College Admissions

College Admissions Even if they don’t suspect you’re lying, you’ve missed your chance to showcase the real reasons that you’re a good fit for this school. Often, students feel pressure to write about a completely unique, never-before-seen essay topic that will help them stand out. When these students can’t think of anything “cool” or “special” enough, they make something up. You may have been advised to take risks with your college application essays, but you don’t want to be too risky. If you do write about someone who influenced your life, make sure that you only briefly describe them. Parents are blinded by love and perhaps perfection. Each student needs to be able to claim authentic ownership of their essays. Mom and Dad may be great help during the brainstorming process of generating essay topics. More than any other element of the application, the essay gives insight into who a student really is. So it should “sound” like the applicant, revealing personality, interests, quirks, personal style, and voice. Given what he shared in his essay, we can imagine Jerry being an active participant both in and out of the classroom. We hope these essays inspire you as you prepare to compose your own personal statements. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us. These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. Spend most of the essay focusing on yourself and how your personality or choices have been shaped because of this person. Still, it’s best to avoid especially polarizing topics such as religion, abortion, and other hot-button debates. You don’t know who will read your college application essay or what they believe. To a degree, this mystery person holds your future in their hands, and you don’t want to risk offending them. To avoid writing your essay on a topic that might earn you a rejection letter, check out the five topics you should never write about in your college essay below. We believe that Rocio’s sense of perseverance will translate to her college experience as well. Jerry’s essay helped the admissions committee understand his background and how he persevered and grew through debate. Although we had already learned about Jerry’s enthusiasm for debate in other parts of his application, this essay gave so much more depth into why this activity is meaningful for him. The example essay is one of the most basic essays in academic writing, but can be extremely difficult if you've never written one or do not know what to write about. Example essays focus on one main idea which you prove with several specific, convincing examples. Some parents can act as a sounding board without taking over the project, while others cannot. While it is okay to have a parent proof an essay, they are not always the best option. Asking someone who is slightly more removed from the application process may be the wisest route to go. While parents mean well, any constructive feedback may be misinterpreted, creating conflict at what can already be a stressful time. Teachers, guidance counselors, even friends are viable candidates when looking for a second opinion on your writing. If you're stuck on how to write an example essay, you can follow a few simple steps to dig yourself out of the rut and write an example essay that you can be proud of. I recommend that students try to find an adult other than their parents to help with essay editing. Admissions officers want to get to know applicants. There’s only so much that application readers can deduce from your extracurricular activities, transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters, and other application materials. Many times the best way to get a clear picture of a student’s goals, accomplishments, and character is to hear it directly from the student him or herself. In fact, it’s important to write in your authentic voice and avoid using “fancy” vocabulary just to impress admissions officers. Remember that the purpose of a college admissions essay is to help admissions officers get to know you. If your essay is filled with lies and exaggerations, then you’ve missed the point entirely. It’s possible that college admissions officers may suspect you’re lying, which is a poor reflection on your ethics and morals.