Writing A College Essay

Writing A College Essay The story will, in turn, provide context for your accomplishments. This is the opportunity to show admissions officers who you are, how you express yourself, and what distinctive qualities you’ll add to the student body. Writing an effective persuasive essay requires research, organization, and passion. Our quick tips will help you make a convincing case for your readers. Although they're phrased differently from college to college, certain essay question types appear routinely. We asked the admission staff to select some of their favorite essays. We hope they will provide inspiration as you craft your stories. While there is no perfect length for an essay, we recommend that you aim for 500 to 550 words. And never, ever exceed the instructed word count. You might alternately be given a space in which to craft a “personal statement” of your own design. When given this freedom, choose a topic that seems inherently interesting to you. Tell a story that best illustrates who you are and how you can contribute to the unique makeup of a student body. She also pushes them to be more intellectually rigorous, when necessary. Evidently, there is a fear that students who hire coaches won’t be presenting original work, which would be cheating. Avoid boasting or merely listing accomplishments. Instead, find an area in which you are naturally confident, and use that area of your life to drive this story. From a technical point of view, then, your essay should reveal that you have good command of the language, understand the rules of grammar and can convey ideas concisely. College essays, however, are arguably the most challengingâ€"and, potentially paralyzingâ€"assignments you will face during your senior year. Jager-Hyman uses Mad Libs to help students find their own language to express their thoughts. She highlights issues with their work and helps students learn to express themselves in a more engaging and organic manner. Admission officers want to get past the facts of your application to better understand how you think. How do you process information about yourself and the world around you? Your essay should reveal how and why have they shaped you. College professors don’t want to have to teach you how to write. For more information on specific application requirements, please consult the website for each institution to which you are applying, as requirements often vary. You can write about pretty much anything â€" an experience, an inanimate object, a movie, a place, a person â€" as long as your essay reveals how that experience, thing, movie, place, or person made an impact on you. An essay that is presented in a few long paragraphs is not only hard to readâ€"the resulting word “blocks” can be overwhelming to tired eyesâ€"it effectively obscures the author’s key messages. Admissions officers are seeking students who are purposeful in their pursuits when choosing among highly talented students. They see a ton of candidates who are drawn by the fame or prestige of their institutionsâ€"who are simply applying to see if they can get in. Such candidates, regardless of their credentials, are not very compelling and are easily dismissed. And rememberâ€"a one line, one sentence paragraph can be more impactful than a 3-4 sentence paragraph. Don’t restate information that can be found elsewhere in your application. This is your opportunity to provide insight and interpretation. Essays that become travelogues or resume narratives have little value to the reader and are wasted space.