College Application Essay Writing

 The college essay is your opportunity to “talk” directly to the college’s admissions committee and speak for yourself about your life, your goals, passions, values, strengths, talents, and sometimes, about the obstacles you have faced. It is here that the admissions committee evaluates the effectiveness of your writing and gains insight into the real person behind the facts.

(Suggested Read: Type of Application Essays; 5 Application Essay Do's and Don'ts)

Here are some of the basic areas you may want to explore.

Essay structure - Introduction, body and conclusion;

Factors to consider for writing an application essay- preparation, structure, content, format;

Essay writing approach- Seven steps on how to approach writing your college essay;

Essay structure

The Introduction

Is the first sentence of your essay and it plays the dual role of setting the theme of your essay and engaging the reader. Your essay introduction should-

• Start with a “ leading hook,” a sentence that surprises or piques interest, such as a quote, question, or statistic.

• Your second sentence, then, would be your topic sentence. The topic sentence clearly states your topic, point of view or angle.

• Write a good lead for every paragraph so your readers will be interested in the entire paragraph.

• Get to the point and make sure that it reveals insight about you.

The Body

This is the most important part of your essay because it provides the evidence (examples, details, facts) to support your topic.

• Every paragraph in the body should contain this support.

• Use transitions to create connections and coherence.

• The last sentence of the paragraph, the clincher, refocuses on the essay’s main point.

The Conclusion

This serves to refocus and reaffirm the validity of your essay.

Example: if you’re introducing your idea of the perfect career, “something in the field of science” or “I’d like to be a doctor,” is not going to capture the reader’s attention the way- “I want to become an oncologist so I can join in the fight against leukemia, a battle my friend Bob has fought every day of his life,” is much better, and lets the reader know something not only about what your career goal is, but why it’s your goal.

Factors to consider in essay writing

1. Preparation

• Read all directions carefully. When answering the question(s), be sure you understand the purpose of the essay.
• Keep your audience in mind.
• Check that the main idea is effectively developed throughout the essay.
• If an essay question has more than one part, be sure that you answer every part.
• Polish your grammar and word choice.

2. Content and Style

Tell your story in your own voice, making your essay personal and real. Write so that the reader will care what you have to say. Give thought to your essay’s content:

• Reflect on the meaning of your story. Be self-searching and genuine.
• Consider approaching the topic from an unexpected angle.
• Be positive and upbeat, avoiding the negative and cynical.
• Be honest: fight the temptation to “enhance” the truth.
• Handle sensitive subjects appropriately. There is a fine line between moving the reader and making them uncomfortable or embarrassed. Avoid controversy, anything sexual, and anything illegal.
• Do not write on general or impersonal topics (e.g. global warming or the importance of good management in business). The college wants to know about you.

3. Structure

• Write about the specific rather than the general, the concrete rather than the abstract. Show, rather than tell.

• Consider the unique features of the institution and connect yourself to it by matching aspects of your record with the college’s focus.

• Do not use unconventional fonts or formats; make it easy to read. A standard font, such as Times New Roman, is crisp and easily read.

• Write in the active voice, and avoid the second person (the use of “you.”).

• A well-placed quote can add a point of interest to the essay.

• Do not plagiarize.

4. Format

There are four basic types to choose from when deciding how best to tell your story:

• Narrative: tells a story; explains the how and why;

• Descriptive: tells about a person, place, condition, situation or feeling; uses language that appeals to the senses;

• Definition: reveals your insight about something of significance to you;

• Example: anecdotes are used to bring out the ideas of the essay;

Essay writing approach

Step 1: Who Are You? Take time for some reflection. It is not always easy to write about yourself. Take a step back and think about who you are and what makes you distinct. To tell admissions officers about yourself in a true and convincing way, first, you need to "mine" various areas of your identity to discover what makes you an unique individual. Consider these questions:

• What was your most valuable academic learning experience and why?

• How do you spend free time? What excites you? Concerns you? Enrages you?

• Discuss three goals you have in life and why?

• What has been your most pivotal life learning experience and why?

• Who is one person who has had a significant influence on you? Describe the influence?

• What is your one-sentence philosophy of life and why do you believe it?

• What are your values and why?

• Discuss a failure and what it taught you. How did it change your life?

• List three virtues that you admire and respect and why. How do you practice them?

• Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, or risk you have taken, or an ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you

• Respond to three quotes that hold meaning for you and explain why they are meaningful. (These can open up and explain a special side of your intellect and character.)

• Discuss your definition of happiness and how you discovered it. (This is a good way to find out what you really want in life.)

• Who has been the most influential person in your life and why?

Step 2: How Do You Begin to Decide to Tell Who You Are?

• Narrow your topic choices.

• Tell a story only you can tell.

• Choose a topic that shows a willingness to experience life and to learn from mistakes.

• Choose the topic that most interests you, one for which you have the most to say. Make it the most specific topic you can devise.

Step 3: First Draft. When you have decided what you want the admissions committee to know about you, you are ready to begin your first draft.

Step 4: Review Your Draft.

Step 5: Sample Essays. You may want to read some sample essays to see how others have presented themselves, but if you do so, do not model your essay to be like one you have read.

Step 6: Re-write until you are satisfied. Everything you have ever learned about good writing applies here.

Step 7: Final Checkpoints. Ensure the following-

• The essay should be typed using standard fonts and formats.

• Be sure you have the correct college name on your submission.

• Do not exceed the suggested length.

• Proofread! Check for typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors.

• If you are filing an online application, proof read it very carefully before sending it.

• Make copies of everything, just in case.

• When you are finished, ask one or two knowledgeable people to read your essay and give you honest feedback.