THE ESSAY
Opening line must be an attention grabber…… make an impression
Closing line……leave an impression
Overused topics :
Athletic accomplishments
Helping disadvantaged people
Vacations
Pets
When possible, avoid the D’s. The D’s are: divorce, disease, death, disabilities
Write in an active voice…. Avoid to be words is, am, are, was, were, being, been
Write details and moments before starting the essay
Remove the introductory and concluding paragraphs, and then see if your essay
seems stronger. These paragraphs are often the most likely to have unnecessary
detail.
Go through the essay and cut out every "very" and every "many." Words like
these are vague, and your writing is often stronger without them.
Your essay needs to show that you are a thoughtful,
analytical, and open-minded person, and it should
also reveal something that you care about deeply.
Thus, the idea or belief that you reflect upon
shouldn't be something superficial; it should center
on an issue that is central to your identity.
Share your story
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Think hard about what it is that makes you, you. If you end up telling a story that hundreds of
other applicants could also tell, then you haven't fully succeeded in tackling the question of
identity that stands at the heart of this prompt.
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Your "story" most likely isn't a single event. Being voted Prom Queen and scoring that winning
goal may be impressive accomplishments, but by themselves they are not stories about the
formation of your identity.
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Your "story" can take a variety of forms. Did you grow up in a difficult domestic situation? Did
you live in an usual place that had a significant impact on your childhood? Did you or someone
in your family have significant challenges to overcome? Were you surrounded by people who
had a major influence on your development? Did you move frequently? Did you have to hold a
job from a young age? Do you have a particular obsession or passion that has been a driving
force in your life for years?
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Make sure your essay is adding a rich dimension to your application. You have 650 words to
present yourself as an interesting and passionate individual who will be a positive addition to
the campus community. If your essay is repeating information that can be found elsewhere in
your application, then you're wasting this opportunity.
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Because of the focus on "identity" in the prompt, keep "diversity" in mind as you write your
essay. By diversity I'm not referring to the color of your skin or your ethnic background
(although these can certainly be a part of your essay). Rather, if a college admits 2,000 students,
the school wants to see 2,000 individuals who each has a unique story and background to bring
to the campus environment. The strongest colleges and universities do not have homogenous
student populations. These tips for an essay on diversity can help you think about this issue.
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If you don't think you have a story to tell, you are wrong (at least I've never met a student who
didn't have an interesting background). You don't need to have grown up in a yurt in the
Himalayas to have a background that is worth narrating. A Connecticut suburb produces its own
meaningful stories
Learn from Failure
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Growing and maturing is all about learning from our failures.
No college anywhere, ever, has admitted a student who hasn't failed at times.
It's easy to boast about our accomplishments. It takes a greater level of confidence and maturity
to acknowledge and examine our failures.
A student who can learn from failure is a student who will be successful in college.
Every single one of the thousands of applications a college receives will highlight successes,
awards, honors, and accomplishments. Very few will show the type of confidence and
introspection required to explore failures.
Challenge a belief
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The belief can be your own. In fact, your own belief can be an excellent choice for this essay
option. If you are able to reevaluate and challenge your own beliefs, you are demonstrating that
you are a student who has the type of self-awareness, open-mindedness, and maturity that are
essential ingredients for college success.
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The belief or idea can take many forms: a political or ethical belief; a theoretical or scientific
idea; a personal conviction; an entrenched way of doing things (challenging the status quo); and
so on. Realize, however, that some beliefs can send your essay into controversial and potentially
risky territory. Tread carefully if you plan to explore one of these ten bad essay topics.
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Your challenge of the idea or belief need not have been successful. For example, if your
community believes in the value of killing snakes on Whacking Day and you ran a campaign to
stop this barbaric practice, you efforts could lead to a good essay whether or not you were
successful (if you were not successful, your essay might also work for option #2 on learning from
failure).
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The best essays reveal something that the writer is passionate about. By the end of the essay,
the admissions folks should feel that they have a much better grasp on what it is that motivates
you. Be sure to explore an idea or belief that will allow you to present some of your interests
and passions.