In my very first conversations with families and clients, one of the questions almost always is, “Agnes, why do you do this?”  Well, there are a ton of reasons, but one of my most selfish reasons is that I love seeing the essays evolve.  For many high school students that are in their senior year working on their college applications, this is the first time writing has no impact on their grade, but great of impact on where their life will lead.  For many students, their writing for the first time has a different kind of drive.

Many of our Lucent Ed students opt for the unlimited revisions (great if you’re starting from scratch), and because of this new drive, there are significant improvements on student writing through the numerous revisions.  From the very first outline or draft to the final product where each letter and comma has been agonized over – there’s a huge transformation – in not just the essay, but in the skills of the writer.  Going through each revision, their questions become more thoughtful about everything from sentence structure to really articulating their aspirations, experiences, and emotions.  As a coach in this process, I love seeing the student grow in their writing and personally as they tackle how they’d like to convey themselves to the world (well, really admissions), sometimes for the first time.  It’s quite inspiring what they come up with, and it’s one of the primary reasons I love to be with Lucent Education.
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-Agnes

At the start of another new year, we’ve all grown accustomed to resolving to keep resolutions yet again. THIS time will be different, THIS time we’ll keep everything we have listed down and when THIS time comes again next year, we’ll be so proud of ourselves.

Resolution-making has always been deemed a private affair – a conversation between the world-weary, present-day version with next year’s all-singing, all-dancing version 2.0. And perhaps, that’s where most resolutions die a lonely and secluded death – in our heads.

Having worked with several students this year, I’ve been able to witness first-hand some dreams coming true. Resolving to put our minds to achieving something significant is no easy task. However, formulating an action plan to tackle the hurdles along the way is even more daunting. And this is where we can use all the help we can get.

The simple act of sharing a resolution makes it so much more real. Having someone to merely acknowledge the possibility to achieving our new aims is a real confidence-booster.

Looking back at my 2012, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness several resolutions coming full circle. Through simple conversations and casual suggestions, I have seen ideas put into action with very encouraging outcomes.

This year, I’m resolving to share my resolutions. To tell my friends what I’m thinking and hoping to achieve. I hope you will too. Do drop us an e-mail to simply say hello or to sound out a potential school you might be interested in. We’re always happy to have a conversation – not too long ago, we were exactly where you were, dreaming those same dreams.
Don’t let those resolutions die a lonely death. Let’s have something to celebrate next year.
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-Sui Seng