Write A Winning College Essay

Write A Winning College Essay If you're lucky, your junior and senior high school language arts teachers incorporate essay writing into the curriculum. Even with essay writing experience, it can be hard to frame a well-organized, comprehensive, thoughtful answer in 500 words or less. You might need to approach the questions from a few different perspectives before you find the right formula. There’s no winning formula and no “correct” way of writing. Admissions committees simply want to get a better understanding of each candidate. And with a little sincerity, self-reflection and hard work, you’ll deliver what they’re looking for. Admissions writing truly requires a new set of skills which most high school applicants don’t frequently get to practice or cultivate. However, avoiding some of these pitfalls will help you as you refine your CommonApp, supplemental and scholarship essays. Your admissions essay must be fundamentally reader-friendly. It should not read like a dense PhD dissertation OR an informal e-mail to your best friend; it should strike a balance between the two. Do write in your own language and remember to show rather than tell. DON’T reveal something you would never consider telling your parents â€" while honest essays can be strong, your college essay is not the place to admit to shoplifting or drunk driving. She provided thoughtful feedback and kept prompt communication to meet my deadline. I highly recommend Emily if you need assistance for your college essay. Keith Berman is the President of Options for College (), which he founded in Harvard Square right after working in the Harvard Admissions Office. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, PBS, Fox Business and Lifetime. Over 70 percent of students choose just three of the seven Common Application prompts . That is because three of them work well if you write your essay first and pick the prompt second. The college essay is a page-long assignment given to you by a school, to be completed by a certain date. The college application essay is no cause for panic. DO tell a story; your college essay will be more similar to your creative writing or journal assignments that to your persuasive essay. Use the story or stories you tell to illustrate a larger, more abstract point. To make the most of this opportunity, once you have your essay questions, practice writing your essay using the tips provided by the college or from one of the links in this article. Not only does this show colleges that you’ve have done your homework, but it also demonstrates your interest in the college â€" and colleges want to admit students who are likely to enroll. Show your knowledge of the college by mentioning specific courses, professors, places of interest, and more. Show how you fit into the campus culture and how you will impact the community through specific examples. When developing a topic that reveals something new, find a way to frame the story or idea that shows a slice of your life or the event. Be descriptive and give details that appeal to the senses â€" taste, touch, smell, etc. When writing about a meaningful experience or event, you don’t have to give a long timeline of events. Instead, give the reader the piece of the puzzle that conveys your message. Read the top 147 college essays that worked at Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, and more. We hope these essays inspire you as you write your own personal statement. Just remember to be original and creative as you share your story. Spellcheck won’t catch every spelling or grammatical error! My 17-year-old is working with Russell on a college essay. He has so many tips about writing a solid college essay. Emily guided me through the revision process of my writing and helped clarify my drafts for a supplemental college essay. Take the time to read over all your essays carefully and keep an eye out for things like “out” when you meant to say “our” and other common typos. Have a parent or counselor read over the essay, too, to catch any errors you might have missed. Spelling and grammar errors can take away from an otherwise stellar essay â€" so be mindful. When tailoring responses to individual college prompts, it’s important to use specific details you’ve learned through visiting and research.