college essay. One of her or his major concerns was that she or he did not really "reflect" on life the way she or he was asked to this morning or the way she or he is being asked to by the applications he or she is filling out. The process of writing the college essay, which hopefully include her or his meeting with me today, will help her or him transition to a more reflective style of writing which he or she may find useful in college.