Dreading Writing Your College Application Essay? Tips From The Pros

Dreading Writing Your College Application Essay? Tips From The Pros Bob Davis ’12, my tour leader, was extraordinarily patient, walking me through U.Chicago’s outstanding array of clubs and societies, including the MSAC Committee. U.Chicago is one of the only schools I am considering that even offers a student-led Diversity Committee, much less one that advises faculty and university management on key outreach issues.Outstanding. As a high school and MEK English teacher, Ashley brings ready classroom management skills and a strong rapport with students to MEK. However, she is also well-versed in MEK strategy for teaching College Test Prep, H.S. Test Prep, and College Application Essays. They want to see how you function when removed from the safe confines of formula and expectation. On the subject of essay prompts, Meredith points out that the 7 variations offered by the Common App are designed to give all applicants the opportunty to share something meaningful about themselves. Many selective colleges and universities have their own essay prompts. Other colleges may simply offer you free writing space to provide a personal statement. However, the Common Application is perhaps the best starting point for anticipating likely college essay prompts. There are any number of formulas out there for writing personal statements for college applications. Some encourage you to stick to the traditionalopening-body-conclusionformula, while others insist you should take a risk to spice up the admission officer’s reading experience. None of them are wrong, but it doesn’t mean they’re right for you. As the name implies, writing apersonal statementis apersonalexperience, making it just a little bit different for everyone. You should also make sure that your essay is coherent â€" that your ideas flow and your arguments make sense. Don’t be afraid to show off your writing skills, but don’t do anything that takes away from your core message. This video shows you how to write an effective college admissions essay. Finally, Rachel has a detailed list to work from. For similar categories of essays, Rachel plans to write one rough essay, then tweak it for different colleges. Tragedies, ultimately, can be very positive, transformative topics to write about as they often show us who we are under intense pressure. Do not shy away from writing about the bad in life as it is a relatable experience that all people will go through at one point or another. Furthermore, this type of essay invites comparison. The #1 mistake students make when writing about tragedy is effectively writing a “sob story.” This is an essay which only tries to make someone feel sympathy for you. Now Rachel goes through her colleges’ essay prompts and groups similar essays together to come up with a list of what she has to write. The paradox of the overzealous editing of the college essay by many helicopter parents is that they don’t know what a college essay is really about. Unlike the other parts of the application, where high grade point averages and SAT scores reign supreme, the essay is less about being impressive than it is about being authentic. On the other hand, if you have experienced difficulty or tragedy that affected you deeply, you may choose to write about this experience in your college application. In order to write a great essay however, you need to realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to approach this topic type. The college essay provides a good opportunity to leave a long-lasting impression on the reader, apart from the interview and an efficient way to let the people in the admission know you closely. A person they like and remember through the college essay is most likely to be selected. Cited a few real-world examples of college essays that actually worked. When my best friend John Smith ‘20 told me about U.Chicago’s diverse campus environment , I was excited, but skeptical â€" diversity can mean different things to different people. So I went to see for myself, visiting on September 9th, 2017. The info session was intimate â€" more so than any other I have attended â€" with a relatively select group of students offered full campus access. It was right there in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Mikey’s college essay. I was supposed to believe this typical high school senior, who had inhabited this planet for a slight 17 years, chose to use the word “henceforth.” Mikey was a good kid. Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders. Some students try so hard to be creative, or to entice the reader with a sense of intrigue, that they sacrifice clarity. Not just the process, but the actual statement itself, too. In addition to making sure that all of these things are included, you should also be aware of HOW you write your essay. Admissions committees want essays to be concise â€" you want to make your point in about 700 words or less. If your reader is one paragraph in and thinking, “I don’t have a clue what this student is talking about,” you’ve moved from arousing interest to creating confusion. It’s certainly possible and often effective to begin your essay with a description that piques interest without necessarily revealing exactly what the description is about. But while enticing and intriguing are good, bewildering and unintelligible are not. You may have a beautifully crafted essay or a wonderful story to tell, but if you don’t take the time to proofread, your essay may be overlooked and end up in the rejection pile. Careful proofreading shows the reader you care and you aren’t sloppy.