The application essay is
most crucial piece of writing student will submit to colleges, and, if not done impressively, it will also be their last. In most cases, it is college’s first actual exposure to student, and first impressions have a habit of lasting. A memorable essay contains all student’s Kodak moments interlaced with some less than blissful adventures to create necessary drama in writing.Students must begin by choosing right topic, meaning right topic for them, and one that will be well received by admissions committees. The subject matter chosen and its degree of difficulty say volumes to school about character of author. As quality of essay is dependent on student’s ability to respond to subject matter, making correct choice is absolutely essential.
Students should select a most thought-provoking and stimulating subject to write about, and it helps greatly to view task as a “we dare you to compete for privilege of attending our school” challenge from college. In other words, if there’s a literary masterpiece inside student crying out to be written and read, this would be a good time to unleash it!
Students writing about their favorite anything should be passionate about it. It’s not enough just to say you love something or someone. It must be explained why in no uncertain terms. If writing about how a particular relative was admired by student above all others, then how that person influenced student’s life, how student apprenticed that person or fashioned their lives in their light should be factored in.
Students often write about themselves as subject matter is well known to them and requires no research. However, as this is certainly not road less traveled, a necessary and serious effort is sorely needed to make journey stand out amongst all other students doing same. Be it overcoming adversity or how past summer was spent, writing should be uniquely appealing to reader and not same old, same old. However, essay should not be overwritten.
One of my students wrote about being molested when she was eight years old. She wisely chose not to go into horror in her accounting of it, but rather focused on how she overcame being victimized. The essay was most compelling and was well received. She is now pursuing a medical career at a very prestigious West Coast university.
Students should avoid writing too vividly about any traumatizing experience. The essay can be gripping but not horrifying. Remember, object here is to write an essay that captures reader’s imagination and begs to be read in its entirety. Highly controversial subjects such as abortion are best avoided.
One of my honor students wrote a “Pro Life” essay and expressed her views with such intensity that reading it left me with impression that she might be viewed as a danger to others with strong “pro choice” convictions! At first, when I advised her to rewrite it, she flat out refused. I explained that she was losing site of her goal – to be accepted to college and not to win points on her take of anti-abortion issue. She finally realized wisdom of my words when I reminded her that after she was accepted, she could protest and exercise her freedom of speech in any way she chose, but first, she had to get into school.
Students must keep their eye on prize and never lose sight of main objective – getting an admission ticket!
My all-time favorite essay question is University of Pennsylvania’s, “You’ve just written your 300 page autobiography. Tell us what’s on page 217?” I advise students who choose this essay to go back in time five or six years (about a third of their life), recall where they were and what they were doing in that time period, and then begin writing about it.
