College Essay Tips from University Admission Administrators
The day was a blur. After warming up and stretching, I sat down on the cold wooden floor, closed my eyes, and focused. I cleared my mind of every thought, every worry, and every insecurity. When I opened my eyes, every sense and nerve had become sharp and attentive, every motion finely tuned and deliberate. The preliminary rounds were quiet and painless, and the championship fight was suddenly before me. I could see that John looked as calm and as confident as ever. Adrenaline raced through my body as I stepped into the ring. We bowed to each other and to the instructor, and the match began.Instead, she describes an image of her family "huddled in front of the fireplace while drinking my brothers hot cocoa and listening to the pitter patter of rain outside our window. Three objects--fireplace, brothers hot cocoa, sound of rain--and we get the whole picture of their relationship. We know all we need to know.This college essay tip is by Mira Coach Mira Simon, Independent Educational Consultant and professionally trained coach from the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), who combines her expertise to help high school students find their pathway to college.
Believe it or not, the brainstorming stage may be more tedious than writing the actual application essay. The purpose is to flesh out all of your possible ideas so when you begin writing, you know and understand where you're going with the topic. Writing is hard work for most non-super humans. If you are a non-superhuman stick to the process that works: brainstorm, outline, write, edit, proofread. Check outPurdue Writing Lab especiallypassive vs. active voice this is a given for good writing. I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. Even a personal statement can have a thesis. Its important to remember that, though your ending can be somewhat ambiguoussomething well discuss more lateryour set-up should give the reader a clear sense of where were headed. It doesnt have to be obvious, and you can delay the thesis for a paragraph or two (as this writer does), but at some point in the first 100 words or so, we need to know were in good hands. We need to trust that this is going to be worth our time. Great Organizations for Health Informatics Professionals American Medical Informatics AssociationAmerican Health Information Management AssociationHealthcare Information and Management Systems SocietyNational Institutes The idea of writing new content for each college you apply to might be daunting. The good news is that in some cases, reusing one you have previously written is ok, provided you keep in mind a couple of points: Being confident is key, but you don't want to come across as boasting.
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In reading this essay, I get a strong impression of the kind of person this young man must be, someone full of good humor, but great sensitivity as well. His easy way with the language convinces me that he would be an excellent student, and a welcome addition to the class.
Next, let them know how college will help you achieve your long-term goals. Help them connect the dots and let them know you are there for a reason. Finally (heres an extra pro tip), learn how to answer common college interview questions within your essay. This will not only help you stand out from other applicants, but it will also prepare you for the college interview ahead of time as well. No one is expecting you to solve the issue of world peace with your essay. Oftentimes, we find students getting hung up with big ideas. Remember, this essay is about YOU. What makes you different from the thousands of other applicants and their essays? Be specific. Use vivid imagery. If youre having trouble, start small and go from there. P. S. make sure the first sentence of your essay is the most interesting one. Ernest Hemingway said, There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. The science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut said When I write I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth. Expect to get frustrated, throw away a bunch of drafts, delete great sentences, and want to give up. Then when those feelings happen, youll be prepared. Take a walk, drink some coffee, get out pen and paper instead of a computer and have another go just dont give up. As a former college admissions officer, I read thousands of essaysgood and bad. The essays that made the best impressions on me were the essays that were real.
Your writing should provide a context within which the reader learns about who you are and what has brought you to this stage in your life. Try to tie your account into how this has made you develop as a person, friend, family member or leader (or any role in your life that is important to you). You may also want to make a connection to how this has inspired some part of your educational journey or your future aspirations.Lets zoom in on the faded Levis. What does "faded" suggest?(She keeps clothes for a long time; she likes to be comfortable.)What does "Levi's" suggest?(She's casual; shes not fussy.)And why does she point out that theyre on the floor?(She's not obsessed with neatness.)This college essay tip is by Jonathan April, University of Chicago graduate, general manager of College Greenlight, which offers free tools to low-income and first-generation students developing their college lists.