Brenda Shepherd
- 6 days ago
- 3 min
WHAT DRIVES AN INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS?
When I work with students, we focus on the parts of their applications they can mostly control: selecting appropriate courses, earning...
Brenda Shepherd
- Apr 17
- 1 min
BE BOLD AND UNIQUELY YOU
Last year a scandal unfolded exposing the fraudulent paintings displayed by the Orlando Museum of Art, purporting to be originals of the...
Brenda Shepherd
- May 6, 2022
- 2 min
essays: no need to freak out
In episode #500 of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, Dr. Ruth Simmons, President of Prairie View A&M University, recounts a time when she...
Brenda Shepherd
- Dec 26, 2021
- 2 min
THE FINE PRINT
One of the best times of the year is now, when students send me their acceptance letters from their rolling, early action, and early...
Brenda Shepherd
- Aug 16, 2021
- 2 min
BELIEVE
When I notice a student struggling to write their main college essay, I sometimes ask how they would complete the sentence “If you really...
Brenda Shepherd
- May 12, 2021
- 3 min
Positive Change
The admissions deans from Tufts, Northeastern, and Boston University presented a “Best of Boston: Year in Review” webinar yesterday,...
Brenda Shepherd
- Feb 4, 2021
- 3 min
Setting Priorities
“Institutional priorities” is the fancy-schmancy way of explaining why an admissions officer may choose an All-State oboe player with a...
Brenda Shepherd
- Dec 7, 2020
- 2 min
Don't Wait until the Year 2059
Eighth grade was a long time ago for me. So, imagine my recent surprise—my disbelief, really—when I glanced at my computer screen and its...
Brenda Shepherd
- Jul 11, 2020
- 2 min
World, we're going to be okay.
I stopped by my office yesterday afternoon: checked my mail, threw away the last dead plant, re-assessed my cleaning supplies, and turned...
Brenda Shepherd
- Jan 23, 2020
- 4 min
Summer When it's 36 Degrees Outside
Yesterday when I woke up it was 36 degrees outside. Temperatures that low happen rarely here in central Florida, so I eagerly dug deep in...
