An extremely important component of the college application is the college essay, also known as The Personal Statement. You are given a 650-word limit to set yourself apart from your fellow applicants.  Each year the Common App issues several prompts, but you are free to write your own essay on whatever topic you wish. Here are some things to keep in mind when approaching your college essay.

Firstly, your essay must have a theme that will define it. This is critical. While your “theme” should be chosen to highlight your strengths, give consideration to the following suggestions:

• One form the essay could take is a ”slice of life” essay that shows what you are really like. Choose one incident that sheds light on your personality.
• Another might be to take one meaningful incident in your life and elaborate on it.
• Try to answer the question: What has made you the person you are?
• Whatever you decide to write about, tell the story in a unique and moving way.
• Make the reader want to meet you in person.
• SHOW, don’t tell. This means – as with all good writing – that you should illustrate through anecdotes, experiences, etc., rather than simply making statements.
• DO NOT use the essay to list your accomplishments or any information found in other parts of the application.
• At all costs, DO NOT bore the reader!
• Admissions officers hate OVERPRIVILEGED kids. Don’t appear “coached” or overly polished. COME ACROSS AS GENUIINE.
• Admissions officers won’t grasp subtle points. Avoid subtlety. Be direct.
• Think about including in your essay What will you add to the college? How will you be a significant addition to that campus?
• Your LOVE OF LEARNING must come across!
• Finally, demonstrate self-awareness. Colleges like mature students.
• Complexity in an essay is a good thing. As is conflict of some kind. The same goes for overcoming some setback you have experienced. Failure can be essayistic gold! What have you learned from it?

Other things to emphasize are:

• Your personal qualities
• Your academic interests
• Your creativity
• Your leadership
• Your commitment to your community

As Rachel Toor suggests in “How to Conquer the Admissions Essay,” avoid the following:

• DO NOT REPEAT THE PROMPT.
• DO NOT TRY TO IMPRESS WITH BIG VOCABULARY WORDS.
• DON’T WASTE SPACE CITING OTHER PEOPLE’S WORDS.
• USE THE PAST TENSE, NOT THE PRESENT TENSE.
• DO NOT USE SOUND EFFECTS (e.g., Ouch! Thwack! Whiz!)
• AVOID CLICHÉS.
• AVOID “TO BE” VERBS.

SOURCE: https://sites.google.com/site/mbondlamberty/applying-to-college/conquering-the-admissions-essay

Questions about this post: Email robert@designsonlearning.com