TIPS FOR COLLEGE ESSAYS
2014 - 2015
QUICK TIPS FOR GOOD ESSAYS – college admissions readers look for:
 Matter of fact personal statements NOT imagery-filled creative writing pieces
 More substance, less fluff
 Would rather be hit over the head with the point rather than having to interpret esoteric writing.
 Want to know who you are and how you will benefit from and contribute to the academic and student life programs at XXXX college
 Simplicity and honesty and a reason to offer you the space
 A little vibrancy to the language is OK, but don’t hide behind “flowery stuff”
 Show us, don’t tell us. A good essay shows - - appealing to all the senses, not just the visual. Appeal to the eyes, ears, etc. a weak essay tells.
But don’t show us with flowery language.
 The smaller word is better than the bigger word.
 Creative writing narratives are not helpful to college admissions readers who are trying to get to know students in a matter of minutes.
 20/80 rule: 20% of the essay should describe a scene, experience, or significant person. 80% of the essay should be on its impact: What did
you learn? How are you changed because of it? Why is this important to you? To your community? This is where you can show analysis,
creative thinking skills.
 Write with texture and feeling, but avoid over-the-top “purple” prose.
 Write a story, not a statement. Elicit an emotional reaction.
 Write from the heart.
 Don’t cut the tear-rending parts, but go through them quickly and talk about the solutions or how you are mastering his/her world through good
deeds.
 The best essays are crafted not from a formula for success, but by a voice that is practiced. Those who are willing to take a risk, to focus on that
part of the world that matters to them and to show the passion and the practice it takes to write about it well, will help their chances of admission
through their essay.
 Make sure your reader can answer these questions:
 What did I learn about you?
 What did I remember about you?
 Do I have a sense of your intellect?
TIPS FOR NOT WRITING BAD ESSAYS
 Don’t force yourself to write about something profound.
 Don’t use clichés. If we are what we eat, we are also what we write.
 Don’t write a McEssay – 5 paragraphs of abstractions and unsupported generalizations. Example: “I have been a member of the band and it
has taught me leadership, perseverance, and hard work.” Technically correct, but boring. Big Macs taste the same anywhere in the world.
 Don’t try to impress readers with big words. Don’t use a thesaurus and end up sounding pretentious. Read your essay aloud to someone who
knows you and make sure it is your voice coming through.
NO-NO TOPICS
 Boyfriend trauma
 One thing people don’t know about me is…..
 Sports as a metaphor for life. However, if street basketball changed your life, that’s different.
 Religion, unless applying to a religious school
 I date the Homecoming Queen and throw the best parties at SHHS! This student had a 4.0 and earned a presidential scholarship to a major
university… after he changed his topic.
 Your drug use – Even if you overcame it, don’t write about it
 Your sex life – This will not make readers cry. It might embarrass them.
 Your time in jail – Admissions staff wants a safe environment.
 Your Heroism – This becomes a bad topic when the essay is self-absorbed and arrogant.
 One-track social, religious or political lectures
 Woe is Me – certain topics have no place in college essays. Depression, suicide attempts, etc. might make your reader uncomfortable and/or
make them wonder how ready you are for academic rigor.
 The travel journal – Colleges like students who have traveled, but it is a very common topic and should be an analysis of a single, meaningful
travel experience, not a travelogue.
 The Comedy Routine - Your essay should reveal your sense of humor, but within good writing, not as the point of your essay.
 Excuses – Don’t use the essay to explain away bad grades. Tell the college about your personal/financial, etc., problems, but not in your essay.
 Your list of accomplishments – There is space on the application for your resume. Don’t repeat them in your essay
SHHS CEEB/ACT CODE: 052740