Writing a College Application Essay
Do you remember the feeling you had when you first got behind the wheel of a car, attended a school dance, or voted in an election? This might be the same feeling you have as you look at a blank page of paper and wonder what you are going to write for your college application essay: nervousness. But there鈥檚 no need to fear. Like millions who came before us, writing your university personal statement is just a rite of passage that we鈥檝e all had to experience. You don鈥檛 have to feel like you are the only person in the world to face that blank sheet. We鈥檙e here to help, and our mission is to find your voice. Don鈥檛 worry about what you think the admissions officer will want you to write. Write as an expression of who you are. Write as a product of finding your voice.
Understanding the Personal Statement
Imagine two students, Keith and Maria. Both have a 3.85 GPA, multiple AP classes, and a lengthy list of extracurricular activities. They look, at first, like similar candidates. But Maria writes about how she immigrated to the U.S. at age ten, taught herself how to code by age 15, and overcame financial barriers. Keith writes about how he got stuck on a roller-coaster at the carnival and learned the meaning of friendship. Now suddenly these are two very different applicants. That鈥檚 the power of the story.
Brainstorming
Here鈥檚 an exercise to start your story. Set an alarm for ten minutes, take a sheet of paper, and write 鈥淚 am.鈥� From this beginning, write freely and without regard to grammar--write as if introducing yourself to a new friend. When you鈥檙e done, circle five phrases you feel are most significant to your identity. Ready for more? Now write a few sentences about:
- A favorite place from childhood
- The best day of your life
- The worst day of your life
- A random talent
- Something you believe in strongly
- A significant relationship
- The greatest obstacle you鈥檝e overcome
- A time you鈥檝e won
- What makes you smile
- Your favorite object or possession
- Significant leadership experience
What topics should you avoid?
- An essay about your accomplishments
- Trauma
- Moving
- A sports injury
- A person you look up to
- Sexual content
- Illegal or illicit behavior
- The 鈥減arty animal鈥� essay
The Structure of the Admissions Essay
If you are familiar with the 鈥渇ive-paragraph essay鈥� you know how to write a thesis and three supports, and write polished, careful prose. But the admissions essay is not the five-paragraph essay. Rather, you need to harness the power of the story to grab the reader鈥檚 attention and then to continue to write while holding it on. Why? It鈥檚 because stories engage, stories are relatable, stories are the most effective way to get a reader鈥檚 attention.
- Show, don鈥檛 tell.
- Use dialogue.
- Start with the 鈥渃inematic opening.鈥�
- Build toward the climax.
Then, finish the essay by bringing it full circle. Just as the famous 鈥淗ero鈥檚 Journey鈥� ends with the hero returning home, you can often return right back to where your essay started.
Fatal Flaws to Avoid
While there are many right ways to craft an essay, there are also quite a few wrong ways. Here are some common mistakes.
- Essay is vague or lacks substance. You didn鈥檛 answer the prompt, you don鈥檛 cite examples, you didn鈥檛 reveal feelings, or you simply repeated the same information.
- Essay overuses clich茅 words or phrases. 鈥淭ime heals all wounds,鈥� 鈥渢hinking outside the box,鈥� etc.
- The personal statement lacks structure. The aforementioned five-paragraph essay.
- Your essay isn鈥檛 really about you. A tribute to one鈥檚 grandmother, for example.
- Your essay simply repeats what is on your r茅sum茅. Your extracurricular activities are listed elsewhere on your application.
- The essay is tone-deaf. The tone is overly humorous, dry and cynical, or too confident. The essay has gimmicks or quirks.
Writing the Winning Introduction
Writing a vivid, compelling introduction 鈥渉ooks鈥� your reader and draws them in. How do you start? You can begin with the earliest (chronological) time you began the topic of your essay. You can avoid a thesis statement and think of the essay as a story. You can use vivid, descriptive language, bold imagery, an anecdote, dialogue, or an element of mystery. Most of the time, you should avoid a song, poem, or 鈥渆xtra creative鈥� opening. It鈥檚 often also a bad idea to open with a famous quotation. Finally, there is no correct number of sentences to open with.
This is a time to think about displaying leadership. Famously, U.S. colleges and universities desire candidates who have displayed leadership talent. What is your most significant example?
