THE COLLEGE ESSAY
Many admissions offices consider the essay as a significant opportunity for you to personalize
your application. With the increase in applications and selectivity today, the essay is even more
so significantly considered. To be exact, the essay makes the application come alive and can do
much to shape favorable impressions.
Colleges may request more than one essay, but most fall into 4 categories.
1.
2.
3.
4.
tell us about yourself
tell us about an academic or extracurricular interest
tell us why you want to come to our college
show us an imaginative side of your personality
To make the right choice on a topic, you must first assess what in your personality or
accomplishments illustrate your strong points as an individual. Once you begin to write, try to
identify some main themes in your life. Serving the community, new aspects of independence in
your life, family situations, or a love of music are all themes that have been popularly used. You
should decide which theme is most appropriate to your situation and what the college is asking
for in the essay. Then, try to adapt your talents and other information about you to the question.
For example, if the question is, “With whom would you like to spend an evening if you could have
your choice?” you could talk about anyone from Bach to a local band and then go into your love
of music.
Above all, always keep in mind what the Admissions Committees are looking for in the essay.
1. Your writing ability
2. How you approach the question and answer it clearly and concisely
3. Additional information about you as a student and as a person
Beware of writing “the shopping list” that some students do in their essays (just listing all of their
activities/accomplishments. That can produce a boring essay that produces very dull reading but
also doesn’t really give any insight about you. Always remember that before you start, think
about who you are, what you have accomplished, and where you are headed.
Once you begin to write your first draft, RELAX!!! Try a freeform outline, including everything
you might want to say about a topic. Discuss topics with your college counselor, your parents or
friends, and then set aside some alone time to write. After that draft is completed, start to refine it
and organize it into an essay format. Colleges/Universities do expect you to do your own work
but it is perfectly fine to show your work to others so that they can review it. It is a good idea to
stick to one person to review your essay. The more people edit it, the more confusing it can be. A
teacher, college counselor, or other educational professional will offer you the best perspective on
your essay. You often know what you want to say, but another reader can tell you if your writing
says it. When someone else is reading your essay, ask him or her the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tell me what you think I’m trying to say
Tell me how I come across as a person
Tell me where you are confused
Tell me where I need more detail
Tell me the parts you like best/least
Some people are concerned that showing a draft to others makes it less their own. By showing
your writing to others, you can test the essay to an audience while still making the decision on
refining and rewriting. Keep control of your writing and your voice in the essay. By doing so, it
will reflect you thoughts as honestly as if you wrote in isolation.
Additional Tips on Writing College Essays
1. Be sure to read your work aloud and listen for rambling/run-on sentences.
2. Look up any word that looks strange. Use the thesaurus to replace any words that you feel
doesn’t fit into your essay.
3. Misspelled words are totally unacceptable. Don’t rely just on spell-check to proofread your
essay.
4. Don’t approach your essay from the standpoint of “how can I answer this question in an
impressive way?” Instead, approach the essay from the standpoint of “how can I answer the
question and give valuable information about me as a potential student to this
college/university?”
5. Keep your audience in mind at all times. If they do not know what KAIROS or other
terminology means, briefly explain it.
6. Don’t write long-winded sentences designed to impress the admissions committee. For
example, “I have always considered attending Turndown University ever since I gave serious
thought to my future aspirations.”
7. Support you generalizations in your essay. Don’t just write, “I have participated in many
service projects” but instead go into one or two of the more profound service projects that
you have enjoyed.
8. Be sure to give yourself enough time to write more than one draft. Sloppy writing is clearly
evident to college admissions committees.
9. Be aware of any guidelines or stipulations that are given by the college/university regarding
the essay (word limit, a special space provided in the application, etc.)
Essays on the 2013-14 Common Application
In August of 2013, the Common Application went through a major revision of their essay topics.
The Common Application is an online application that is accepted by over 400
colleges/universities in the US as well as a few international schools. This past year, the essay
option of “topic of your choice” was deleted and the remaining topics changed significantly. It is
expected that these will not change for the next admissions year. The current essay topics are as
follows:

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they
believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please
share your story.

Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and
what lessons did you learn?

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act?
Would you make the same decision again?

Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or
experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition
from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Other Essay Topics/supplemental essay questions
There are still a number of colleges/universities that do not accept the Common Application and
still adhere to their own process. Georgetown University, Tulane University, and Elon University
are few specific examples. By having their own application, they will have their own essay topics.
If you plan on applying to a school that does not use the Common Application, it is a good idea to
look ahead and see what essays will be required.
Even though a college/university uses the Common Application, most likely the school will have
questions or smaller essays that are part of a “supplemental application”. These additional
applications are not designed as another full application but meant to explore other areas that the
specific college/university wants to know about their applicants. Just like with the essay itself, all
students should take these questions seriously. The admissions committees will be reading and
using them for their process.
One very important note about essays and the application process as a whole. Many students and
families want to use the summer months to get a head start on the application process and in
particular begin writing their essays. While that is a good thought, many schools use the summer
months to redesign their applications and any essay questions. The Common Application also uses
the time over the summer to edit and/or review any part of their application. Because of this, it
might be a good idea to wait until the newest application becomes available. Another option is to
contact the admissions office of the school to see if they know their essay questions so as to get a
head start on them during the summer months.