The College Essay

The College Essay In September we published a blog post that provided a basic framework for how to write a killer college essay â€" and offered tips on how to incorporate the Outward Bound experience into the application. This month, we’re giving you another nudge â€" and a slightly different perspective from yet another expert. For most students, it takes about 10 hours to write a good college essay. Many students write essays that are too clichéd or shallow, or too impersonal and uninformative. For some students, the essay itself will be cause for rejection. Even if you have had such an experience, don’t write about it. These types of pieces can come off negatively, and sometimes a teenager’s perception of a life changing event is much different than that of a college admissions reader. I once had a student who wrote about how he observed a water droplet while on vacation. This seemingly insignificant event caused him to think about why he loved art and philosophy over science and math. Quite simply, the best college essays make a personal statement and give admissions officers a window into your soul. If you’re applying to schools that request supplemental essays or do not accept the Common Application, you may have several different essays to write. Contrary to popular belief, students should not write about a horrible life event that changed their life forever. The fact is that most of us have not had such a life changing situation before the age of 18 (so don’t make one up either!). Shared by admissions staff, these essays stand out, they say, because the student voices shine, helping the school get to know them. U.S. News has compiled several college essay examples that helped students get into school. One common essay mistake is telling a particular story without answering the prompt. Since many colleges allow students to choose from a few different prompts, addressing the topic of your choice is an easy way to tell your story within the constraints of an essay. When writing, consider the admissions officer who will read your essay. Take this opportunity to expand on your application -- but remember to re-read your essay with the prompt in mind. We’re experts at helping students craft stellar college admission essays. From coming up with ideas to organizing your thoughts to drafting and revising, our writing tutors know how to help you create top college essays to boost your chance of admission at your dream school. You can help students by sharing these four college essay myths and facts before they write their essays and click send to the schools of their dreams. Evaluating a college essay, much like any piece of writing, is highly subjective. Two people might both like the same movie or song, but for totally different reasons. The problem is when a student seeks so many opinions from trusted adults. It's highly unlikely that any of these people have actually read college essays before â€" and certainly not as a member of a college admissions committee. Even if I happened to read another essay about being a drummer in the marching band, there’s no way I could confuse it with this one. These details belong only to this student, and they show us her leadership qualities rather than just telling us. With a January 1 application deadline racing toward us, now is a great time to be brainstorming, creating, polishing and revising those essays. Contact us to learn more about our college essay service. If you’re just getting started with your college essay, here is some advice on getting into the college essay mindset. “aerial view of graduates wearing hats” by Good Free Photos on UnsplashEarly admissions applications are due next month so high school seniors all over the country are writing their college essays. My niece is working on hers and that got me thinking about the college essay I wrote 33 years ago. The coronavirus has upended the lives of many students, so it's natural that some high school juniors plan to write about this topic in their college essays. But a few simple tips, some introspection and insight into what admissions officers are looking for can help ease the pressure. News has compiled several college essay examples that helped students get into school.