Art of College Application Essays

College application essay is the primary vehicle you have for telling colleges about YOU

• There is no “right” or “wrong” answers. This is your opportunity to tell the admissions committee about who you are as a person. Let yourself shine through in your essay. If you are serious, write a serious essay. If you are funny write a funny essay. Don’t start reinventing yourself for your college essay.
• Tell them something different from what they will read on your list of extracurricular activities or transcript.
• Focus on something you know and care about. Don’t be afraid to reveal yourself in your writing. They want to know who you are and how you think.
• Don’t try to tackle too much. Focus on one person, event or activity. Don’t create a watered down or disjointed essay by taking on two much.
• Have a thesis that is clear to you and to the reader. Your thesis should indicate where you are going and what you are trying to communicate from the outset.
• Avoid writing a history report. Some background knowledge may help support you point.
• Answer each school’s essay individually.
• Keep it short and to the point.
• They want to hear YOUR voice in your writing. Too much input from too many people creates as essay that sounds as though a committee has written it.
• Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! When you are finally ready to send off your essay, STOP, and read it again.