This is a college essay that worked for .
The introduction of your essay needs to grab your reader’s attention right away. If it doesn’t, the admissions committee won’t want to read the rest of your essay and you’ll have lost them already. As the college essay counts for a significant part of your overall application, the introduction is crucial for your success.
Try not to start your college essay introduction with a cliché or a quote. Cliches have been read thousands of times by admissions officers, and they want to see something unique and interesting, not the same old things. And using a quote to start your essay isn’t a good idea, since it is meant to be written in your own words, not someone else’s. What I remember most from the night my entire life collapsed was the brightness of the stadium lights overhead. Not the chaos of the crowd or the faces staring down at me, talking over me. I was deaf to all that. The lights were so blinding, so distracting. And I kept thinking, over and over, ‘don’t take me out of the game’. Thoughts that would be strangely prophetic later, in the hospital, when they told me I wouldn’t be able to play the rest of the season, or maybe ever again. My entire life, my expected future, flew off a cliff. In those coming months, I would learn what it really means to start over, to pick yourself back up and keep playing the game. For our college essay introduction examples, we’ve used a few of the common app essay prompts you might see on your application. We’ve included sample introductions for essays from students of various different life experiences and situations to help you! Once you’ve drafted your introduction, give it a read. Does the hook sentence grab you? Try reading it aloud and see how it flows into the body of your essay. If it doesn’t pique your own interest, it won’t hold your reader’s! Ask a friend, family member, college advisor or acquaintance to read it and give you feedback on your intro. Try a few different versions of your hook sentence or refine your transition sentence. Make sure your introduction is as strong as can be. Your college essay is at heart a narrative that either answers the essay question or answers the question “why are you applying to this school?” Your essay should take the reader through each stage of your decision, but your introduction’s primary role is to grab the reader’s interest and set the stage. And just like an excellent stage play seizes the audience’s attention from the moment the lights turn on the stage, your essay needs to do the same. Be the narrator of your narrative and share with the audience what will be learned about you from reading your essay. Your choice of essay topic or the personal experiences you choose to highlight in your essay may also be influenced by the essay prompt or essay question, if the school provides one. If this is the case, you can reflect on which prompt or question resonates most with you or choose to write more than one essay if more than one prompt resonates. For schools that do not provide a question or essay prompt, you can reflect on your future career goals, personal goals or the reasons why you are applying to college.
This is a college essay that worked for .
Knowing how to properly structure your college essay introduction is important, but plenty of students tend to write too much in the introduction. Since you’ll need to save on word count, editing is an important skill to learn as well. College advisors or services can be great resources to help with essay writing coaching or for professional editing. There are also plenty of services out there which provide proofreading and feedback on your work.
Here’s an outline for a basic, solid “Why this College” essay:
Applying to college should be an exciting time for both students and families. You are getting ready to invest in your future self and open a door to endless opportunities. Use these tips, tricks, and resources and go ace your college applications. And remember, if you run into any speedbumps throughout the process, don’t be too shy to ask for help.
The Why Michigan “Why this College” Essay Example
Your college essay is a written representation of your true self. Show college admissions panels that you’re a serious applicant by staying structured. Make sure your essay is free from any grammatical errors and misspellings. Ask a friend, family member, or one of your high school teachers to look over your college essay before you submit. It’s always helpful to get a second set of eyes on your work to make sure it’s complete and accurate.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT!. #collegeapplication #collegeessay.
Last, but certainly not least, do not have your parents or guardians write your essay for you. You’re the one getting ready to go to college, not them. This will only hurt you in the long run.
This is a college essay that worked for (WashU).
Not only should your college essay be different than the rest of your application, but it should be honest, too. Just because a college may use the same essay prompts year after year doesn’t mean you should use a previous applicant’s essay. Colleges can, and will, check your claims and references. Make sure your listed ideas and achievements are accurate and legitimate.