THE COLLEGE ESSAY
COLLEGE BOUND
Lorentzen ENG IV
“The personal statement should not be taken lightly. It indicates your writing ability and expresses your desire to become a professional in the field to which you are applying. Some programs request only a short statement, while others might request several separate essays on a variety of topics.
Your goal is to write a clear, succinct essay that highlights your strengths, explains any weaknesses, and presents a positive image of yourself to the admissions committee. Tailor your essay to each particular school’s philosophy and requirements. Make sure your essay reflects your enthusiasm for the field, your writing abilities, and the clarity and depth of your thinking. Above all, your personal statement must be individual and sincere without being too ‘gimmicky.’”
-Davidson College
“First, college admission committees are not looking for a polished treatise on some lofty topic. Second, they are not swayed by complex, mind-bending words or sentences. College admission committees require personal statements because they want to know your interests, your goals, and the way you express yourself. In short, they are looking for you.
As you write, remember to be real. Never force a tone that is humorous, serious, or anything else. Let the humor and spirit of your writing come naturally from the way you feel about your material. Your statement will be far more effective if you do.”
-St. John’s University
ORIENTING THE ESSAY (Select one from this page or common app)
The college admissions process is much like dating. Admissions officers are looking for a long-term relationship. Rather than asking for your astrological sign, the admissions officer wants to learn about you through a personal essay. You must be appealing, seem compatible, and be the commitment type for it to work out.
Who are you?
Think about something you never did in high school but wish you had. Discuss why you didn’t do this, why you wish you had, and what you think/hope the difference would have been. What risks would you like to take in the future? (Cornell)
Provide a descriptive essay about your family and cultural background. Include how each has influenced who you are. (UNC-CH)
If you could interview a prominent person (past or present) in the arts, politics, religion, or science whom would you choose and why? (Hampden-Sydney)
What do you have to offer me?
What is your academic passion? (Wake Forest)
Write on a matter of importance or genuine interest to you. Any topic and any form of written expression is acceptable. Your essay should reflect why this is significant to you. (Duke, Emory, Furman, and just about everywhere else)
If you could re-invent your high school, what is essential and what would you change? (Elon)
Are we a match made in heaven?
Why do you consider Duke a good match for you? Is there something in particular you anticipate contributing to the Duke community?
Discuss one of the following: a social concern with which you have had some involvement that you feel is a threat to your community or our nation; your philosophies of honor, leadership and social responsibility and how they interrelate; or Wake Forest’s motto Pro Humanitate. Explain what Pro Humanitate means to you.
Why would you like to attend NC State?
Note that the common application is a good way to save time. Be sure your institutions accept it; most do. The link is below and the prompts are copied on the next page.
Below is the common application’s essay prompt:
Please write an essay of 250 – 500 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. NOTE: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form.
1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.
Lorentzen’s Thoughts:
1. You are a commodity that needs marketing.
2. You (probably) aren’t divine. Don’t be afraid to express your flaws. However, certain weaknesses are better than others, and euphemisms are your friends.
Example: Don’t say - I cried this one time that I received a C-.
Do say- I am hypercritical of my own performance.
3. Know where you are applying.
- If you are looking at a liberal arts school, it is perfectly acceptable to have many interests. If you are applying to a school of Biomedical Engineering, you dang well better want to be a Biomedical Engineer.
- If they have a motto, USE IT!
- Edit for specific phrases. “My blood runs true blue” would not work for NC State or Clemson.
4. The personal essay is a window into your soul. Make sure it’s well decorated.
5. Taking risks is an easy way to get in… or out. Have some other eyes assess your risks.
6. Watch your tone. Don’t be too cute/informal or too serious/formal.
7. Football and basketball are awesome. Being a football or a basketball fan is also awesome. However, writing a college admissions essay in which you state that you want to attend an academic institution to attend its games is ludicrous (ludacris spells it wrong). If you want to mention it in discretely, it might work.
Some other thoughts:
Hayden, Thomas C., Handbook for College Admissions; Moll, Richard, Playing the Private College Admissions Game; Curry and Kasbar, Essays that Worked
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Does my essay show my:
Ability
Motivation
Creativity
Self-discipline
Growth Potential
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