Apple Quietly Launches Smart Battery Case During Holiday Season

This isn't really related to college or graduate school admissions, but we've discovered that a new product has gone live on the Apple online store: A "Smart Battery Case." As of 1:00 AM on December 8th, Apple has not made an announcement about this new product, but it is available for delivery as soon as December 10th. Should we expect an announcement soon for the Smart Battery Case?

Smart Battery Case in white. Source: store.apple.com

Smart Battery Case in gray. Source: store.apple.com

From the description on Apple's site:

The Smart Battery Case is engineered specifically for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 to give you even longer battery life and protection. The soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone, while the soft elastomer hinge design makes it easy to put the case on and take it off again. On the outside, the silky, soft-touch finish of the silicone exterior feels great in your hand.

Charge your iPhone and battery case simultaneously for increased talk time up to 25 hours, Internet use up to 18 hours on LTE, and even longer audio and video playback.* With the Smart Battery Case on, the intelligent battery status is displayed on the iPhone Lock screen and in Notification Center, so you know exactly how much charge you have left.

The battery case supports Lightning accessories, such as the Lightning to USB Cable (included with your iPhone) and works with the iPhone Lightning Dock (sold separately). Choose from two complementary colors.

It appears that what distinguishes the Smart Battery Case from similar products, in addition to a relatively slim profile, is that the iPhone and case can be charged simultaneously. With other products, you have to either charge separately, or if you have only one cable, charge the battery pack, then turn on the battery pack and charge the phone, then recharge the battery pack. With the Smart Battery Case, if you have only one charging cable, you can plug it into the phone-battery pack combo and get a full charge without having to fiddle with any switches.

Apple doesn't list a capacity in milliamp-hours, but says it provides 18 hours of LTE Internet use and up to 20 hours of video playback. To put that in perspective, that's enough to provide in-flight entertainment for the entire flight from Dallas, TX to Sydney, Australia and still have enough battery life left to watch Wolf of Wall Street in its entirety. 

We've come a long way in branded battery packs:

Source: vgcollect.com

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Five Words to Avoid on Your College Admissions Essay

Benjamin P. Stern

College admissions officers are a busy bunch. They read thousands of essays and tend to see the same things over and over again. Communicating effectively requires using the right words, but it's important to remember that your essay is being read in the context of thousands of others. If you use the following words, your essay is more likely to "blend in" and be less memorable.

1. DETERMINED/DETERMINATION

Example 1: I am determined to become a lawyer.

Why you should avoid: Even if some people enter college resolute on a particular plan, plans often change. Admissions officers know this. In fact, they may be hoping your plans change. Instead of being “determined” to do something in particular, demonstrate that you’re interested in a particular field but are willing to explore other possibilities.

Suggestion: “I plan to take classes to prepare for law school and pursue experiences in a professional legal environment.”

Example 2: I am determined to succeed.

Why you should avoid: This is cliché. It should be a given that you’re determined to succeed; if you are not, then you have issues that should be addressed by a professional—and you certainly should not write that in an essay!

Suggestion: Don’t say this at all. Instead, let your previous success speak for itself.

2. PASSION/PASSIONATE

Example: I am passionate about social justice.

Why you should avoid: "Passion" isn’t bad in itself, but almost everyone uses it at least once in their essays. Distinguish yourself and avoid falling into the "passion trap" by using other words. 

Suggestion: Depending on context, use Predilection, prioritize, inclined toward, or drawn to.

3. MOTIVATE/MOTIVATED 

Examples: 

My experience volunteering at the homeless shelter motivated me to attend town hall meetings. 

I feel motivated to study harder.

Meeting Michael Jordan motivated my decision to play basketball.

Why you should avoid: This is another one everybody uses. Its meaning is simple, but using it is insidious: although "motivated" is an active verb, its use is almost always passive—if something is motivating you, you’re the one being acted on. 

Suggestion: You want to shift the focus from the “motivation” to the actual action. Use a simpler verb to make the connection. Try:

My experience volunteering at the homeless shelter led me to attend town hall meetings. 

The motivation is implicit.

Instead of “motivated my decision,” use “informed my decision.” This use of “informed” is common in academic settings and makes you sound more sophisticated.

4. UNIQUE

Example: After my trip to Ghana, I had a unique point of view.

Why to avoid: You may think your experiences or personality are unique, and in some sense you’re right—but for the purposes of college admissions, you’re probably wrong. Admissions staff see thousands of applications ever year. If your experience is truly unique, it will speak for itself. And if your personality is unique, it will come through on the page.

5. WELL-ROUNDED

Example: I am a well-rounded student.

Why to avoid: First off, according to generally accepted grammar rules, there should not be a hyphen in “well rounded.” “Well” is an adverb, so there is no confusion as to what it is modifying and a hyphen is not needed. But more importantly, the phrase is trite. Colleges may say they’re looking for “well rounded” students, but this is an example of a situation where you should “show” and not “tell.” Talk about a variety of skills and experiences instead of describing yourself as “well rounded.”

Benjamin P. Stern is a graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School. He is the founder and CEO of IvyAchievement, a college and graduate school admissions consulting service.