College Essay Dos & Donts

College Essay Dos & Don’ts The goal of the essay is to provide admission professionals an opportunity to see you, beyond your GPA and test scores, as an individual person with your own unique experiences. We have found that students write better college essays in less time with feedback and editing from someone who is experienced in offering guidance. Your college essay can help your application stand out! We’ve helped thousands of students write amazing college essays â€" one of which was featured in Business Insider. Applicants are usually given an essay prompt and a word limit within which to express themselves. The essays usually cover topics relating to the student’s experiences and opinions. Schools that do require the essay feel that strong writing is a good indicator of college readiness and that more information allows them to better evaluate applicants. The University of California is known for valuing as much information as students can fit into their applications, so it’s no surprise that the UCs haven’t dropped the SAT essay requirement. Whereas many highly selective colleges and universities have done away with the essay requirement, the UCs have notably stood firm in their decision. There is a funny article in “The Daily Beast” by Kristina Dell that shares the anecdotes of college admissions counselors from this year’s record batch of applications. Many of the anecdotes revolve around silly or even comical things students do during the course of the college admissions process. I attribute most of my students' success to their academic prowess and non-academic endeavors. My contribution is understanding the college context and showing students how to write essays that will engage and intrigue admissions officers. Nearly all colleges and universities require students to write an essay to supplement their application to attend the institution. For many students, finding an objective evaluator who is not a relative to help edit the essay is the best bet. Having a degree in English and being a published writer of college planning articles, and having edited hundreds of essays for students, I would be happy to help you too. Make sure when you write your essay that you don’t just ramble on and on. Follow the five-paragraph or a modified version of that format. You will need a catchy introduction where you pull in your reader, supportive examples, and then a wonderful conclusion where you pull everything together and leave the reader with a smile, a tear, or a wow. The essay really gives you an opportunity to be creative. Students should familiarize themselves with the campuses to which they are applying , understand the prompt, and answer from the heart. When parents get involved in the nitty gritty of a college application, some families find conflict arises. If your situation is one where parents can offer opinions that are helpful and if you are the kind of student who is open to listening to suggestions, then surely parents can be good editors. Further, if you have parents who know grammar and writing conventions and can recognize flaws, go ahead and ask parents to help. The majority of these anecdotes are drawn from ridiculous mistakes college applicants make in their college essays. A great college essay gives the college an opportunity to see who you really are. Pick a meaningful experience and take the reader through your process of self-discovery. I assisted a student who wrote about her father. A man that she adored but discovered that he was a cocaine addict. She took the reader through the stages of loving, hating, being disappointed, ashamed and finally acceptance, understanding and again loving while “Dad” was going through treatment. She allowed herself to be vulnerable which made the essay dynamite. Another student talked about the struggles of having learning disabilities and the pain that he experienced during his educational career. You might think, “I don’t have anything like that.” All of us have experiences that have impacted our lives. Sit down with your folks and talk about your family and your “growing-up” years. The free articles below will walk you through everything you need to know to write a successful essay. It may sound like a chore, and it will certainly take a substantial amount of work. But it's also a unique opportunity that can make a difference at decision time. Admissions committees put the most weight on your high school grades and your test scores . However, selective colleges receive applications from many worthy students with similar scores and gradesâ€"too many to admit. So they use your essay, along with your letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities , to find out what sets you apart from the other talented candidates. The essay is supposed to be reflective of the STUDENT, not the parent, and admissions reps are hoping to get a better picture of the applicant’s individuality and unique attributes. It is very easy for a rep to recognize an essay that has been coached someone other than the student. Unfortunately, too many cooks spoil the pot, so to speak…and kids easily get confused when parents, English teachers, their counselor, and their friends all have different advice.