Put The Personal Back In The College Essay

Put The Personal Back In The College Essay It combined parts of my initial drafts into something completely new. Other topics that I ultimately rejected for my Common App essay actually went to be the focal point of other essays. There were numerous times when I opened up a Google doc and stared at a blank screen, only to inevitably get distracted by Facebook and not get anything accomplished. ” From there, I started cultivating this list of essay topics, character traits, experiences, and even some random sentences that I ended up using in my final essay. This hook should entice the reader by hinting at the essay’s theme in a way that makes the reader want to read more. The hook can be funny, witty, or a simple hypothesis. Whatever style you choose, be sure it coincides with the overall theme of your essay. Richardson says that the appeal of an essay on an atypical topic such as origami showed that the writer was willing to take risks. In some cases though, the school may emphasize the supplemental essay as a top priority. That’s the case at St. John’s College, which has campuses in Maryland and New Mexico, says Benjamin Baum, vice president of enrollment for the St. John’s system. “It’s more about the voice than anything else,” Inzer says, noting an essay that is too clinical can mute a student’s personality. Experts say the essay should give the school a sample of his or her personality. Willamette University is offering high school seniors a more affordable way to kick start college. During a time of pain and healing, Katie Lee’s professors and classmates inspired her to make the most of her life. When you have a good hook in your introduction, you increase the chances that your essay will be effective. For some essay projects, evaluating the audience is important, but for others, it’s best to follow the general writing strategies you see in mainstream writing, periodicals, and professional literature. You want to use any details that will help the reader identify the topic and the scope of the essay. You want to use focused writing with a consistent tone and diction throughout the essay. My third essay draft started with the idea “I’m not afraid to speak up. I refuse to stay silent.” I brainstormed how I came to have this character trait and intersections of it with my Asian-American identity. I ultimately told the story of slam poetry night at Governor’s School, the first time that I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone to speak about a racial issue. My final draft is multifaceted, showing my personal growth in context of the frustration and empowerment rooted in my Asian-American identity. This part of an essay is the first presentation of your ideas. There are a number of elements you want to include in your introduction to encourage the reader to continue reading. First of all, you’ll need a “hook” to open your essay. We talked about prioritizing extra-curricular activities, such as putting the things you care about most and have the most involvement with, first. While an application may have eight, 10 or 30 lines for involvement, busy admission officers who speed read this section may only get to third on the list. Make them want to keep learning about you by telling them clearly and thoroughly what’s most important to you. The essay is the place to make a great first impression on the reader. They’ll be looking at that before the test scores. When you’re nearing the end of your essay, it’s time to put the finishing touches on it with a separate closing paragraph. The conclusion is where you bring together all of the elements you previously mentioned in the other sections. No, you don’t have to mention each one explicitly, but your conclusion should cover most of what you addressed in your essay, and make a good clean end to your narrative path. In a dramatic and powerful conclusion is where you want to spell out, in a bold manner, any ideas you’ve been hinting at throughout the essay. If you underestimate how long it will take to write the essay properly, or don’t think it’s that important, it will show. Pay close attention to the essay prompts, try to achieve word economy and eliminate throwaway words like “that” to maximize the word count. Choose a topic that reflects you in a unique way and couldn’t be written by the majority of your peers. If you read back over your essay and find it doesn’t reflect your own story, reconsider the topic, Corner said. In addition to the construction of your essay, you also can improve it by looking at your word choices and transitions, or using the best words to move from one idea to the next in making your essay more readable. Varying your word choices keeps your copy fresh and holds the reader’s attention. Above all, look for words or phrases that can be cut out of your essay to leave just the very best of what you have to say. Sally Rubenstone is a veteran of the college admissions process and is the co-author of three books covering admissions. She worked as a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years and has also served as an independent college counselor, in addition to working as a senior advisor at College Confidential since 2002. If you'd like to submit a question to The Dean please email us at Get the College Application Blueprint for Ivy League experts' guidance to help you build a successful college application. It was then that I decided to no longer bite my tongue.