Tech-Neill-ogy #103 - 3 August 2025

Welcome to Tech-Neill-ogy #103!

I’m happy to share that this newsletter now has over 1700 subscribers! It’s humbling and flattering to know of the interest! Thank you! That said, I’m quite interested in the fact that 31 new subscribers joined on July 29, with another dozen or so on July 30. These bumps often occur after a presentation, but since I’ve been entirely focused on being back at work, I’m curious where these new subscribers came from! If you are a new subscriber during that window, please drop me an email ([email protected]) and let me know how you came across the newsletter! TIA!

In any case, I often forget how tiring the first couple weeks of work are. It is a combination of being “out of shape” in regards to long days mixed with the excitement of starting a new school year. That said, I’m back in the saddle now, and looking forward to students returning next week. Newbie orientation week was last week, and now we turn to full faculty orientation this week, ending with new student orientation on Friday before classes resume on Monday. It’s starting!

For now, though, enjoy this week’s newsletter! There are some very cool apps shared this week. People often ask me if I used any of the AI writing apps for my own work. I tend not to use anything really by ChatGPT when I do, but I find value in knowing what tools are out there to be able to help guide my students effectively. On another front, it is worth visiting edficacy.co and seeing the new updates that this amazing team has put together for SAT prep, especially considering the price point!

I’ll admit that I’m not 100% sure, but I think I have not shared this one yet. On occasion, I get requests from colleagues to review their resumes when applying for new jobs. So much of the process, though, is dependent upon the job description, which is often overlooked. Here’s a prompt I’ve used (as is common, original author unknown… apologies!) to help sculpt a CV into a resume custom-tailored for a specific job:

Step 1: Analyze the following job description and list the key skills, experiences, and qualifications required for the role in bullet points.

Job Description:[JOB_DESCRIPTION]

Step 2: Review the following resume and list the skills, experiences, and qualifications it currently highlights in bullet points.

Resume:[RESUME]

Step 3: Compare the lists from Step 1 and Step 2. Identify gaps where the resume does not address the job requirements. Suggest specific additions or modifications to better align the resume with the job description.

Step 4: Using the suggestions from Step 3, rewrite the resume to create an updated version tailored to the job description. Ensure the updated resume emphasizes the relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications required for the role.

Step 5: Review the updated resume for clarity, conciseness, and impact. Provide any final recommendations for improvement.

Please, if you have any great prompts or ideas, please share! Send me a note at [email protected].

If you know of any upcoming events related to AI or tech and college counseling/admissions, please let me know! There’s been a growth in these events that I find difficult to stay on top of!

That’s it for this week. Lastly, however, if you have not come across Dialogues through Sal Khan’s schoolhouse.world, then this (relatively) non-tech article is one you should look at:

It seems that Columbia, MIT, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, and the University of Chicago will start accepting examples of how students argue through this platform this year. I’m sure more will join. Take a look!

Enjoy your week! Happy counseling!

Jeff