Writing Tips
WRITING TIPS
I. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE APPLICATION ESSAY?
What will you bring to a college? What significant information do you want a college to know about you? What talents, values, leadership skills, and/or insights are essential to your character?
When you choose one of the essay questions on your application, consider telling a story about an experience in your life that illustrates what is significant about you. Describe how that experience has affected, changed and/or deepened you. The more specific and focused you can be, the better.
What's the point of writing about a personal, specific experience?
- You need to engage the reader's attention and hold it. If you describe an experience as if you're reliving it, you're more likely to draw the reader into your world.
- The more specific the experience, the more individual your writing will be. You want to write about yourself in such a manner that makes your essay honest and memorable.
- Author Sarah Myers McGinty of The College Application Essay says, "Select one thing about yourself and illuminate that. The light from one interesting point will reflect a lot about your entire personality. Less is more here. A small and interesting facet will shine most brightly."
I've never had an unusual experience or done something really significant. What kind of specific examples from my life would be appropriate?
- The essay isn't about how unusual or extraordinary the experience is. The focus is on its significance to you. If what you've done isn't unique, your reflections about your experience are. Begin writing as if you're having a conversation on the page with a trusted friend or a mentor about what this experience means to you.
- If you clearly communicate what impact this experience had on you, your distinct voice will emerge. Your ability to convey the meaning of this event is essential to make your writing stand out to the reader. How did the experience help you grow as a person? What did you learn from it that affects you now?
Focus on depth rather than breadth.
- Instead of trying to tell your life story in a page or two, focus on a specific incident or a related series of events that profoundly moved you or allowed you to see yourself or the world in a different way.
- Simply said, describe an individual experience and the understanding you gained from it; don't write an epic biography. If you're uncertain which experience to write about, draft several, e-mail them to me at info@college-essay.com, and I'll suggest which one might work. Include your name and current e-mail address. There is a fee for this service.
Be honest and be yourself.
- When you tap into your own values and voice, your personality comes across the page loud and clear. Express yourself as you do in conversation about what matters to you. We'll clean up the grammar as you revise.
- Be truthful in expressing your principles or you're giving the reader a false picture of you. Don't try to write an ideal version of what you think the college wants to hear; you've got too much at stake to do that in this important essay. Be honest and be yourself.
II. HOW DO I GET STARTED?
If you're stumped as to which topic to write about, try one or more of the following exercises:
- If you had to describe your character in six words, what would they be? If your best friend chose six words, would they be the same or different? Why?
- What are your most admirable traits that you and your best friend would agree on? What actions of yours reveal those traits?
- Have you had an experience that significantly changed your point of view? Write three specific reasons that explain how it affected you.
- Have you struggled to accomplish something? Did you succeed or fail? How did you handle it and how did it change you?
- Has an "ordinary" person had an important influence on you? How?
(If you're curious about the kinds of questions asked, check out the examples on the Typical Essay Questions page from the UC application and the Common Application.)
III. WHAT DO I DO WITH MY FIRST DRAFT?
You're on a roll. You've written about one of the questions and, although your draft needs some work, you feel you're onto something. Here are some helpful steps to follow next:
- After you have written a draft, let it sit for a day or two.
- When you pick it up again, read it aloud to catch awkward phrases or dull sections. Watch for errors in punctuation or grammar. Avoid the use of slang.
- Ask yourself, have I clearly answered the prompt?
If you didn't know the person writing this essay, what would you think of him or her?
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Are your passions and commitments clear as well as what you will contribute to a college?
- Does a vital, engaging, distinctive human being emerge from your pages?
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