Writing the College



Writing the College

Application Essay

INTRODUCTION: How to Present the “Real You”

Good college application essays are important for a number of reasons. They portray the writer as a real person, someone who is unique and worth knowing. They fill the gaps in the statistics and explain what four years of facts won’t show. They help college admissions officers determine how well students are suited to college life in general and to individual colleges especially. When your essay conveys a dynamic, honest, self-motivated image, you definitely improve your chances of acceptance.

TASK: How to Approach Your Topic

Colleges may request one essay or a combination of essays and short-answer themes. The personal statement helps the college to become acquainted with you in ways that are different from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. The personal essay will demonstrate your ability to organize thoughts and express yourself. The essay will help the college know you better as a person and as a student.

Your task is to write a personal essay (250-500 words) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed in most Common College Application forms.

Select one of the following topics:

➢ Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, or risk that you have taken and its impact on you

➢ Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you

➢ Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence

➢ 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

PROCESS (Getting Started)

Before you can begin writing your essay, you need to collect real data about yourself—who you are, what you have accomplished, and where you are headed. This kind of self-assessment is also valuable as preparation for college interviews.

To help put your thoughts into words, try answering the questions listed below. Remember that this preliminary work is to help you formulate ideas. Try to answer the following questions as succinctly and honestly as possible. This exercise is designed to get you thinking about topics and experiences that may be relevant to your college application essays. It is meant to help you get organized and focused before you begin to write. These questions were adapted from the book, How to Write a Winning College Application Essay.

Click here to take the Self-Assessment Survey.

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