Writing the Perfect Conclusion
The conclusion of the essay is an opportunity to close with a snap. If appropriate, it鈥檚 possible to refer back to the anecdote or description from your introduction. You can possibly end with dialogue or a vivid, 鈥渃inematic鈥� conclusion. Show, don鈥檛 tell, and consider the conclusion a final opportunity to make an impression on the admissions officer.
Here are some don鈥檛s: Don鈥檛 summarize your essay, don鈥檛 over-reflect, and don鈥檛 use clich茅 phrases, e.g. 鈥淚 think,鈥� 鈥淚 learned,鈥� or 鈥渢he most important thing.鈥�
The Personal Statement Editing Checklist
- Review your introduction. Does it grab the reader鈥檚 attention? Does it begin to tell a story?鈥�
- Review the structure of the essay. Does the essay use transitions effectively? Does the story flow? Are the paragraphs in the right order?
- Review your conclusion. Is the ending strong and effective? Does it tie your story together in a manner that is memorable, yet concise?鈥�
- Do you use a variety of sentence types?
- Are there grammatical or spelling errors?
- Is your verb tense consistent?
- Do you use a variety of different words?
- Do you follow the word count?
- Ask a person to provide feedback, but avoid having more than 2-3 people edit your essay. Having multiple people proofread your essay has the potential to provide conflicting feedback and can also dilute your voice. An essay can be 鈥渙ver-edited.鈥�
Writing the 鈥淲hy Us鈥� Supplemental Essay
Some applications will ask you to submit one or more supplementary essays. One common type is the 鈥淲hy Us鈥� essay. This is an opportunity to focus on specific opportunities unavailable elsewhere, to show how your unique passions connect with the university鈥檚 offerings, or to include a specific professor鈥檚 name if it covers a special interest of yours or if you鈥檝e read a book they鈥檝e published. If you have a sincere interest in the geographic location of the university, you could include it if it鈥檚 connected to a true personal interest or passion of yours.
Writing the 鈥淲hy This Major鈥� Supplemental Essay
Some US programs (and all UK, for that matter) want you to explain your academic specialization as part of your application package. This is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate why you are a good match for the college of your choice. But some applicants draw a blank. Here鈥檚 what to do: tell the story of how your academic interest began. Start with a story from childhood if at all possible (e.g., at the age of six, I disassembled my family鈥檚 cuckoo clock; today, I鈥檓 applying for a civil engineering program). Learn more about your target school鈥檚 professors, research, and student-led clubs. If you have career and professional goals, tie them into an essay explaining your academic interest.
Writing the 鈥淒iversity鈥� Supplemental Essay
The university sometimes asks 鈥渨ho are you,鈥� 鈥渨hat makes you unique,鈥� and 鈥渨hat communities do you belong to?鈥� Your answer may include your culture, race, ethnicity, your gender identity and/or sexual orientation, your religion, your family鈥檚 socioeconomic status, your values and beliefs, your unique life experiences and/or disabilities, etc. You may at first think you won鈥檛 bring diversity, but even matters such as having lived abroad for years or being vegan can be unique aspects of your personal story. Are you an adoptee? Are you fluent in sign language, a musician, or are you from a military family? Your topic choices can be limitless--go for it!
Writing the 鈥淨uotation鈥� Supplemental Essay
Although it is generally regarded as risky to open your college essays with a famous quotation (too many people do it), sometimes the college will turn the tables by sharing their own quotation and asking for your reflection or interpretation. The professional advice is to read the quote carefully, research the individual who wrote it, and use it as an opportunity to share more about yourself and why you would be a good fit at that particular school.
Finishing Strong
You are now entering the final stage of your college admissions essay. Re-read your essay carefully, taking note of mistakes such as 鈥渢hey鈥檙e/their/there,鈥� 鈥渢wo/too/to,鈥� 鈥渃omplement/compliment,鈥� 鈥渆ffect/affect,鈥� etc. Avoid conditional phrasing such as 鈥減robably,鈥� 鈥減lanned to,鈥� 鈥渉ope to,鈥� and so on. Check your capitalization. More broadly, ask yourself if you have conveyed your message enough, whether you have told the story you need to convey this message, and if you have been as specific as you can be to make your story as strong as possible. Websites such as Grammarly can help you with issues such as these.