About blog

Launched in January 2016, A-Writer is a free resource for current and prospective college students. It is our goal to make higher education accessible to anyone who wants to learn, period. Our main site, a-writer.org, focuses on the overarching issues related to higher education: preparing to apply and finding the right school, applying and getting in, affording your tuition, enriching your experience with extracurriculars and study abroad, and thriving in your new environment.

Our blog chooses to focus on anything and everything that is related to each step of the process. Worried about financial aid not being enough? Not sure if you have mono or a cold? Thinking about switching roommates? While we don’t claim to have all the answers, we can certainly help.

We’re not big fans of boxes, but for the sake of organization, we’ve chosen three big ones (preparation, lifestyle, and growth) to attempt a semblance of organization. Otherwise, you can select a tag or simply search for your topic. So poke around! And if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, write us at contact@a-writer.org and we’ll see what we can do to help. Enjoy!

Currently contributing authors include:

Megan Clendenon (Executive Director): Megan C. is obsessed with Cincinnati-style chili, Louisville basketball, and Scandinavian crime fiction. She has lived in six different states and held 12 different jobs since beginning her undergraduate degree at Carleton College in 2008. The wanderlust abated somewhat in recent years, as Megan settled in Texas from 2013 to 2016 to finish a master’s degree in geosciences, write a thesis on the future horrors that stem from climate change, and get married. During her free time, you will find Megan sitting on the couch, cheering for her Louisville Cardinals, planning future adventures abroad, and snuggling with her dog, Tiger. She currently lives outside of Washington D.C.

Hannah Holley (Staff Writer): Hannah earned a BS in Psychology from the College of Charleston, and an MA in applied behavior analysis from Ball State University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and worked as a therapist for children with special needs for more than five years, but now spends most of her time keeping up with her own toddler. In between playing cars and picking up after her tiny human tornado, she loves to try new recipes, take photographs, and re-watch episodes of “Parks and Recreation” for the 10th time. Hannah lives in Charleston, SC.

Mauro Schimf (Spanish Editor and Writer): At a young age, Mauro became fascinated with languages and learned them through play, not taking them too seriously at first. He later realized they are an indispensable tool for communication and keeping your brain active. An English teacher in Argentina, Mauro knows how to engage students by helping them find the easiest and most entertaining ways to learn. He has developed a teaching style that not only helps students understand grammar but also usage. In his free time, Mauro studies Chinese, which he has done for seven years. He enjoys working toward a better world.