This was a week with a lot of extroverted work. I tried to prepare as much as possible but still ended up more exhausted than usual. It was fun to present some of my linguistics-based opinions on readability. Inhabiting one’s past self in a current work space can be tricky, but also worthwhile. —- It’s…
Portfolio
Weeknotes: January 1-4, 2025
Preface, Part 1: What Are Weeknotes? Weeknotes are notes about what you’ve been doing this week. Preface, Part 2: Why Am I Doing This Now? I wanted to do something diary-adjacent, but perhaps a bit more meditative. I learned about weeknotes from Timothy Monger, whose music I’ve enjoyed since my college days, and his weeknotes…
Book Review: 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson
50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays By the Staff of the Harvard Crimson St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin Description Fifty all-new essays that got their authors into Harvard Medical School, including MCAT scores, showing what worked, what didn’t, and how you can do it too. Competition to get into the nation’s top medical…
10 Things You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner About Applying to College
10 Things You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner About Applying to College The college application process can be overwhelming, but preparation and strategy can make all the difference. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind: 1. Tackle the SAT/ACT Early Finish standardized tests before the end of junior year. This avoids spending the summer cramming…
Unlocking the Secrets of College Admissions: It’s About More Than Just Identity
Unlocking the Secrets of College Admissions: It’s About More Than Just Identity When it comes to college admissions, many students believe that having a strong, well-defined identity is the key to standing out. While a clear sense of self can help, colleges are more interested in a student’s potential—the ability to grow, contribute, and make…
Nicole’s Portfolio Highlights
Nicole Rivett Howeson Portfolio Here is some of my work that is public and accessible online. Over the years, some of my clients have requested and received private and confidential work, and of course, some publications have faded from the internet. Writing 100 Page Summaries: War and Peace 100 Page Summaries: Unbroken 100 Page Summaries:…
Write Your Best Personal Statement: Tips from Admissions Offices
Struggling with how to write your best personal statement? Here are two of the most helpful collections of tips from admissions offices. From The University of California, Berkeley: Writing the Personal Statement Helpful tips and advice for drafting a compelling personal statement when applying for graduate admission What does this statement need to accomplish? The…
Cryptocurrency Capitalization
Should Bitcoin or other forms of cryptocurrency be capitalized? Generally, we see it capitalized in the media, but some might argue that as a currency it should be in lower case, as are dollars, pounds, yen, and euros. After checking with the Chicago Manual of Style 17 and the 55th edition of the AP Style…
How to Build Trust and Confidence in Your Audience
How to Build Trust and Confidence in Your Audience How Do We Create Trust? We build trust with our words. As we tell our stories, most of our readers or listeners follow us from a neutral place into the realm of belief, accepting our words at face value. Even when reading the most technical, dry,…