There you have it! Follow these four guidelines and I guarantee you’ll have the essays of a stellar college application. Then show your essays to two people - one who is a strong writer, and one who knows you really well (they can tell you if your essay is genuinely YOU). Sometimes you need to disregard the conventions of English essay writing to make sure your tone and style are prominent. You're hidden behind perfect grammar, sterile language, and phrases thrown in because "it's what admissions officers want to hear." Let me demystify something for you: I hate the things you write because "it's what admissions officers want to hear." They're boring. Of course editing is important (spell check people), but when you have many different people giving you feedback, you often lose your voice in all the changes. Show your essay to two people, and no more: Often the worst thing that can happen to a college essay is editing. Do this through not just in what you say but how you say it.Ĥ. Your job is to arm me with examples of who this person is. As I read through your essays, I am crafting an image in my head of the person who will arrive on our campus in the fall if admitted. As the admissions officer reading your application, I need proof – in the form of a written tone that matches your spoken one. Telling me that your friends would describe you as silly and outgoing is, unfortunately, not enough. Write how you speak: If your friends, family members, and teachers would describe you as silly, outgoing, and uninhibited, why would you submit a collection of essays all written in a formal, subdued tone? (The same goes for you, introverts: if you’re quieter in person, write a quieter essay! Thoughtfulness, introspection, and an unassuming tone make for great college essays too!) Many college essay writers choose to tell me outright that their personality is this way or that way. Not many have taken the time to geek out about Edward Hopper on paper.ģ. By focusing on details, you set yourself apart many people love museums and could list some artists that they like. One is better than the other (I'll give you a hint: it's the second one). You could write about your own storytelling and how it is inspired by Hopper. You could write about his lonely, minimalist paintings and how they make you feel, and you could tell the reader that you've always admired his talent for telling a whole story with only a few seemingly unimportant characters. OR, you could geek out about Edward Hopper. Then you could list your favorite artists. Let me give an example: in writing about your budding interest in art history, you could write that you've always loved visiting museums, and how your art history course in high school solidified the interest. It's all about detail: As I see it, you have two options when exploring a topic in your college essay: go broad or go deep. What kind of teammate are you? Is grandpa the reason you've always got a harmonica in your purse? Did the service trip spark a deep interest in a specific social issue that now drives your academic study? These are better areas of focus than the sport, grandparent, or trip themselves.Ģ. You may use these people or experiences as launching pads to discuss yourself, but that is all they should be. Fight the urge to focus on your athletic practice schedule, the grandparent you admire, or the community service experience from last summer. This makes sense your writing experience up until this point has consisted of essays on books you've read or concepts you've learned. Often your instinct is to write about something else - an experience, another person, a favorite activity - rather than your personality, passions, or quirks. It's time to be a little self-centered: Despite the often bad rap, I find seniors in high school have a hard time being self-centered when it comes to writing their college essays.
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