ESSAY WRITING TIPS

A great application essay presents a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admissions committee. It rounds out the rest of your application and helps you stand out from other applicants. The essay is one of the only parts of the application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it.

Following are some tips to help you as you write your essay:

  • Write simply.
  • Keep your focus narrow and personal.
  • Provide specific evidence (facts, events, quotations, examples) to support your main idea.
  • Use vivid, compelling details (show, don't tell).
  • Address the topic squarely. For example, if an application asks you to explain any deficiencies in records (e.g., a low grade or bad semester), provides a straightforward, reasonable response.
  • Don't repeat information that is found elsewhere in the application, such as lists of courses or extracurricular activities.
  • Write about something unique and different not just what you think the admissions officer wants to hear (they read many essays about the charms of their university, for example).
  • Apply the principles of good composition (e.g., organize the essay with a beginning, middle, and end).
  • Structure your writing in a way that allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.
  • Revise and proofread to make sure there are no typographical, spelling, or grammatical errors.

Source: Tips adapted from the College Counseling Sourcebook (New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 2004) based on information from The College Application Essay, rev. ed., by Sarah Myers McGinty (New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 2004).

SAMPLE COLLEGE ESSAY QUESTIONS

Based on information found in The College Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.

Generally, there are three types of questions: The you, the why us, and the creative. Here are tips and actual sample questions for each type. Don't assume that the questions are currently being used by a college (most colleges adjust questions annually).

Recipe For A Draft

Based on information found in The College Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a college admissions essay is just getting started. Here’s a quick exercise to get pen to paper (or keyboard to computer).

Step 1: Think about yourself


What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your best qualities? Are
you a plugger? An intellectual? A creative type? Curious? Passionate?
Determined?


Step 3: Tell a story


Set a timer for 20 minutes. Pretend you're taking an exam at high school
and responding to, Tell a story about an experience or time when you
showed you were a very _________ person. Use the characteristic you
identified in Step 2. Write or type non-stop for 20 minutes; force yourself to
keep telling the story and what it reveals until the timer goes off.

Step 2: Choose a positive quality you'd like
to convey to the admissions committee


Don't pick an event or something you've done. President of the Nuclear
Awareness Club is not a personal quality. Focus on a quality of your mind or
of your character. Complete this sentence: I am a very _________ person.

You're Done


Okay. That's it. You've got a rough draft for your college application essay.
Look at the college application forms and see what questions they ask. No
matter what the questions are, you've already identified the important
characteristic you want to convey to each college.

THREE STEPS TO A GREAT COLLEGE ESSAY

Based on information found in The College Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.

The college application essay is a chance to explain yourself, to open your personality, charm, talents, vision, and spirit to the admissions committee in 500 words or fewer. It's a chance to show you can think about things and that you can write clearly about your thoughts. Don't let the chance disappear. Stand up straight and believe in yourself!

THE ESSAY WRITING PROCESS

Okay, boot up your computer, and let's get to it. To write a college essay, use the exact same three-step process you'd use to write an essay for class: first prewrite, then draft, and finally, edit. This process will help you identify a focus for your essay, and gather the details you'll need to support it.

College Essay Writing Tips

Based on information found in The College Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.

Write an Effective Application Essay

A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admissions staff. It will round out the rest of your application and help you stand out from the other applicants. The essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it. Check out these tips before you begin.