The College Admissions/Personal Essay Typed essay including the prompt that you chose to use; indicate which college or university it was from and what the space/word limitations were (if any). Consider these things: Hints and Tips Nearly all college admissions officials will admit that, left to themselves, most high school seniors will submit essays of stupefying dullness. Essays are particularly helpful for choosing among the gray area applicants, those that are neither obvious must-haves nor obvious no-ways. The college application itself is a lifeless thing a few sheets of paper and a few numbers. The essay is the best way to breathe life into it. As an admissions officer at New York University said, a good, polished essay within a carefully constructed application affords you the opportunity to be present, in a sense, when the committee meets, adding another element of control. 1. Imagine that your essay will be read by at least one college admissions officer and your peers and English teacher who wants to get an impression of the kind of person you are. Your essay should make an emotional impression. A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admission staff. You must put yourself on the paper because this is the closest most of you will come to having an admissions interview. An admissions officer at Duke urged applicants to try to be courageous and express yourselves honestly. 2. Make sure you have one GREAT idea. Admissions officers read hundreds of essays a day, and they have probably read many on the same few topics. Try to make yours stand out. Your idea should be a small, personal topic. Keep your focus narrow. By the way, an admissions director at a top-tier university suggested that you NOT write about The Four D s : death, divorce, drugs, and depression. 3. Make sure the real you comes out in your essay! In addition to writing a great essay about yourself, your writing style and personal voice should be evident in the essay. 4. Focus on details! The more details you include, the stronger, more interesting the essay. Include facts, too.
5. Don t think that you must have a tragedy or trauma in your life in order to have a good essay topic. You can write about common happenings such as riding a bicycle or failing a test; the magic comes in how you approach the topic. After you finish, ask yourself if anyone else could have written the essay. If the answer is yes, it s not personal and individual enough for an admissions essay. 6. Smooth out the rough edges. Have many people read it who know you well; read it aloud to yourself and others, too. Other editing tips: Consider some of these ways to make changes: add more detail, cut away repetitive phrases, combine sentences for a smoother flow of ideas, and write another way. If a word, sentence, or paragraph bothers you, write two new versions. Hopefully one of them will please you. Common Admissions Essay Flaws (from www.essayedge.com) Careless errors: Your readers may assume that you are careless, disorganized, or not serious enough about your application essay. Not fully addressing the essay prompt: If you fail to answer the college s essay question, no matter how boring you think it might be, you will probably not be admitted. A boring introduction: You must capture the admissions officer s attention in the first sentence or two. Being long-winded: Follow directions about how much space and how many words you can use. Get rid of repetitious words or ideas, and don t use clichés. Passive-voice verbs: Overusing the passive voice saps the strength and interest out of an essay. Thesaurus words: You want to express yourself clearly, and that probably isn t going to happen if you use a thesaurus when writing this essay. Big words do NOT equal a better essay. What to Avoid (from www.essayedge.com) Resorting to gimmicks Focusing on the negative Repeating information that is listed elsewhere in the application Being too controversial Seeking pity
According to the college board (AP service), three types of questions dominate the college/scholarship application: the you, the why us, and the creative. 1) The you question Many colleges ask for an essay that boils down to, Tell us about yourself. The school just wants to know you better and see how you ll introduce yourself. For example: Please complete a one-page personal statement and submit it with your application. (James Madison University) How would you describe yourself as a human being? What quality do you like best about yourself and what do you like least? What quality would you most like to see flourish and which would you like to see wither? (Bates College) Describe the most challenging obstacle which you had to overcome; discuss its impact and tell what you ve learned from the experience. (Guilford College) To learn to think is to learn to question. Discuss a matter that you once thought you knew for sure and you since learned to question. (Bryn Mawr College) Approach: Find one or two things that will reveal your best qualities. Ask friends, parents, teachers, coaches to suggest your strengths and build upon those ideas. 2) The why us question Some schools ask for an essay about your choice of a school or career. They re looking for information about your goals, and about how serious your commitment is to this particular school. For example: Why is UVM a good college for you? (University of Vermont) Please tell us about your career goals and any plans you may have for graduate study. (Westfield State College) Please relate your interest in studying at Georgetown University to your future goals. Approach: Your focus is provided, just be certain to do your homework. Do not indicate that you selected Smith College as the best fit for you to major in dance to fulfill a life long dream. (Smith does not have a dance major.) 3) The creative question
Some colleges evaluate you through your choice of some tangential item: A national issue, a famous person, what you would put in a time capsule, a photograph. Here the school is looking at your creativity and the breadth of your knowledge and education. For example: Do you believe there s a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others. (Denison University) Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. What is the value and importance of community service in our society and tell us what it means to you? (Ohio Wesleyan University) John Keats said, Even a proverb is not a proverb until your life has illustrated it. Please tell us about a proverb, maxim or quote that has special meaning for you. (Duke University) (William Jewell) o Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you o Discuss some issue of personal. Local, national, or international concern and its importance on you. o Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. o 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. o 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. Essay Prompts for the Texas Common Application (For all Texas public colleges and universities) NOTE: Last year, only these Texas public universities asked for admissions essays: A&M College Station (prompts A and B recommended); A&M at Galveston (prompts A and B); A&M at Kingsville (prompt C recommended); Texas State University (prompt A, B, or C); Texas Tech (prompt B or C recommended); UT-Austin (prompts A and B); College of Architecture at UT- Austin (prompts B and D). Institutions do not require all four essays. Unless otherwise specified, your essay(s) should be typed and be no longer than one page (8 ½ x 11 ). Put your name and Social Security number at the top of each page.
Topic A: Describe a significant setback, challenge or opportunity in your life and the impact that it has had on you. Topic B: Many students expand their view of the world during their time in college. Such growth often results from encounters between students who have lived different cultural, economic, or academic experiences. With your future growth in mind, describe a potential classmate that you believe you could learn from either within or outside a formal classroom environment. Topic C: What additional information do you wish to be considered in the decision to admit you? For example: 1. Exceptional hardship, setback or personal experience that has shaped your abilities or academic credentials 2. Personal responsibilities 3. Exceptional achievements or special talents such as poetry, art, bilingual proficiency, etc. 4. Educational goals and choice of major 5. Ways you contribute to the commitment that the university has made to create an institution with a diverse learning environment Enclose documentation and references to contact for verification, if appropriate. Topic D: Describe an aesthetic experience you have had that was brought about by an architectural space or sequence of spaces, either interior or exterior. Try to link the nature of the experience to the nature of the space.