College Essay Tips
College Essay Tips
(Collected from “Writing a Winning Essay” by Jim Bock, Dean of Admission, Swarthmore College and “Tips on Writing a College Application Essay” by Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Washington University in St. Louis)
Do:
- Think "small" and write about something you know and feel strongly about
- Remember your audience & choose an appropriate topic
- Reveal yourself in your writing
- Show rather than tell. By giving examples and illustrating your topic, you bring it to life.
- Write in your own voice- make sure it sounds like you. It’s okay to be funny, if that truly is you!
- Tell the truth.
- Proofread. Proofread again. And then give it to someone else to proofread. Ask them to consider grammar and whether or not it truly sounds like you.
- If you are discussing another person or their life, make sure that you illustrate how that person has influenced your life.
- If you choose to focus on past life event, make sure it relates to who you are now. Make the connection for the reader as to how & why this past event may have been a “turning point” for you.
Don't:
- Write what you think the admissions officer wants to read.
- Exaggerate or write to impress.
- Use a flowery, inflated or pretentious style.
- Neglect the technical part of your essay (grammar, spelling, and sentence structure).
- Ramble—say what you have to say and conclude.
Your Goals:
- Allow the admissions staff the opportunity to get to know you as more than just a transcript and some test scores. Communicate how you may contribute to the campus community.
- Demonstrate the depth of interest and passion you may have in a certain area
- Paint a picture of who you are interpersonally
- Explain something significant about yourself that the admissions office would not otherwise know
- Show your reader that you can think logically & analytically
- Set yourself apart from the many other applicants who otherwise have a very similar academic/ extracurricular profile.
Other things to remember:
- Follow directions on essay length, format, topic, etc.
- Type your essay
- Double space your essay
- Send the correct essay in with the correct application
- Write your own essay
Final thoughts:
- This is a portion of your application that is completely under your control
- What makes you special may not, in your eyes, seem profound but will be meaningful and authentic
The College Essay
(Collected from the “WOW Writing Workshop”)
The College Essay is about YOU!
It’s about how a person, a book, or experiences have affected you or important life lessons during ordinary life moments. Think about your audience…that person wants to know how you think and if you will succeed on their campus.
At its core, the college essay is all about reflection, why does it matter to you?
Most readers will never meet you and will need ways to get to get to know you the essay provides such insight to who you are as a person.
Key Questions
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Brainstorming Exercises
Exercise 1:
Make a list that includes what readers might already know when reading your app.
What do you want readers to learn that they can’t find out from the rest of the application?
List some of your best characteristics…. think about how other people might describe you.
Exercise 2:
Set a timer for 10 minutes and start writing about what you did this morning…write down as much as you remember using all of your senses. Be specific and write in fragments, lists, paragraphs, whatever, gather details and don’t judge what you write, keep moving forward.
Your voice will shine through the most when you are able to just relax and let it flow.
Now find three segments that really sound like you a few words or a few sentences…something you always say do or think….
*Something you always say, do, or think
*A description of something that screams “my house!” or “my room!” or “my personality!”
*A phrase you like or detailed description
*Something specific that sounds just like you
Highlight bold or underline those examples and this is your voice!
Pause and find the lines that sound the most like you!
Exercise 3:
Ask a friend or a family member to interview you and ask you what three traits you would use to describe yourself.
Exercise 4:
Keep a journal to write down quick snap-shots to remind you of an experience. Just a few sentences to remember the moment and the scene. Be specific. The setting of the story is less important than the story about you. Focus on you. Stay focused on the moment. Consider yourself a story-teller with you as the subject.
Exercise 5:
Write down the prompt you are addressing and include the topic/idea summarized in a few words with a few key details.
Remember...
- Don’t repeat what is already in your application.
- Trust yourself. Trust that what you have to say matters.
- Know who are you and listen to your writing voice, that voice will set you apart.
- Your story will show something genuine that they can’t see by test scores or GPA.
- Don’t get distracted by the thesaurus. Its ok to sound like a high school student…don’t let an adult take away your voice! Your voice will help you stand out!
- What happened?
- Why does it matter?
- What do I want readers to know about me that they couldn’t find out elsewhere?
- What comes next?
- THESE ARE KEY QUESTIONS!
- Revision, Feedback, and Proofreading! Remember that punctuation is important!