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Learn how to write a compelling college admissions essay to stand out from the crowd. Discover tips on choosing the best subject, planning your essay, and maintaining the right tone. Understand what readers look for and how to approach short-answer questions effectively.
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How to Write an effective College Admissions Essay! AP Literature & Composition Presentation adapted from the following materials: McGraw-Hill’s Writing an Outstanding College Application Essay UC Berkeley Admissions Presentation
Purposes of the College Essay • This is your opportunity to: • Introduce yourself to the people who are trying to decide whether or not to invite you to their campus. • Show that you are effective communicator (e.g., literate and engaging) • Provide information to support/explain the rest of your application • This includes filling in any gaps or answering any questions/issues that may be raised by your application. • This is also your opportunity to include anything that is not mentioned elsewhere in your application. • Differentiate yourself from other students with similar applications. • Remember that you only get ONE chance to make a first impression!
Choosing the Best Subject for You • Do not use your essay to restate information that is already in your application or to list every accomplishment, activity, award, or personal quality. • Focus on aspects of your life that you are passionate about, that describe who you are as a person, that are relevant to your future goals, and that show you will be a successful college student.
Planning Your Essay • What type of essay will I write? • Think of this as a narrative: you are telling a story, with lots of concrete details, to an audience in order to capture their interest and help them to understand you better • What tone will my essay have? • Formal or informal, objective or personal, serious or humorous, sarcastic or reverent, etc. • Remember to be appropriate and not negative • Also, avoid clichés and attempts to be wildly creative or hilariously funny—the odds of achieving the effect you intend are probably not good. • The tone you choose should be reflective of your personality. Don’t try to be someone you are not.
Things to Keep in Mind as You Begin • Avoid sounding like a thesaurus. • Nothing is more awkward or turns readers off more than the use of pompous or inappropriate words. Imagine you are having a conversation with the reader (but again, be appropriate). • Keep it within the assigned word count. • Check to see that you have addressed ALL the requirements of the prompt.
Things Readers are Looking For • Not just about what you did in high school, but what you will bring to the university of your choice.
Things Readers are Looking For • Who you are and what kind of thinker you are • How you perceive the world • Not only that you feel but that you can think • That you pay attention • That you can look at an experience and evaluate it (think critically) • Dedication and determination • Passion • The fit for this college (do some research!)
Responding to Short-Answer Questions • Brief, direct responses that provide particular, concrete information to supplement the other sections of your application. • Do not use the very same response/wording from your longer personal essay. • Use your opening to immediately address the topic without actually repeating it. • Provide specific details that refer only to the given topic. • Consider each sentence to be capable of becoming a topic sentence in a longer essay. • Be specific. Be clear. Be direct. Be brief. • Avoid being redundant.
Last, But certainly Not Least • Don’t be afraid to begin en media res (in the middle of things). • Don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back (but don’t gloat, and avoid pomposity). • If you address a negative topic or issue, do your best to link it to a positive outcome or insight. • Choose one facet of an experience, and polish it for a single effect on the reader.
Some General Application Tips • Readers consider your application as a whole. • Low grades/test scores should not hold you back from applying • Readers use their “parent lens” and try to reward you for what is good in your application. • Don’t lie—background checks are conducted. • If a college decides it needs more information about you, they may conduct a deeper review: this means they may look at first and/or second semester grades, so don’t slack off.
