At College Essay Guy, we too like good stories well told.
When tackling these odd application essay prompts, remember the main goal of the admissions essay — to reveal something not obvious about yourself. These essays are about you, not what you think the college wants to hear, so keep your interests in mind! The same applies to the “short-take” supplement questions (those that seek a one-word or one-sentence response). Dig deep, but remember that your answer doesn’t have to be as strange as the prompt — it just needs to reflect your character and passions.
One of the most common supplemental essays that students will come across is the infamous “” essay. Whether it’s simply “Why XX University?” or a more specific question about how a student plans to contribute to the campus, colleges are looking for detailed and well-researched responses. Once you’ve written your personal statement, step away from it. There was a time when we used to rely on pencil and paper to write down all of our ideas and information (including first-draft college essays). Now, we mainly rely on screens, so our eyes grow tired, causing us to miss typos and grammar mistakes. We can’t stress this one enough: Don’t submit your personal statement without checking your spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.! All the grammar things! Your personal statement reflects who you are, from the topic you choose to the style you write it in, so impress colleges (or scholarship providers) with excellent structure and great grammar! Who will you be writing your personal statement for? What message do you want to convey? If it’s for to the college admissions committee, how do you show you’ll align well with the culture of the school? If it’s for a scholarship provider, how do you show you support their mission? IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to brainstorm and write college application essays, and what admissions officers are looking for when they read them on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. While the and the Coalition Application each have a required essay, many colleges include their own school-specific essays, known as writing supplements. These supplemental essays are designed to help the admissions committee gain a better understanding of who you are and how you will fit in on campus.
How long should my college essay be?
3: Be honest. College admission officers have read hundreds, even thousands of essays. They are masters at discovering any form of plagiarism. Don’t risk your college career by buying an essay off the internet or getting someone else to write your essay.
This is a college essay that worked for .
Sometimes students pick the hardest challenge they’ve been through and try to make it sound worse than it actually was. Beware of pushing yourself to write about a challenge merely because you think these types of essays are inherently “better.” Focusing myopically on one experience can sideline other brilliant and beautiful elements of your character.
This is a college essay that worked for (UPenn).
(Aka show, don’t tell.) I often find that students are good at writing general, “big idea,” sentences but have trouble incorporating details into their essay. Try to make your essay as vivid as possible. If you can paint a detailed picture of your surroundings, interpersonal relationships, or state of mind, admissions officers will be far more engaged in your essay. Share how kind your grandmother’s eyes are. Describe the wind, trees, and other surroundings from your most challenging hike. Mention the soft hands and smile of gratitude of the person you’ve helped sit down. Transport your readers into your world as much as possible.
How (and why) to outline your college essay to use a good structure
2: Be yourself. One of the biggest mistakes students make is writing what they think others want to hear, rather than about an issue, event, or person they care about. An essay like that is not just boring to write. It’s boring to read. What interests you? What do you love to talk about? Write about that. Think of your essay as a creative way to help college officials get to know you as a person.
This is a college essay that worked for .
Adjectives and descriptive language — such as similes, metaphors, and personification — help make your essay more exciting, though you don’t want to go overboard and add descriptive language to every sentence. Anecdotes are critical as well. Instead of talking generally about how much you enjoyed your debate team, pick a specific moment that resonated with you. Maybe you were arguing with someone over nuclear proliferation in North Korea (and yes, you should include details like the topic, your opponent’s name, and the tournament). If you can replace a word or phrase with something more specific, do it.