Writing Your College Essay

1. Writing Your College Essay A few helpful hints, tricks, and tips College Awareness Day 2010

2. The College Essay What it can and can’t do for your application What it Can do: What it can’t do • Give colleges a deeper sense of who you are • Provide context, background, justification, etc. for items on your application that need explaining • Set you apart from other applicants • Put a borderline application into the “yes” pile • Save a “no” application from rejection (in most cases)

3. The Many Incarnations of the College Essay UC versus private schools; long essays versus short answers Know your audience. The UC essays are more “traditional” in nature; they are not creative writing assignments! Private schools both accept and welcome (to a degree) more creative essays Do your research for the school-specific supplements. Don’t rely on one essay to fit all school’s demands. If you can’t tweak it and make it fit, start over.

4. Choosing a Topic Important things to consider DO: Don’t: • Pick something that’s important to you • Think about something small versus something big • Write about a topic you know a lot about • Brainstorm extensively • Think about what on your application might need more development • Research programs, the school’s academics, and other unique features, especially for the short answer portions • Pick a trite or overused topic • Try to pick something because of how you think you’ll appear • Wait until the last minute • Repeat things that appear in detail on your application in another place

5. On Writing and Revisions Too many cooks spoil the soup • Make sure to: • Leave yourself enough time to do a thorough revision • Read your essay aloud – it should sound like you, not someone else • Proofread and spell check yourself • Get 1-2 trusted adults to read and offer feedback DON’T rely on friends to review your essay for you. DON’T rely on the grammar and spell checking features your computer provides.