Writing the Perfect College Essay
The dreaded essay can strike fear in many students during their senior year. Most college admission committees use essays to gather more detailed information about applicants, beyond what the high school transcripts and standardized test scores convey. Students need to craft an essay that will help them to stand out from fellow applicants, make a lasting impact on the admission committee, and of course, get them accepted. So how do you craft the perfect essay that helps you to impress the admission committee and not consume half of your senior year? This can actually be done in four easy steps…
First, look at exactly what the admission committee is asking for the essay. If they are asking a specific question such as “What is your favorite toothpaste and why?” then you need to come up with a specific answer, but make sure your personality and your true feelings are expressed in your description of your favorite toothpaste. Find a way to put a unique spin on the answer. In reality, most questions are more general: “Describe a time when you had to work with a team on a challenging project,” or “What do you consider your greatest accomplishments in the past four years?” Admission committees like these questions because they gauge your ability to clearly describe yourself, your hopes and dreams, and your ability to get to a point. Before you start writing, brainstorm and talk through different ideas.
Be creative, be personal and be honest. What makes you stand out from the other students applying? What makes you special, unique or weird? What details can you add to make the story jump off the page? What do you think admission committee members have never heard? They want to know more about you as a person, but the committee is also looking for a story that moves them or makes them want to finish reading. Before you put words down on paper, you should identify a clear answer to the question and make sure you have a main focus that can be expressed throughout your essay.
Second, start writing. If colleges do not give you an exact length, plan to submit one page typed. If they give you a specific length, follow the guidelines exactly (admission committees can be picky). Follow basic English class instructions with an introduction, main body and conclusion. Correct spelling, complete sentences, and descriptive words can go a long way in making your essay stand out. However, don’t use the handy Thesaurus tool to rewrite every word in the essay and fill it with SAT words—it can quickly sound like someone else wrote your essay. Focus on the question they have asked and make sure you are answering it directly while including great details about you.
When a college just wants to learn more about you, focus on where you have been, where you are now and where you are going. Tell them what you have done well in the past four years and be honest about what has not gone well, what you have learned from the past to make you the person you are today, and what your plans are for the next few years. It is acceptable to actually suck up to the college and write in the essay “State College University will help me to reach my goals of being the greatest unicycle clown in the nation and it is my dream school”. However, remember to spell the name of the school correctly and change the name of the school when you send the same essay to multiple colleges (trust me, this is a common mistake).
Third, PROOFREAD…five times. Have your favorite teacher proofread, have your mom proofread, have your friend from English class who always gets A’s on their papers proofread. You should never use text messaging type. You need to use punctuation and capitalized letters. It is essential to make sure you have not quoted someone incorrectly, or forgot to site a quotation entirely. If you are giving someone credit for a quote, make sure it is correct. Don’t quote a famous rapper for words in his song that originally came from a famous philosopher (yes – it has happened before). Most importantly, have you answered the essay question, have you defined yourself, and have you explained why you are the best possible candidate for their college?
Fourth, submit it with confidence. Applying to college is a big step but it is the start of an amazing adventure. You should apply to your top four or five colleges and remember to send in all additional information they request (high school transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, letters of recommendations, etc.) in order to complete the application process. Turning in applications early is essential to ensure that you have time to work on scholarships and make your final decisions early. Now you can sit back and wait for the acceptance letters to start rolling in!
Editorial provided by Caroline Randall, Associate Director for Admission Marketing, Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX.
