Pressure isn't the problem (or the solution)
Every year I work with students who think they’re stuck… when really, they’re just waiting for something to click.
And typically, the “click” isn’t another “okay, let's focus now” reminder, conversation about their major, or campus visit.
Sometimes it’s something much quieter — and way more powerful.
It’s spark.
And when it shows up? Everything changes.
My official spark-summoning uniform. ✨
⚡Story #1: The Student Who Didn’t Know He Was Bored (Until…)
Two years ago, I sat with a student on Zoom who just… wasn’t in it.
We weren’t even writing essays yet — just exploring potential majors and schools.
And still, his body language said it all: slouched back, glazed eyes, polite nodding, the “my-mom-made-me-be-here” energy.
So instead of pushing information or encouragement at him, I shifted gears.
“Want to try something different?” I asked.
His eyes finally engaged.
We opened AI, and I showed him how to explore schools that met his main 4 criteria (near ski slopes, with both entrepreneurship and physical therapy programs, AND non-stop flights back to his home in New England).
Suddenly, he was scrolling. Clicking. Leaning forward.
The questions came. The spark arrived.
He found a college neither of us (or his mom) had on the radar — one that fit him beautifully.
He applied. He got in. He enrolled. Boom.
Back when we were working together, he didn’t need more pressure or talking or being pushed — he just needed permission to follow his interests.
Spark needs space. It needs permission. And it can't be manufactured.
⚡ Story #2: The Aviation Shift 🚁✈️
Then there was the student this year who just couldn’t get traction.
Every essay draft was a tug-of-war. A minimal number of sentences. Low battery. No lift.
Not exactly procrastination or apathy. He was doing what he was supposed to do… but, but there was just no meaning yet.
And then, something shifted.
He had a conversation with an uncle who flies corporate jets.
There was a Scouting flight opportunity. He suddenly remembered that as a kid, he’d always wanted to be near runways and airplane windows.
And suddenly — click.
His drafts started flying (pun totally intended) into my inbox.
Voice. Pride. Energy. Ownership.
He wasn’t “getting essays done.” He was stepping into his future.
That’s what a spark does:
It doesn’t just change the writing — it changes the writer.
🧭 When Essay Fatigue isn’t about … the Essays
Sometimes, the real reason a student won’t start (or work on revisions) is that nothing has lit up yet. They’re mired in overwhelm, uncertainty, and self-doubt, trying to move forward and avoid being nagged (because yes, they absolutely know the deadlines are looming)…but they just don’t have the energy, clarity, or direction yet.
And 12+ years of doing this, here's what I know for sure:
A spark needs the right conditions.
It needs air.
It needs fuel.
Not pressure. (Pressure makes diamonds…and takes 2.7 gazillion years, a luxury we don't have for college admissions).
Because early sparks are delicate. They need:
Air — room to breathe and think
Fuel — new angles or perspectives, tiny real-world glimpses
Safety — someone neutral saying, “It’s okay not to know yet. Let’s follow what feels alive.”
That combination—space, air, and fuel—is exactly why families bring me in.
I’m not “mom.”
I didn’t know your student in dinosaur pjs or when they played dress up. I meet them as they are right now — no old assumptions, no “you’ve always been the kid who…” stories attached.
And with a handful of questions they’ve never been asked before, we explore without the pressure to have it all figured out.
When students get that?
Sometimes the spark doesn’t just light — it catches.
🌍 Want to Help Them Find Spark? Start Here.
Ignition moments typically don’t come from inside a classroom.
Try giving your teen opportunities to step into the real world, even briefly:
Shadow a psychologist or school counselor
Watch a video about what it's like to work in a physical therapy or sports medicine clinic
Volunteer in a hospital or local retirement community
Invite a local entrepreneur or business owner out for coffee and a chat
Shadow a marketing or social media manager and see how brand storytelling really works
Help at a wildlife rehab center or environmental nonprofit
Volunteer in a theater costume shop or with a set-building crew
Join a parks & rec planning meeting
Chat with family friends about their career paths
It doesn’t need to be glamorous. One hour might be all it takes.
But it needs to be real.
🌱 Our Job Isn’t to Push — It’s to Notice
Once teens feel meaning, direction, aliveness — essays flow, applications move, and confidence builds.
They're not resisting college.
They're resisting choosing a life without feeling alive in it.
What a gift, really — to pause and make space until that something true arrives.
And when it does?
They take off. 🌟
👋 Hi, if we haven't met yet, I'm Christy. I help students craft standout essays so they can submit their best possible applications with confidence.
Wanna chat? www.calendly.com/easiercollegeessays/30min
