Wednesday, 9/10 and Thursday, 9/11
College Essay Writing Tips
TIPS:
Write an Effective Application Essay
A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admissions staff. It will round out the rest of your application and help you stand out from the other applicants. The essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it. Check out these tips before you begin.
Do
Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal
Your essay must prove a single point or thesis. The reader must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Try having someone read just your introduction to see what he thinks your essay is about.
Essays that try to be too comprehensive end up sounding watered-down. Remember, it's not about telling the committee what you've done—they can pick that up from your list of activities—instead, it's about showing them who you are.
Prove It
Develop your main idea with vivid and specific facts, events, quotations, examples, and reasons. There's a big difference between simply stating a point of view and letting an idea unfold in the details:
Okay: "I like to be surrounded by people with a variety of backgrounds and interests"
Better: "During that night, I sang the theme song from Casablanca with a baseball coach who thinks he's Bogie, discussed Marxism with a little old lady, and heard more than I ever wanted to know about some woman's gall bladder operation."
Be Specific
Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing by using vivid and specific details.
Okay: "I want to help people. I have gotten so much out of life through the love and guidance of my family, I feel that many individuals have not been as fortunate; therefore, I would like to expand the lives of others."
Better: "My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of sidelines 'til their shoes filled with water or their fingers turned white, or a person's golden retriever signed his name on their coats in mud. I think that kind of commitment is what I'd like to bring to working with fourth-graders."
Don't
Don't Tell Them What You Think They Want to Hear
Most admissions officers read plenty of essays about the charms of their university, the evils of terrorism, and the personal commitment involved in being a doctor. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear.
Don't Write a Resume
Don't include information that is found elsewhere in the application. Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list. Yawn.
"During my junior year, I played first singles on the tennis team, served on the student council, maintained a B+ average, traveled to France, and worked at a cheese factory."
Don't Use 50 Words When Five Will Do
Eliminate unnecessary words.
Okay: "Over the years it has been pointed out to me by my parents, friends, and teachers—and I have even noticed this about myself, as well—that I am not the neatest person in the world."
Better: "I'm a slob."
Don't Forget to Proofread
Typos and spelling or grammatical errors can be interpreted as carelessness or just bad writing. Don't rely on your computer's spell check. It can miss spelling errors like the ones below.
"After I graduate form hi school, I plan to work for a nonprofit organization during the summer."
"From that day on, Daniel was my best Fried."
TIPS
http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/News/StepsNewsletter/tips_college_essay.htm
1. Make sure you fully understand every word used in your essay. A large vocabulary is impressive, but when words are used in the wrong context they have a negative effect on your writing.
2. Use transitions sentences and transition words (furthermore, like, also, additionally, etc) between paragraphs to tie them together. Transitions will help your writing flow.
3. Vary your sentence structure. Use simple, complex, and compound sentences to pace your writing and make it more exciting.
4. Stay away from empty sentences. Every sentence should be well thought out and packed with new information.
5. Avoid using the same words repeatedly. If necessary, use a thesaurus to find synonyms.
Know the rules of punctuation and grammar. If you are unsure about anything, look it up.
6. Read your essay aloud and proofread as you write. Listen carefully to how it sounds and correct problems as you go.
SAMPLES
http://www.accepted.com/college/sampleessays.aspx
http://www.internationalstudent.com/essay_writing/college_essay.shtml
http://www.college-admission-essay.com/essays.html
