Tips for writing an effective college essay.


Martha believes in taking a personalized approach with each student, tailoring her time with them based on their individual writing skills and learning needs. Her approach is always based on genuine care and concern combined with concrete action items and deadlines. For the past four years, Martha has helped students get into a variety of colleges, as well as honors programs within those colleges, from tiny to huge, rural to urban, California to the East Coast: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UC Davis, Northeastern, UMass Amherst, University of Michigan, Syracuse, Macalester, Santa Clara University, Pepperdine, University of San Diego, Loyola Marymount, Cal Lutheran, Cal Arts, Claremont McKenna


Suddenly, everything fell into place for me. This completely different perspective broadened my understanding of the surgical field and changed my initial perception of who and what a surgeon was. I not only want to help those who are ill and injured, but also to be entrusted with difficult decisions the occupation entails. Discovering that surgery is also a moral vocation beyond the generic application of a trained skill set encouraged me. I now understand surgeons to be much more complex practitioners of medicine, and I am certain that this is the field for me.

Martha Crowe has worked with, for, and on behalf of youth for three decades, as a social worker, child advocate, nonprofit director, consultant, and for the past eight years, as a professor, researcher, and medical writer at SDSU. Helping people tell their stories has been at the heart of each phase of her career. Martha loves getting to know young people — to hear about what they care about, what they are good at, and what their dreams are for their futures. And magic can happen when they trust her enough to help them tell their stories in an authentic and compelling way that both honors who they are and convinces admissions counselors to accept them.

Use the narrative outline essay template to get started.

In his essay coaching, he works to help students dig deeper into who they are as individuals and what motivates them in order to find the compelling, unique stories in each student. Nick has worked with students on their college admissions essays for the last 9 years, helping students gain admission to top UCs and other prestigious top 20 public and private institutions across the country.

Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees.

Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees.

To support your thesis, you'll need to draw on specific examples from the passage of the techniques you claim the author uses. Make sure to provide enough information for each example to make it clear how it is relevant to your thesis - and stop there. No need to paraphrase the entire passage, or explain why you agree or disagree with the author's argument - write enough that the reader can understand what your example is and be done.


“Yeah about how good common app essays break form.”

Completing a college essay outline template is a straightforward process that can help students streamline their essay writing. Here are the steps to follow:1. Introduction: Start by writing a clear and concise introduction that includes an attention-grabbing hook, background information, and a thesis statement.2. Main Points: Identify the main points or arguments that support your thesis statement. These will form the body paragraphs of your essay.3. Supporting Details: For each main point, brainstorm and list supporting details or examples that can strengthen your arguments.4. Organization: Arrange the main points and supporting details in a logical order that flows naturally. Consider using transitional words or phrases to ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs.5. Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the thesis in the conclusion. Also, consider adding a closing thought or call to action to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

This essay could work for prompts 1 and 7 for the Common App.

As soon as the patient room door opened, the worst stench I have ever encountered hit me square in the face. Though I had never smelled it before, I knew instinctively what it was: rotting flesh. A small, elderly woman sat in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown and draped in blankets from the neck down with only her gauze-wrapped right leg peering out from under the green material. Dr. Q began unwrapping the leg, and there was no way to be prepared for what I saw next: gangrene-rotted tissue and blackened, dead toes.

Tips for the micro level of your college application essay format:

There are various types of college essay outline templates that students can use. Some common types include:1. Alphanumeric Outline: This type of outline uses a combination of numbers, letters, and roman numerals to organize the main points and supporting details.2. Decimal Outline: In this format, the main points are divided into smaller subsections using decimals, allowing for a more detailed and structured outline.3. Full Sentence Outline: As the name suggests, this type of outline includes complete sentences for each main point and supporting detail, providing a more comprehensive overview of the essay's content.4. Visual Outline: Instead of using traditional text-based formats, visual outlines use diagrams, charts, or mind maps to organize ideas. These outlines are particularly helpful for visual learners who prefer a more visual representation of their thoughts.

Tips for the macro level of your college application essay format:

Now that you know what has to be in your essay, how do you fit it all in? It’s not enough to just throw in a thesis and some examples on paper and expect what you write to be an essay. You need to be organized, and when you have to organize an essay under pressure, the generic five paragraph essay format is your friend.