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SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESS

The Application

Essay

The Admissions Essay

Colleges and universities have long

required applicants to complete essays

to accompany their applications

Now, some colleges do not require them

Others make them optional

Some require them only if you are applying

for financial aid

The Admissions Essay

All selective or

competitive

schools require

an essay or

personal

statement of

some kind

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A New Twist...

Interestingly, an increasing number

of employers, technical training

programs, and internships are

asking applicants to write a brief

statement

In today’s competitive job market, they can

afford to seek out only those workers with

strong communication skills

Two Types

Generally,

admissions/application essays

come in two varieties

Both tend to be broad –

They want you to choose your own

topic (for the most part)

Two Types: Type 1

The first type

An actual question

Something like “What work

of art has most influenced

you, and why?”

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Two Types: Type 2

The second type is more

common

A “personal statement”

Can be very vague:

That’s all the directions will tell you:

“Write a personal statement of

500 words or less”

The Personal Statement

This essay is generally expected to be

longer, and is usually more open-ended

Some applications may ask you to talk

about goals, your future, etc.

Be specific about what you want to

accomplish and how you think you can

accomplish those goals

Be careful to sound informed; do your

research!

The Personal Statement

For totally open-ended personal

statements:

Think about defining your life

philosophy

Relate personal experiences and goals to

that philosophy. Do not be a cliché!

Think about your influences. (A lot of

those earlier brainstorming questions

apply here, too.)

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Advice for Both Types

Remember, your essay is the one

thing which makes you a real

person –

Otherwise, you’re just a formula; a

bunch of numbers: class rank, GPA, SAT

score, etc.

You want to represent the very best

of yourself

Grammar, Mechanics,

and Formats

These should all be flawless

It is not a question of how many misspelled

words or missing commas are acceptable

Instead, it is just assumed that this piece

should be perfect

Grammatical and format errors reflect poorly

on you

X

On the Other Hand

Conversely, just

being a good

writer, from a

technical

standpoint,

doesn’t guarantee

you anything

You gotta have...

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Style…or VOICE

In many ways, this is the most

important part of the essay

Your style should distinguish you; make

you unique!

Be ORIGINAL!

Use vivid imagery (give your readers

sounds, tastes, sights, smells,

textures!)

Style…or VOICE

Use action verbs

Avoid the “to be” verb (I am, she is,

etc.) like the plague

Have a strong introduction and

conclusion

Use clear transitions

Use clear, specific details

What NOT to Do

Don’t “thesaur-ize” your essay

While a diverse vocabulary is good,

you don’t want to be obscure and

pretentious

Don’t use abstractions or vague

allusions

Do not, under any circumstances,

try to be funny or “cutesy”

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Content & Topics

When brainstorming a topic for

either a response essay or a personal

statement, try to be original

Focus on things with which you have

experience

Pay attention to your individual

responses; not the experiences

themselves

Brainstorming

What have you accomplished? How do

those accomplishments make you

unique?

How have your favorite movies, books,

works of art, music, etc. influenced you?

What are things which you are passionate

about? What do they say about you?

How would your closest friends describe

you?

Brainstorming

More importantly (and interestingly), how

would your direst enemies describe you?

What have you done outside of school

that distinguishes you from other

applicants?

What are your future goals? How have

you worked to achieve them already?

How will this particular college, career,

etc. help you achieve those goals?

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Brainstorming

Have you ever worked really hard

for something? And then FAILED?

Are there things that have

negatively affected your academic

performance that need to be

explained? (Is there a reason your

GPA is so low -- or is it that you are

just lazy?)

Topics & Themes to AVOID

Don’t just regurgitate the rest of your

application. They already know

how qualified you are in terms of

grades, extracurriculars, etc.

Do not be “platitudinous”

There’s no I in Team

Good things come to those who

wait

Don’t be Cookie-

Cutter

Don’t use clichés

Everyone wants to “help people”

or “make the world a better

place.” Don’t think you can put an

individual spin on these ideas.

Don’t write what you think they

want to hear

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The “Excuse” Trap

Be VERY cautious of writing about bad

things that have happened to you

Everyone has had deaths in the family; lots of

applicants have bad home lives, bouts with

depression, life-threatening illnesses, lost

friends, etc.

Trauma does not make you unique

Better---How did YOU deal with this

trauma?

The “Excuse” Trap

It can also come across as

pathetic; like you are exploiting

something bad that happened

to you for the sake of getting into

college

Or it can look like you’re just a

whiner making excuses

Consider Your Audience

Think about who will be reading your

essay:

A panel of people -- ranging in age from early

20’s to older-than-dirt; ranging in education

from still-in-college to PhD

These are “People-People”

They are interested in people, not numbers. (There

are formulas that figure out if you have the numbers

to get in.)

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Consider Your Audience

Make yourself come alive to them

Remember, these people may read

over 100 essays a day. Yours must

stand out -- as a good one.

Admissions readers complain that

90% of the essays they read are

boring, clichéd, unoriginal, etc.

Do not be

in that

90%!!

The Dos

Unite your essay and give it direction with a theme or thesis. The

thesis is the main point you want to communicate.

Before you begin writing, choose what you want to discuss and

the order in which you want to discuss it.

Use concrete examples from your life experience to support your

thesis and distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Write about what interests you, excites you. That's what the

admissions staff wants to read.

Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead--an anecdote,

quote, question, or engaging description of a scene.

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The Dos

End your essay with a conclusion that refers

back to the lead and restates your thesis.

Revise your essay at least three times.

In addition to your editing, ask someone else to

critique your essay for you.

Proofread your essay by reading it out loud or

reading it into a tape recorder and playing back

the tape.

Write clearly, succinctly.

The Don’ts

Don't include information that doesn't support

your thesis.

Don't start your essay with "I was born in...," or "My

parents came from..."

Don't write an autobiography.

Don't try to be a clown (but gentle humor is OK).

Don't be afraid to start over if the essay just isn't

working or doesn't answer the essay question.

The Don’ts

Don't try to impress your reader with your

vocabulary.

Don't rely exclusively on your computer to

check your spelling.

Don't provide a collection of generic statements

and clichés.

Don't give insincere, weak excuses for your GPA

or SAT scores.

Don't make things up.

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Common Application

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.