Show a passion for what the college offers.
For example, Yale offers student organized teas; William and Mary offers a “design
your own major” program. Virginia Tech has Hokie Spirit; UVA has great
architecture and a wonderful honor system. What does your school have?
Your most significant experience or how you overcame a risk or adversity.
How you can potentially contribute to the university’s diversity
Most meaningful activity (250 to 300 words)
Why you are the best match for this university. Include course titles, professor names,
appealing works by professors, name of specific organizations and clubs that the student
would join, names of research projects that the student would like to participate in, and
names of special programs offered by the university (study abroad, internships, literacy
projects, etc.). Find a topic for “the most influential book or person” just in case.
1. What events merit a particularly interesting story.
2. A few years ago it was NOT ok for a student to admit getting help with an essay.
Now it is expected the student will use all resources they have to write a fabulous
essay. Don’t let anyone else write the work, the admissions officers are better than
English teachers at finding a parent’s work with the student’s name.
3. How well you write is not as important as WHAT YOU WRITE. You have this
one chance to reveal your best self. Don’t write an English analytical essay. But
do use interesting prose structure.
4. First imagine the stock answers then Don’t use them. Don’t use stock novel, TV
shows, popular music, or TV stars; use your own ideas. For example: William and
Mary gets few essays on Thomas Jefferson even though he was one of the
College’s most famous students. UVA gets tons of allusions to Jefferson.
5. Don’t write anything outlandish: no sex, no “hearing voices”, no torture, no drugs,
no bullying. This is a chance to show your BEST self.
6. An essay should be bold but tasteful. Try to strike a familiar chord or touch a
familiar emotion. Unconsciously admissions officers want to admit students just
like them.
7. Admissions officers read thousands of essays in 2 months. Sameness will kill
your chances.
8. How do your talents relate to the college? Show how your talents and passions
will benefit this school.
9. Don’t write about a luxury tour, don’t write about a vacation unless it somehow
shows how your talents will benefit the school. A service vacation is an
exception, but it must be mostly service with very little touring. Don’t write
Itinerary essays, Luxury resort essays, or travel with list essays.
10. Don’t write about obstacles that have not been overcome. No one wants a loser.
Overcome doesn’t mean it is finished, it means you have come to a positive
resolution and use this as a springboard to improve yourself and those around you.
11. Unless your have suffered major physical trauma, severe illness, or major disaster,
focus on describing intellectual risks.
12. Don’t bad mouth anyone or anything. You may be a staunch Democrat that hates
Sarah Palin. Your admissions officer reading the essay may be related to Sarah
Palin…you never know.
13. Don’t write: “What I Learned In Prison”, “Who Says My Disease Is Contagious”,
“One of These Days I’ll Get Even”, “Surviving My Criminal Gang Upbringing”,
“Why I Stopped Pushing Drugs”.
14. Avoid religious adversity topics, avoid religion if you can. Religion, politics, and
other divisive topics should be avoided—you don’t want to insult your readers.
15. Why do you want to attend this school? What are your aspirations? Avoid the
humble, pessimistic, defeatist, failure essay. Modest students tend to look like
deadwood. Keep your modesty at school and with your friends.
16. How do you want to be remembered in 15 years?
17. Most meaningful activity MUST be backed up with evidence. I loved skydiving
but spend most of my time researching.
18. Make sure your most meaningful activity is something at which you are
successful. Just because you love to play guitar doesn’t mean you are good at it.
19. Influential book/event/person essay should describe how it changed YOU!! I
remember helping my daughter understand the allegories “in master Harold and
the boys.” It changed her outlook on apartheid and made her more sensitive to
prejudice. Avoid the major catastrophe essay, unless you lived the catastrophe
personally.
20. Have an outsider read any humorous essays. Just because you think it is funny
doesn’t mean anyone else will.
21. In describing your ideal roommate essay, you are really describing yourself.
Carefully choose the qualities you want to reveal and then be sure nothing is
conspicuously missing: non-drinker, honest. Do not include racial, ethnic,
nationality or religious background. Do not include your short temper, depression,
or slob habits.
22. Every optional essay is NOT optional. The more you do, within the confines set
by the school, the more your scream “let me in”.
23. When rough drafting an essay be sure every paragraph, every line, promotes your
best qualities. Spell out the significance of each achievement: only one student
chosen in our high school, only 3 chosen in our district of 10 high schools.
24. Include: exact name of award, number of competitors, multiple rounds, ranking,
how many of the total were ranked, did you do something unique or pioneering.
25. The FUN Question is really the “stress me out even more” question. Don’t let
your guard down here, make sure what you do for fun or pleasure promotes your
abilities. Use competitive sports, discretionary reading, art, outside academic
interests, writing poetry, service…but be sure you can back this up!!! This must
be constructive. I know most of you would put sleeping or TV, the officers
assume this, but if you state these are your most sought after activities what kind
of college student does that make you?