Introducing "Question MARKs"

Weekly small takes inspired by readers' questions and my own musings.

I’m trying something new here.

Each week, in addition to my longer posts, I’ll share brief observations, practical suggestions, answers to questions, or small moments from the work that I think are worth passing along.

They’ll be quick. Focused. And immediately usable.

Here’s the first one.

The question I’m thinking about this week… is one that almost every IEC or admission leader asks at the bottom of nearly every email:

“Let me know if you have questions.”

It sounds polite. It sounds open. It sounds helpful.
But it quietly shifts all the work to the reader.

They have to figure out what they should be asking. They may not know what they don’t know. They’re left guessing what’s normal, what’s expected, and what’s coming next. And for many people—especially parents navigating unfamiliar territory—that’s a heavy lift.

There’s a better way.

Instead of ending with an invitation, end with anticipation:

“PS: Here are one or two questions people usually have at this stage—and my quick answers.”

Now you’re adding even more value…

A quick example. Imagine you’ve just met with a new sophomore and you’re sending your standard follow-up summary. Instead of:

“PS: Let me know if you have any questions…”

The parent sees:

PS: Here are a couple of questions I often hear at this stage:

(1) Should my student be working on her essay yet?
No. It’s too early. But if topic ideas pop up, she should jot them down.

(2) Should he/she do test prep before the PSAT or PreACT?
Not yet. It’s better to take those tests first, then decide if prep is needed.

Now you’ve done three things at once:
You’ve anticipated concerns.
You’ve reduced uncertainty.
And you’ve shared insights without being asked.

It’s a small shift, and you’ll need to develop your own questions and answers to add to your templates. But it changes the experience.