Jessie's Blog

Writing that essay—THE ESSAY—aka the personal statement for your Common App, just brings the pressure. Overwhelming. Daunting. A black hole. A roadblock. A dead end. 

Oftentimes, students have an idea, and they write a draft, but it is so distant from the center of the story. They are circling around what it is they really want to say and, more often than not, need to stay with. But as humans, when we are stuck, well, it can be hard to get unstuck. 

So if you are stuck on where to go with that…

"I think I want to write about it."

"By 'it'," I asked quietly, "you mean...the boyfriend. The breakup. The broken heart."

"Yes."

"You can write about whatever you want."

"I want to write about it. But I don’t know where to start."

"That’s okay. And understandable."

She sat up a tiny bit straighter. "I want to write about it. He used to call me names."

"You know, lists are good for groceries, tasks, and just about anything in life that is more than one thing. So, how about we wri…

A few years ago, I had the privilege of working with Loreen's triplets as they navigated the college admissions process. They ultimately enrolled at MIT, Penn, and Penn State.

When it was time for her daughter Gwen to apply, Loreen came back.

After Gwen's admissions season wrapped up, I asked Loreen what she found most helpful about the process.

Her answer wasn't about timelines or application strategy. It was about the story.

"The way Jessie organized and articulated my daughter's accomplis…

When I hear the phrase summer reading, two possibilities come to mind.

One involves looming deadlines and last-minute panic.

The other involves a beach chair, a great novel, and nowhere in particular to be.

The first is probably the less favorable of the two. As a parent or former student, I know that sense of urgency never feels particularly pressing until July slips into August and the back-to-school churn begins to gain momentum.

Admittedly, I was much more aware of the Bigs’ summer assig…

It has been almost three years since leaning into working the Colorado ranch. For the decade or so before that, my Dad had been adamant that “someday, all of this will be yours, Jessie.” Mom was convinced that she had another twenty years to tend to things and that if she were to pass, I was to take care of the horses and the dogs. Full stop. Nothing more on her list of estate planning. (Who needs to plan when you are 76 and certain you have 20 great years left?)

I had spent those years hardene…

If it feels like the ACT and SAT are constantly changing, you’re not wrong. A few years ago, many colleges went test‑optional. Since then, the SAT has gone fully digital and adaptive, and the ACT has rolled out a shorter format with more time per question.

For parents of rising juniors (and seniors), that can make an already stressful decision—“Which test should my student take?”—feel even more confusing.

The good news: both tests are still widely accepted, and once you understand the big-pict…

Hello Friend,

Driving our old GMC dually pick-up down a dark stretch of Highway 160, I was listening to 96.5, KSLV—the classic rock station of the San Luis Valley, CO (and the only available FM channel). On this frigid January Friday evening, the Del Norte High School Tigers were playing the Ignacio Bobcats. I only had a 20-minute drive, and I wasn’t sure where my aux cord was, so my options were simple: radio or silence. I leaned into the background noise of the game and let my mind go alon…

Jessie and the Elevated Admissions team provided expert, personalized guidance for both of my children—Ryan (Class of 2021) and Hailey (Class of 2024). What initially drew me to Jessie was her down-to-earth personality. She is incredibly knowledgeable, yet always realistic and relatable.

Jessie connected easily with both of my kids, despite their very different personalities, and immediately put them at ease. She empowered them to write authentic essays and make thoughtful, well-informed colleg…

With great excitement, we’re celebrating this year’s Elevated Admissions seniors and the paths they’ve carved out for themselves. This year’s list of colleges looks a bit shorter on paper—and that’s actually good news. Many of our students secured their spots early through early decision and early action, which meant more clarity (and a lot less nail-biting) well before regular decisions rolled out. 

Behind every single one of these acceptances are hours of reflection, drafts and re-drafts, and…

AP Exam Season: How to Study With Your Teen’s Brain, Not Against It

If you have a teen taking AP exams this spring, you’ve probably seen at least one of the following:

• Color‑coded binders that have not been opened since October.
• “Studying” that looks suspiciously like scrolling.
• A dramatic declaration: “It’ll be fine. I’ve got everything completely under control.”

Deep breath.

The goal of AP season is not to turn your home into a test‑prep boot camp. It’s to help your teen use just eno…