How To Write A College Application Essay

How To Write A College Application Essay The college application essays are often the college application component where students experience the most stress, and the element where they’re more likely to make mistakes. The college essay is an important component of the college application process. Most colleges require at least one essay from applicants, and several schools require two or three. We checked in with Jodi Then, High School Counselor at Boston Green Academy, to ask her advice on crafting the best college essay. Jodi has several years of experience guiding Massachusetts students through the college admissions process, and she offers some wise words below. You might think, “I don’t have anything like that.” All of us have experiences that have impacted our lives. Sit down with your folks and talk about your family and your “growing-up” years. Make sure when you write your essay that you don’t just ramble on and on. Follow the five-paragraph or a modified version of that format. You will need a catchy introduction where you pull in your reader, supportive examples, and then a wonderful conclusion where you pull everything together and leave the reader with a smile, a tear, or a wow. With any luck, he’ll avoid following in his dad’s footsteps (I’m a writer) and go on to earn an honest living. Maybe he’ll advise students on their college essays, grow rich, and support me in my dotage. Our students write great application essays and become stronger writers, better prepared for college and beyond. Year after year they get into their top choice colleges, including the Ivies, prestigious liberal arts schools, and the best state universities. Pick a meaningful experience and take the reader through your process of self-discovery. A man that she adored but discovered that he was a cocaine addict. She took the reader through the stages of loving, hating, being disappointed, ashamed and finally acceptance, understanding and again loving while “Dad” was going through treatment. She allowed herself to be vulnerable which made the essay dynamite. Another student talked about the struggles of having learning disabilities and the pain that he experienced during his educational career. The college to which you are applying wants to evaluate your preparedness for that major and your committment to completing your bachelor's degree in a timely fashion. George did more than 30 drafts, spending a summer writing whenever he wasn’t working at his job or hiking outdoors. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, and it made him miserable. Because colleges are looking for students who know themselves well, have academic goals and a career direction, and can articulate them clearly. However, admissions reps also need to know how you think. So the primary purpose of the college essay is to provide an opportunity to tell your whole story. A great college essay gives the college an opportunity to see who you really are. The essay really gives you an opportunity to be creative. Allow yourself time and don’t throw it together right at the end. With all the competition trying to get into the good schools, your essay could make the difference. The best essays are the ones that provide real insight into who you are and how you think. Your essay should definitely provide perspective on you that augments what is found in the rest of your application….perhaps highlighting an area of passion for you that may not otherwise be obvious. The essays that read best are the ones written authentically, and from the heart. this book will tell you everything you need to know, in very direct language, about what you need to do to write a good essay on an application to a competitive college. the problem is that the author will leave you infuriated at what a sleaze bag, crap shoot the whole college admisssions process has become. the chapter that describes a fictious late night conversation between two admissions officers will make your skin crawl. if admissions people are so burned out and bored with reading applications with less than brilliant essays then i suggest they find another line of work. however, the book is well written, humorous at times and filled with absolutely essential information for kids trying to get into competitive colleges.