Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Read These Top College Essay Examples

Read These Top College Essay Examples While students should never go over a word limit, they can be well under it if the essay is cogent and well written. In fact, most admissions officers prefer a shorter, tightly constructed essay over one that’s longer but rambling. Our veteran admissions counselors are frequently asked to share expert advice about writing compelling college essays. We asked our admissions counselors to share their perspectives on why the college essay matters and what matters most. The essay excerpted below, with the permission of Hamilton College, shows the student’s personality through a love of fly-fishing. But finding their voice can be a challenge for many students, Inzer notes, because they may have limited life experience. Also, she adds, they have been writing to the instructions of high school teachers up until this point, rather than for themselves. Finding their voice means students must get to know themselves and write authoritatively, sharing a sense of their lives with admissions officers. Be warned that some college essays demand more creativity than others. Last year I was traveling with a colleague from Yale. As he told me, the essays his students â€" who had lived vastly different lives than most mainstream applicants â€" were writing were indistinguishable from those written by applicants in southeastern Connecticut. They were composed of billowing clouds of “my global perspective” and “future potential as a leader” and “desire to leverage my education” to bllllllaurhfhasklafsafdghfalkasf. Students can work one-on-one with a volunteer on the essay topics of their choice, or get help on the seven Common App prompts. Whether they’re starting with a blank page or a close-to-final draft, the project provides free volunteer support at any phase of the writing process. The Common Application, which is accepted by nearly 800 colleges and universities, is a single-serving college application that allows you to create one admissions package for submission to multiple schools. Of course, your college application essay is just one part of your admissions package, along with your GPA, your class rank, and your extracurriculars. When writing your college essay, avoid creating a list of your activities and accomplishments. Tell the reader something about yourself that isn’t evident in the rest of your application. Think about your best personal trait, your interests, values and goals. Focus on one of these qualities and make it the theme of your essay. For example, your best trait might be determination, creativity, or compassion. Consider the cultural identity of your prospective school as you formulate your topic. Some may embrace a tradition of creative thinking. In some instances, you can actually see this cultural identity reflected in an essay prompt. If one of the purposes of a college essay is to make yourself come to life off the page, then this essay hits the mark. Far from seeming unfinished or unedited, the somewhat stream-of-consciousness style establishes a humorous and self-deprecating tone that makes the reader instantly like the applicant. More than anything else, it is this writing style that elevates what could have been a fairly superficial statement of personal growth into a truly informative story that showcases the author’s personality. On its admissions page, Hamilton lists multiple college essay examples written by students admitted to the school. Though Inzer declined to single out one essay, she says that the examples offer a diverse mix of student voices and backgrounds. Tell a story that makes that trait clear to the reader. Provide evidence by citing specific instances from your life. Your college counselors are there to help, but they can’t if you don’t ask or wait until the last minute to seek guidance and feedback. In addition, free lesson plans are available at 826 Digital for teachers or school counselors nationwide who want to demystify the college essay process and support their students. Word limits vary widely on supplemental essays, so Rachel may have to expand or contract an essay when tweaking it for different colleges. We trust you’ll find this information useful as you prepare your college applications. Feel free to contact our admissions staff with additional questions.

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