Writing Your College Admissions
Essay
What is a College Admissions
Essay?
• Also called a Personal Statement
• An essay that helps the college
admissions board better understand who
you are
• Focuses on who you are vs. what you’ve
done
What a College Admissions
Essay is NOT
• A resumé or list of what you’ve done
Top 10 Things Colleges Look
For in a High School Student
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Challenging classes (AP/Honors/College Classes)
Good grades
Good test scores (ACT/SAT)
Demonstration of leadership/initiative
Community service
Work or out-of-school experiences (demonstrates
responsibility, dedication, and maturity)
7. Well written admissions essay
8. Good letters of recommendation
(integrity/skills/character)
9. Supplementary recommendations
10. Things that make you stand out
(honors/awards/talents/experiences)
Sample Essay
Sample Essay
Table Talk
• Discuss the strengths of the previous
essay.
Comments from a College
Advisor
Follow Directions
• Read and follow directions carefully.
• Answer all parts of the writing prompt.
• Adhere to word count limits.
• UC system = 1,000 words for 2 essays
• Approximately 750 words for one essay
• About 2 typed pages (1 inch margins, doublespaced)
• Approximately 250 words for the other essay
• About ¾ typed page (1 inch margins, doublespaced)
Bloopers From College
Essays
•If there was a single word to describe me,
that word would be “profectionist”
• I was abducted into the national honor
society
•I want to be bilingual in three or more
languages
• I would love to attend a college where the
foundation was built on women
UC Writing Prompts
Prompt #1
Describe the world you come from — for example, your
family, community or school — and tell us how your world
has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Prompt #2
Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment,
contribution or experience that is important to you. What
about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud
and how does it relate to the person you are?
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Start Early. Leave plenty of time to revise,
reword, and rewrite. Have others read your essay
and give input. Wait several days after drafting
your essay to reread it and begin revision. You
will see errors that you didn’t see while drafting it
in the first place. Try reading your essay aloud or
reading it backwards from the last sentence to the
first. This will help make the errors stand out.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Read the directions and writing prompt carefully.
Address the writing prompt completely. Pay attention
to words limits.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Be honest about yourself and write from the heart.
Make sure your personality is coming through. Don’t
simply write what you think others want to hear.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Focus on your strengths. Think of the essay like it’s a
personal interview. Focus more on who you are than
what you’ve done. This is not a résumé. Don’t list
everything you already listed on your application.
Your experiences are important, but let the focus be
on how those experiences have shaped who you are.
How have these experiences helped you demonstrate
creativity, tenacity, self-discipline, motivation,
leadership, volunteerism, intellectual achievement,
sincerity, a good work ethic, etc. Write about a few of
these. Also discuss any talents you have.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Take a risk. “The danger lies not in writing a bad
essay but in writing a common essay-the ones that
admission officers are going to read dozens of,” says
Scott Anderson, associate director of college
counseling at Mercersburg Academy, P.A. Avoid
clichés and trite statements. Don’t try to be too witty,
too opinionated, or too intellectual.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
If you have hardships (financial struggles, personal
setbacks, etc.), discuss how you have overcome them.
How have you grown from the experience(s)? Avoid
“The Four Ds” (Death, Drugs, Drinking, and
Depression)
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Show, don’t tell. In your personal essay you want to
avoid making overt statements about your character
such as “I’m a great person” or “I’m responsible,
hardworking, intelligent, caring, creative, and a
leader.” Your goal is to show your qualities in the
form of a story, not merely in a list. Let the reader
conclude that you are wonderful without actually
saying it.
Tips For Writing Your College
Admissions Essay
Come up with a catchy first sentence to get the
reader’s attention. If it grabs the reader’s attention,
the reader will be encouraged to read on.
Personal Inventory
College Admissions Essay