Write A Winning College Essay

Write A Winning College Essay To accelerate the process, they want you to talk on paper; let them get to know you by giving them a guided tour of your heart, your brain, and your life. If you succeed, they will look up from reading your essay, and be surprised you aren’t in the room; indeed, they will swear the chair next to them is warm from your having sat in it since Tuesday. The trouble with the above is just thatâ€"it’s too familiar. The same sentiments could be expressed about nearly every college and university out there. Mentioning the name of the school should not be the sole identifying factor. One such example, shared by Tufts, takes the reader from the student’s love of origami to a passion for science in less than 250 words. “You can think of the essay as the soul of the application. However, if you’re applying to an Ivy League school or a smaller liberal arts college, then they’re really looking at the whole package and the essay can be very important. At some of these schools, there are very few students who don’t have near-perfect test scores and GPAs, so how do you stand out? They’re looking at your essay, recommendations and activities to understand the whole picture of you. â€" Students stay on target when they set aside dedicated time to work on their essays and applications in a small group supportive settings â€" with one-on-one personal writing conferences. The admissions essay is a very critical component of your application as it allows you to distinguish yourself from other students and to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. It is how to share and highlight your unique strengths and experiences in a way that your transcript and test scores cannot fully illuminate. This is great news giving juniors(”21) ready to begin their college applications â€" and if you attend my June College Application Writers’ Block Workshopâ€"you’ll have completed your core essay before summer! Doing so can reduce much of the unnecessary stress some families experience over the college admissions and college application process. It all depends on where you’re applying, your grades and your test scores. If you’re applying to a large state institution, and your numbers are strong relative to their average student body, then you’ll get in on the strength of your four years of hard work. The bottom line is that they may be getting 25,000 applications, and they simply don’t have time to sift through essays and recommendations. Reading the school’s website is not a bad start, as it will give you a basic overview of what’s on offer. Keep an eye peeled for course listings, recent news events, maps and descriptions of important campus buildings, student run organizations, and other key terms. Inzer also encourages students not to stress too much over the essay and put unnecessary weight on it as part of their college application. While a strong essay may elevate a candidate in a crowded field, she says it doesn’t make or break an application. “The essay really needs to be the student’s work. I encourage students to ask people close to them to read the essay and ask ‘would you know this essay is about me? But make sure it’s still your voice,” Richardson says. While St. Johns College may ask for more in-depth answers, other schools value brevity, challenging students to write concisely. There are so many terrific free resources online â€" just google “brainstorming college essay” and you’ll be pleased with what comes up. Also, look at the Common Application essay promptsâ€" one of them will speak to you, but you need to really read them. Kids are quick to eliminate a prompt, but I always ask them to go back and rethink. Ask smaller questions around the prompt to get at exactly what you want to write about. The other subject to handle delicately is loss or tragedy. Colleges want to admit students who are ready to be successful members of their community. The best way to move forward is to see a college essay as a conversation. If they could, colleges would welcome you to campus and ask you questions for hoursâ€"but if they did that, no one would be admitted to college until they were 43. Nor will it be sufficient to explain why you want to attend college in a particular city. Having read applications for three different schools in New York City, I can’t tell you how many responses I read about the wonders of the city that never sleeps. While a school’s location might be part of your reason, you’ll need to dig deeper to answer why you wouldn’t be just as happy at one of the other many schools in that city. Then take those terms and plug them right into Google, Youtube and Linkedin! After reading links on the things that interest you, you’ll understand it almost as well as someone at the school! Statistical websites like College Factual are tremendously helpful here as well, as are blogs from current and former students, Vlogs, Instagram feeds â€" anything and everything is fair game. Cite a wide range of sources in your essay to show the depth of your research.