Writing The College Essay

Writing The College Essay Remember that most universities receive thousands of applications; top colleges sometimes get more than 75,000 applications in a single year. For admissions officers sifting through thousands of essays, a dynamic introduction makes a lasting impression. A great introduction does not need to be outrageous or sensational, but it should give the admissions committee a good sense of your personality. Most students choose to write their college essay about a singular experience, which is what I ended up doing as well. Of course, this is not to say that this is the only way to write your essay, but it’s what I felt best grounded mine. The essay creates frustration for students, stress for parents, and an overall feeling of dread as the deadline for submission approaches. The essay, however, doesn’t have to be an insurmountable project. With the right information, realistic time management and good proofing and editing, it should be easy to write the best college essay you can. Students can work one-on-one with a volunteer on the essay topics of their choice, or get help on the seven Common App prompts. Whether they’re starting with a blank page or a close-to-final draft, the project provides free volunteer support at any phase of the writing process. In addition, free lesson plans are available at 826 Digital for teachers or school counselors nationwide who want to demystify the college essay process and support their students. Last year I was traveling with a colleague from Yale. As he told me, the essays his students â€" who had lived vastly different lives than most mainstream applicants â€" were writing were indistinguishable from those written by applicants in southeastern Connecticut. They were composed of billowing clouds of “my global perspective” and “future potential as a leader” and “desire to leverage my education” to bllllllaurhfhasklafsafdghfalkasf. It can take some convincing for many kids and parents to believe that when it comes to writing the essays, in particular, college admissions officers care about who students are. The essays should reveal their personalities, passions, dreams, weird talents, favorite foods, sickest playlists, inexplicable loves and undeniable quirks. Whether you’re prepared or not, there comes a time when every student is faced with writing their first college essay. Even if you’re a natural writer, writing a college essay is still a daunting task. Here’s a method for tackling the process and a few examples to inspire you. Although custom college essays writing is our top priority, we also offer students the services of editing and proofreading. Many schools do not require an essay, and in cases where it's optional, some applicants skip it. However, I felt like I spent too much on background information, and my essay lacked an overarching concrete experience for readers to grasp onto. But finding their voice can be a challenge for many students, Inzer notes, because they may have limited life experience. Also, she adds, they have been writing to the instructions of high school teachers up until this point, rather than for themselves. Finding their voice means students must get to know themselves and write authoritatively, sharing a sense of their lives with admissions officers. For this post, we asked Shania the most frequently asked questions we see from students about how to write college essays. Shania graciously shared her experiences and insights as well as her drafts and the final version of her Common App college essay. On its admissions page, Hamilton lists multiple college essay examples written by students admitted to the school. Though Inzer declined to single out one essay, she says that the examples offer a diverse mix of student voices and backgrounds. The essay excerpted below, with the permission of Hamilton College, shows the student’s personality through a love of fly-fishing. It's something students have to create from scratch, and it feels a little as though they're answering a question on the most difficult and important test of their life. This is also precisely why, when it comes to college essays, that college counselors urge students not to ask every adult they know for feedback on their writing, though it's easy to understand why they do. Most colleges require a college essay, sometimes called a personal statement, as part of their application process. If you are not 100% confident in your writing skills, it’s better to ask professionals to check your piece of writing. When you sit down to write a college application essay, just remember that this is an opportunity to show who you are as a student and who you can become at a university. Admissions officers like Warren are excited to admit students who are passionate, creative, gritty, and driven. One mistake Warren has seen is students who submit the same essay to multiple schools without changing the name of the university in their essay. Your high school English teacher's reminder to use a good hook can help you get started.