Write A College Essay

Write A College Essay Colleges value diversity of thought in their classrooms. The essay is your opportunity to reveal that element of diversity that can be found uniquely within you. You’ll hear a lot from “experts” about taboo topics (sports, death, disease, divorce, pets, etc.) and generic essays on related topics are not a good idea. On the other hand, if you have experienced something intensely personal and profoundly meaningful within such a topic, help the reader to know how the experience affected you. Too often students get stuck on the choice of a prompt and never get to the essay itself. The Common App essay prompts are not requirements; they are ideas designed to stimulate a creative thought process. Focus instead on the key messages you want to convey and develop a storyline that illustrates them well. There is a very good chance an essay developed in this manner will meet at least one of the listed essay prompts. Selective institutions often employ supplemental essay prompts to sort the whimsically submitted applications from those that are more intentional. They can clearly demonstrate the synergy that exists between themselves and the institutions in question. All are historical elements of your college applications. Your essay should consist of three parts - an introduction , body and a conclusion . Create an outline, decide where to include examples and write your first draft. Don't worry about making it perfect; just let your ideas flow. In the event that there is something on your application that you do need to explain, your essay is the perfect place. If your transcript reflects a poor sophomore year â€" with improvement during your junior and senior years â€" talk about why you struggled that particular year.Be yourself. It is best not to recite the facts of your life. Instead, take the reader between the lines to better understand you, as a thinking person. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. To identify key ingredients of a good college essay. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story. Well established over time, they determine your general competitiveness in the selective admission process. 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. You can fix mistakes and improve your writing in later drafts. Let the College Essay Guy take the stress out of writing your college admission essay. Emphasize how it has made you stronger, think outside the box, or overcome adversity. Do not focus on the things you cannot do or highlight your weaknesses. Acceptance into college is dependent on your strengths and academic abilities. Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. 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. Admission committees will have just read through your application; the last thing they want to do is read another form of your information, achievements and extracurricular involvement. The essay is a supplement and it should act as such. Use it to add to your application by showcasing another side of yourself.