By Janeal Downs
While college students are returning to school, many high school seniors are now, or will soon begin stressing about the college applications and essays they hope will win them a place in college next year. Published author and educational consultant, Gabrielle Glancy was previously a high school and college teacher where she even was a part of the admissions process for new students. Glancy said her recent book “The Art of the College Essay” can be used by anyone who wants to write. This includes parents, teachers, counselors, and people applying for jobs and internships. “The purpose of the book was to translate some of what I do every day into a form that can be read by many, many people so that I can help people in this process in a more widespread way,” Glancy said. “And the book basically is a very hands on, step-by-step, hopefully very readable and fun book that helps students find the stories that they need to tell, find a way to tell those stories, and to do that with as little anxiety as possible.”
Originally from New York City and current Oakland, California resident, Glancy earned her undergraduate degrees in English and French Literature from University of California Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in Creative writing from City College of New York. At first, she said she was interested in pursuing a career in medicine, but Glancy said she had a “deep drive to become a writer.” Glancy said her best advice for writing an essay is for students to use the format including an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, she said her advice is that it is not necessary to start with the introduction. “The single most important piece of advice that I have for anyone writing anything; a novel, a college application, a cover letter, a summary, whatever it is, is to just write first and don’t worry about the introduction or conclusion or the word count or anything; just write in full sentences as much as you can write,” Glancy said.
Glancy said she works with about 50 students a year. One student Glancy worked with in California is high school senior, Kaela Elias. After a neighbor recommended Glancy’s services to Elias and her family, they found her on the Berkeley Parents’ Network website. Elias said she wanted guidance on the types of colleges that would be a good fit for her and feedback on her college essays from an objective and knowledgeable source. “She pushed me to free write and let my ideas flow by initially telling me to write about important events in my life rather than focusing too early on specific essay prompts,” Elias wrote by email. “That way, the essays I wrote flowed more organically and were a more accurate representation of me.” Elias said she was surprised at how enjoyable her time with Glancy was and that she helped her reduce the stress of the college application process.
High school senior, Benjamin Bock also went to Glancy for help when he needed help preparing his own college essays. “Right away, Gabby made the process seem doable, which is something a teenage junior and his eternally concerned mother snatch up immediately,” Bock said. Though he said the book is just as good as the course and offers good essay examples and good writing tools, Bock said one drawback is that “it doesn’t actively respond to your writing like a person does.”
Glancy is also the author of a memoir, multiple pieces of poetry, and the editor and introduction writer of a book about the best college essay of 2014. Glancy said “The Art of the College Essay” can be found on Amazon.com and will be in bookstores sometime between September and October.
