Jan 08, · They may ask you to respond to a question or prompt. This application essay is your opportunity to show colleges your personality and how you think. You can use the essay to demonstrate what you can bring to a campus and to stand out from other applicants When you apply to college, you’ll need to complete an essay as part of your application. This is your opportunity to show admission officers who you are and to provide information about yourself that didn’t fit in other areas of your application. The essay also reveals what you can do when you have time to think and work on a writing project. The number one piece of advice May 20, · In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on
What Should My College Essay be About? – Undergraduate Admission Blog
To revisit a metaphor I used in that post, style is the wrapping paper of your essay—the content is the gift. As much as we love a pretty package, we want to open it up to find something wonderful inside. Students frequently ask what they should write about—there is really no way for an admission counselor to answer this question. You know yourself best and you know what is important to share. All college essays must contain two elements, however: the il lustration and the insight.
The illustration element can take many shapes, but most students use an anecdote what should i write my college application essay about series of moments to illuminate their personality and experiences. The insight element can be separate or intertwined, but a strong college essay always includes some type of analysis.
Your goal in a personal statement is not only to introduce us to yourself but to show us how you think. That all sounds very heady, but your high school career has prepared you to write a good essay. Now the trick is to make it personal…which is usually where students start to panic.
W hile you do have the option to write on any subject, that amount of freedom can often seem nebulous to students. I suggest you start by doing a quick write for each prompt to see what comes to mind. On the other hand, you may have a topic you already know you want to address, and the prompts can shape it in a way that allows you highlight what college admission counselors are looking for. Last year our office read about 64, Common App essays.
My colleagues have shared their impressions on what succeeds and what misses the mark when it comes to each prompt, and now I pass that collective wisdom on to you. These are not hard and fast rules—an opinion on an essay is just that, an opinion—but these are the trends that our admission counselors have noticed.
Prompt 1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.
If this sounds like you, what should i write my college application essay about, then please share your story. Prompt 2: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure.
How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Prompt 3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking?
What was the outcome? It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale.
Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. Prompt 5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. Prompt 6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Prompt 7: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. Oof…that was a lot, huh? to ask for help, what should i write my college application essay about.
And, as always, feel free to share your questions in the comments section below. Happy writing! Hi, Ruddy! Some departments do ask additional questions, what should i write my college application essay about. You can learn more on their specific admission websites, but you can also see them in Common App and SlideRoom.
Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content About Us Staff Blogs Brittany Baker-Brousseau Angelica Gutierrez Hillary Higgins Jaclyn Robbin Other USC Student Blogs. What can be effective: Tying aspects of your identity to your goals and aspirations. When ideas coalesce, they tend to shine brighter. Sharing those aspects of yourself that may not be readily apparent but are meaningful to you can be a very clear window into who you are.
Highlighting seemingly insignificant interests or talents, what should i write my college application essay about. These guilty pleasures, however, can actually be a meaningful as well as fun and memorable way to talk about yourself and showcase your personality. You have very limited space on the Common App to show us who you are and what you are capable of. If you use different sections of the application to share the exact same information, you are losing out on an opportunity to show us more!
Sharing an entire life story. Biographies can be incredible pieces of work…they are also significantly longer than words. If you are trying to include all 17 years of your life in a college essay, you do not have the space to do your experiences justice.
The meaning of it all gets glossed over. Focusing on specific, significant moments gives you the room to shed light on their impact on your life. This prompt tends to elicit many essays on sports injuries and failure to receive leadership positions. While these essays can be done quite well, it takes a good writer with strong personal insight to do so. Discussing problems that solved themselves. What can be effective: Showing your thought process. Reevaluating a belief or idea takes some time and is usually invisible perhaps even subconscious until it finally tips the other way.
Sometimes students have changed their minds about something and what should i write my college application essay about they have changed the minds of others. While these are two different approaches to this prompt, both have the opportunity to show us how you interact with the world and can show great insight.
We value students who, even when challenging the views of others, show th em respect. Bullying or disparaging others whose views do not align with yours is simply unacceptable in a college essay. You may choose to write about an instance where your ideas were challenged but you still held true to your principles. While it is possible for this type of essay to be effective, the writers can easily come across as obstinate.
Be what should i write my college application essay about of your tone and what should i write my college application essay about personal qualities you are trying to highlight. Addressing a topic or issue that may seem insignificant to someone else, but is meaningful to you, provides a great introduction to your personal passions and values. This prompt is a difficult one—not many students attempt it. A personal statement is not an appropriate place to simply recount a research project you did.
You can use it as a starting point, what should i write my college application essay about, but what we really want to learn about is your academic passions, not your particular findings. Come back next year �� Prompt 6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. What can be effective: Spreading your enthusiasm.
Some of the most memorable essays are those that introduce us not only to a student but a new idea or subject as well! Please see prompt 1 about effectively using space. What can be effective: Using this opportunity to showcase your creativity. It can be very difficult to pull off a piece of creative writing that still offers insight to your personality and experiences, but if you shine brightest out of the box, go for it!
School essays and the Common App essay serve very different purposes. School of Cinematic Arts? Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.
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7 GREAT College Essay Tips to Help You Stand Out
, time: 8:52How to Write a College Application Essay - College Board Blog
Oct 03, · “I tell kids that the essay is important because it allows you to tell a different story from the basic demographic information that you provide in your application,” says Nick Watson, Director of College Access at ScholarMatch, a San Francisco nonprofit that helps kids navigate the college process. The essay can — and should — help kids “come alive” for Estimated Reading Time: 7 mins Jan 08, · They may ask you to respond to a question or prompt. This application essay is your opportunity to show colleges your personality and how you think. You can use the essay to demonstrate what you can bring to a campus and to stand out from other applicants May 20, · In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on
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