Essays That Worked

Essays That Worked The college essay is your child’s story, and it should be written using their words, in their voice. Your son or daughter is a high school senior, and the essay should sound like one. And certainly not one of the most revered writers of all time. Your girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other.Choosing this topic might be the biggest faux pas in the history of college essay writing. This is because one of the character traits most admissions professionals are looking for is a sense of maturity and self-understanding. Focusing on someone you love, or worse yet, like “a lot,” is highly unlikely to show this side of you. In fact, it is more likely to paint you as the dreaded “typical teenager,” possibly one of the worst monikers in the college admissions industry. Good college essays typically take several drafts, requiring modification with each shift in voice, tone, or sentence structure. Write, rewrite, proofread, polish, and read aloud. The college essay is your personal touch â€" an opportunity to demonstrate your writing and communications skills and prove your readiness for college-level work. Remember that writing a college essay reveals a glimpse of who you are and your unique personality â€" it’s your voice. Expressing yourself through this written exercise adds a three-dimensional quality to your application and conveys your personal qualities. Your narrative, along with your academic record and test scores, will complete your application. Some of the demand for his services, he said, comes from families that have money, but who may feel that they don't have the cultural connections to know what a college admissions officer will want. This counselor charges a flat rate of $2,500 to help with a student's undergraduate essays. After all, those using these services already have wealthy parents and are likely to attend high schools with far more resources than the average institution attended by a low-income student. Dr. Maggie Wray is an academic life coach who helps high school and college students develop the mindset, motivation, organization, and time management skills they need to be successful in school. One of the most challenging aspects of the essay-writing process is identifying a topic to write about. Many first-to-college applicants think their experiences and accomplishments aren’t impressive enough to wow college admissions officers, so they get discouraged before they even begin. But first-generation college applicants have typically overcome obstacles that other students haven’t â€" and it’s a story worth sharing. A college application essay may be as short as 150 words, but those words can mean the difference between a “maybe” and a “yes” when it comes to getting admitted. The essays tell the admissions committee how and why one student is different from all the others. “You don’t do that job unless you enjoy reading the essays. Your goal shouldn’t be to impress with complex sentence structures. Good writing, even when describing complex topics, should communicate each point simply and clearly. Revise, as needed, with attention to word choice, sentence structure, and flow.Does the essay provide new insight? The College Essay Captain helps teens overcome their fears and limiting beliefs around writing college application essays, so they are free to authentically share their stories with admissions teams. The best college essays are not necessarily about some big, monumental moment in the writer’s life. In fact, smaller, quirkier, or more subtle details and stories are often much more interesting. Reflect on personal memories and break them down into the most descriptive terms possibleâ€"sights, sounds, and smells can all serve as unique starting points. Freewriting helps kids relax and simply write; it also usually helps elicit an essay topic. For the exercises, Watson asks students to write whatever comes into their minds. From the freewriting, he and other writing coaches help students identify points they can develop into an essay. Three former admissions officers I spoke to told me that, contrary to Steven’s observations, officers read every essay that comes across their desks. “We definitely read the essays,” says Joie Jager-Hyman, president of College Prep 360 and former admissions officer at Dartmouth College. Admissions counselors read dozens of essays every day, so do your best to write clearly and concisely. In your essay, they are looking for signs that you will be a successful student at their institution. It’s important to show that you want to learn, and that you’re enthusiastic about this next chapter in your life and what it can mean for your future. Most colleges require a college essay, sometimes called a personal statement, as part of their application process. Does, say, the smell of blueberry scones baking in the oven remind you of growing up with your British grandmother? The early application deadline is fast approaching, and students who are rarely asked to write introspectively in high school must now confront the daunting task of writing about themselves. And the stakes couldn't be higher, as far as they are concerned. In order to impress a committee without making it seem like the essay was written by one, students should pick one or two adults who have edited college essays before, and stick with them.