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College Application Essay Tips
COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY TIPS
Who Are You?? The college application essay provides an
opportunity to tell the admissions committee more about you. As a
high school senior, you have established your GPA, completed or will
complete your testing soon and the essay is the last part of the
application in which you still have some control. A good essay will
strengthen your application.
Selective colleges normally require an essay. Many other colleges
do not require essays. Some college applications ask for a short
response. Be sure to give the short answer questions lots of thought.
GETTING STARTED:
Make a list of four things that describe you. (leader, athlete, first in my
family to go to college, started a business, etc.)
What are your personal triumphs or challenges?
What experiences have made an impact on your life? (travel, work,
church/temple, family.)
What have you learned from a mistake?
What makes you different from your friends?
Describe the world you come from (family, community, school)
If you have a disability, talk about it in the context of your ability to
succeed.
Has your culture influenced you?
COLLEGE ESSAY TOPICS:
Tell us about a risk you have taken.
Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution or personal quality that
is important to you.
Describe an experience or idea you find intellectually exciting.
How have you taken advantage of educational opportunities you have
had to prepare for college?
What contribution will you bring to campus?
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk taken or ethical
dilemma you faced and its impact on you. (Common Application)
Discuss a personal, local or national concern and its importance to
you. (Common Application)
Select a topic of your choice. (Common Application)
WHAT MAKES A GOOD ESSAY?
It is written in your own words.
It provides personal information about your goals, interests or other
experiences.
It follows the guidelines on the application, answers the question and
stays close to the word limit.
It is well written and proofread. Spell check does not catch every error.
You must proofread several times.
Think of the personal essay as an interview. The reader should be
able to pull out adjectives that describe you after reading your essay.
A good essay should give the college a reason to accept you.
If you use the common application www.commonapp.org , you will
have a choice of six essay topics. These topics normally do not
change from year to year. You could get an early start on your essay
during summer vacation.
Many books are available to help you with your essay:
100 Successful College Application Essays by Georges
The College Application Essay by College Board
COLLEGE ESSAY WORD LIMITS
The essay normally has a word limit. What happens if you are over the
limit? If you are a few words over, it shouldn't be a problem. If you are
twenty, thirty or more words over the limit, you should reduce the
words. It's a good idea to follow directions and stay within the
guidelines. Don't try to reduce the size of the type or make small
margins in order to fit all the words.
Who Are You?? The college application essay provides an
opportunity to tell the admissions committee more about you. As a
high school senior, you have established your GPA, completed or will
complete your testing soon and the essay is the last part of the
application in which you still have some control. A good essay will
strengthen your application.
Selective colleges normally require an essay. Many other colleges
do not require essays. Some college applications ask for a short
response. Be sure to give the short answer questions lots of thought.
GETTING STARTED:
Make a list of four things that describe you. (leader, athlete, first in my
family to go to college, started a business, etc.)
What are your personal triumphs or challenges?
What experiences have made an impact on your life? (travel, work,
church/temple, family.)
What have you learned from a mistake?
What makes you different from your friends?
Describe the world you come from (family, community, school)
If you have a disability, talk about it in the context of your ability to
succeed.
Has your culture influenced you?
COLLEGE ESSAY TOPICS:
Tell us about a risk you have taken.
Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution or personal quality that
is important to you.
Describe an experience or idea you find intellectually exciting.
How have you taken advantage of educational opportunities you have
had to prepare for college?
What contribution will you bring to campus?
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk taken or ethical
dilemma you faced and its impact on you. (Common Application)
Discuss a personal, local or national concern and its importance to
you. (Common Application)
Select a topic of your choice. (Common Application)
WHAT MAKES A GOOD ESSAY?
It is written in your own words.
It provides personal information about your goals, interests or other
experiences.
It follows the guidelines on the application, answers the question and
stays close to the word limit.
It is well written and proofread. Spell check does not catch every error.
You must proofread several times.
Think of the personal essay as an interview. The reader should be
able to pull out adjectives that describe you after reading your essay.
A good essay should give the college a reason to accept you.
If you use the common application www.commonapp.org , you will
have a choice of six essay topics. These topics normally do not
change from year to year. You could get an early start on your essay
during summer vacation.
Many books are available to help you with your essay:
100 Successful College Application Essays by Georges
The College Application Essay by College Board
COLLEGE ESSAY WORD LIMITS
The essay normally has a word limit. What happens if you are over the
limit? If you are a few words over, it shouldn't be a problem. If you are
twenty, thirty or more words over the limit, you should reduce the
words. It's a good idea to follow directions and stay within the
guidelines. Don't try to reduce the size of the type or make small
margins in order to fit all the words.