Created by: Adrienne Cochran
Presented by: Cheryl Rosenbaum
Essays Required
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Essays Not Required
Florida A & M
University of Florida
New College of Florida
Florida State University
FAU Honors College
University of Central Florida
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(essays are strongly recommended)
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Florida Gulf Coast University
University of South Florida
University of West Florida
Florida International
University
Florida Atlantic University
University of North Florida
All universities who utilize The Common Application require
admission essays.
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This is your opportunity to:
 Introduce yourself to the people who are trying to decide
whether or not to invite you to their campus.
 Imagine it is a face-to-face interview.
 The most important thing is to BE YOURSELF!
 Show that you are an effective communicator (e.g. literate
and engaging).
 Provide information to support /explain the rest of your
application.
 Differentiate yourself from other students with similar
applications.
Remember that you only get ONE chance to make a good
impression!
 A student with potential for growth
 An individual who will contribute to the
quality of life for other students
 A personality that will fit in on their
campus
 Individuals who are sincere and are
themselves
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Do not use your essay to restate information that
is already in your application or to list every
accomplishment, activity, award, or personal
quality.
Examine the prompt carefully so you know
exactly what is required.
Keep an open mind.
Focus on aspects of your life that you are
passionate about, that describe who you are as a
person, that are relevant to your future goals,
and that show you will be a successful college
student.
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Write with a focus and a clear voice.
Pay attention to clarity of thought, organization, and sentence structure.
 This also includes things such as tense consistency, use of active voice, etc.
Engage the reader.
 Your narrative should have a conversational, yet appropriate, tone.
Illuminate your ideas with details, examples, and anecdotes.
 You need to include concrete examples.
Avoid sounding like a thesaurus.
 Nothing is more awkward or turns readers off more than the use of pompous
or inappropriate words. Imagine you are having a conversation with the
reader.
Keep it within the assigned word count.
Check to see if you have addressed ALL the requirements of the prompt.
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Your words form the reader’s initial impression of you.
The reader will read between the lines to form an
opinion of whether or not you will be a good fit for their
college
Qualities they are looking for:
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Enthusiasm
Intelligence
Uniqueness
Scholarship (not $)
Ability to communicate
The fit for this college (do some research)
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Your essay should grad the reader’s attention. The purpose of the
opening is to identify you as a unique individual and to introduce the
topic and the tone of the essay.
Elaborate on the situation established in the opening/introduction.
Consider details: What subtext about you is revealed by your choice
of specifics?
Consider diction: What does your choice of words say about you?
The conclusion does not need to be a summary or restatement.
Some ideas:
 Make a final dramatic point.
 Reveal an insight gained from the ideas presented in the body of your
essay.
 Connect yourself to the college or system of colleges
 Leave the reader with a provocative, final point about you.
 Create an open-ended invitation to get to know you better.
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Do not be afraid to pat yourself on the back, but
do not gloat and avoid pomposity.
If you address a negative topic or issue, do your
best to link it to a positive outcome or insight.
Choose one facet of an experience, and polish it
for a single effect on the reader.