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College Essay Writing Tips
Write an Effective Application Essay
A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and
compelling view of you to the admission staff. It will round out the rest
of your application and help you stand out from the other applicants. The
essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have
complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it. Check out these
tips before you begin.
DOs
Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal
Your essay must prove a single point or thesis. The reader must be able
to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Try having
someone read just your introduction to see what he or she thinks your
essay is about.
Essays that try to be too comprehensive end up sounding watered-down.
Remember, it's not about telling the committee what you've done -- they
can pick that up from your list of activities -- instead, it's about
showing them who you are.
Prove It
Develop your main idea with vivid and specific facts, events,
quotations, examples, and reasons. There's a big difference between simply
stating a point of view and letting an idea unfold in the details:
- Okay: "I like to be surrounded by people with a
variety of backgrounds and interests"
- Better: "During that night, I sang the theme song
from Casablanca with a baseball coach who thinks he's Bogie, discussed
Marxism with a little old lady, and heard more than I ever wanted to
know about some woman's gall bladder operation."
Be Specific
Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing by using vivid and
specific details.
- Okay: "I want to help people. I have gotten so much
out of life through the love and guidance of my family, I feel that
many individuals have not been as fortunate; therefore, I would like
to expand the lives of others."
- Better: "My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of
sidelines 'til their shoes filled with water or their fingers turned
white or somebody's golden retriever signed his name on their coats in
mud. I think that kind of commitment is what I'd like to bring to
working with fourth-graders."
DON'Ts
Don't Tell Them What You Think They Want to Hear
Most admission officers read plenty of essays about the charms of their
university, the evils of terrorism, and the personal commitment involved
in being a doctor. Bring something new to the table, not just what you
think they want to hear.
Don't Write a Resumé
Don't include information that is found elsewhere in the application.
Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or
laundry list. Yawn.
- "During my junior year, I played first singles on the tennis
team, served on the student council, maintained a B+ average, traveled
to France, and worked at a cheese factory."
Don't Use 50 Words When Five Will Do
Eliminate unnecessary words.
- Okay: "Over the years it has been pointed out to me
by my parents, friends, and teachers -- and I have even noticed this
about myself, as well -- that I am not the neatest person in the
world."
- Better: "I'm a slob."
Don't Forget to Proofread
Typos and spelling or grammatical errors can be interpreted as
carelessness or just bad writing. Don't rely on your computer's spell
check. It can miss spelling errors like the ones below.
- "After I graduate form high school, I plan to work for a
nonprofit organization during the summer."
- "From that day on, Daniel was my best fried."
*This article is based on information found in The College
Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.
Letters of Recommendation
If you want a quality letter of recommendation, you must prepare BEFORE
you ask your sources for a letter. Yes, you should create a flyer of the
usual information: gpa, classes taken, clubs, sports, awards, leadership
positions, etc., but that is not enough. Take it one step further:
- Create a page of what makes you special, unique, of what makes you,
you!
- List what you want to be when you grow up and why.
- List the learning project or paper that you are most proud of and
explain why.
- Tell the letter writer what you learned about and studied on your
own time just because of your intellectual curiousity.
- List the last three books you have read and what you liked about
them.
- What is something that you do to try to solve a problem that is
facing your school, your community, your state, or your nation?
I hope you are getting the picture. If you provide generic info to the
letter writer, you will receive a generic letter in return. Make the
letter writer's job easier.
Who should I ask? How many letters do I need?
- You need three letters. Many schools require that one be from your guidance
counselor. Cultivate a good relationship with this person. Waiting
until your senior year is too late. One should be from an academic
teacher in one of the core areas, math, science, English, or social
studies. One could be from a coach or an activity sponsor. Consider
asking a minister if he or she knows you well. A boss or a community
leader is also a good choice.
Thank you etiquette!
- No one owes you help with your application process. When people give
you a gift of their time, it is imperative that you thank them. A nice
hand written note is lovely. A baked treat is nice. Not acknowledging
the gift makes you a clod!
- Because I am asked to write more than 50 letters a year, I no longer
write them for anyone who won't give me an hour of their time to help
me with a task I won't get to because I am doing work for them instead
of for me.
When should I begin the process?
- The summer after your junior year is perfect. People know you. You
have completed the academically challenging junior year.
- Please don't wait until the application deadlines your senior year.
It will stress you, your parents, and those whom you ask for
help!
- Be sure you save time to have an expert edit your work. When
something is important, use your best resources to ensure that you
create impressive work.
- Check the college's web site. It will give you the deadlines. Plan
to be done two weeks before the actual deadline. That leaves you time
to correct a glitch.
College Testing- ACT and SAT
- Check with me. I'll give you an answer that is personalized to meet
your needs.
- Yes, you can study for these tests. I highly recommend the test prep
books put out by Princeton Review for both the ACT and the SAT. They
are solid and economical.
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