College Essay

College Essay Don’t think that your life is too “boring” to provide material for a great essay.With the right approach, you can still write an essay that wows. However, while it’s true that the essay isn’t the only thing that matters to college admissions officers, a great essay can actually compensate for less than stellar grades. Students often come to our courses with a “topic” they think they should write about, as if they are writing an analytical essay in English class. Instead, you should explore specific moments that reveal your character in action. The college application process is stressful, and the essay can seem like an insurmountable hurdle. Once you’ve proofread and edited the essay till you’re sick of it, let a few people you trust look over it. If the person reading this essay had no idea about marching band or music, this description would give them enough detail to empathize with the writer. It helps you get all the obvious stuff out of your head first. Students often show their essays to teachers, counselors, parents and friends. Each person has a different idea about what you “should” write, and before you know it, you’ve lost the heart of the essay. “This is an essay about my commitment to the environment.” Boring! You have one chance to get the reader’s attention, so draw them in with action right from the beginning. Set the scene, or jump right into dialogue, so they see it’s not just you in the story. But we want to get that stuff out of the way as quickly as possible so we can move on to the not so obvious. However, most people don’t have such novel experiences. The reader will only suspect that your essay is a recycled term paper. DO write an essay that only you could honestly write. If it’s possible that the reader will read anything similar from another applicant, you need to start another essay. Look on theUndergraduate Admissions website and locate the possible college essay topics. On the flip side, abad essaycan overshadow all of your other accomplishments. DON’T try to write an important or scholarly essay. A well-researched essay that shows off your knowledge of a particular academic subject tells the reader nothing about you. If they’re willing, get one of your English teachers to read it. These people will point out things you never would have noticed on your own. John Hopkins University has a page full of essays that worked; one in particular, entitled“Breaking Into Cars”, showcases what the writer learned from his experiences well. This second version isn’t going to win any awards, and it definitely needs more work, but the specificity is there. You may see one or two questions that seem easier for you to answer than others. 2.Narrow the list of possible topics.Which topics best reflect who you are and how you want to portray yourself to the colleges? Which topics best help you answer the essay question. When you begin to write an essay, it’s normal to fall back on clichés. That’s okay to start â€" it gets you in the flow of writing. If you’re ever going to name drop, this is the place to do it. Mention specific names of people, buildings, societies, clubs, and more. As always, be as specific as possible, and pay attention to the writing itself, not just the content. This is a story about you and your connection to the school â€" not just a list of reasons. This is a great book to give insight into what a great college essay looks like.