The college essay is a way for students to write about themselves.
College admissions essays differ than test scores and transcripts. They permit students to express themselves.
Adam Sapp is assistant vice president and director of admissions at Pomona College.
Students who are considering college want to impress their admissions committee with their personal essay. But they only have a few hundred words.
It can be overwhelming.
“I believe this is the portion of the process of applying that students are sometimes most challenged by,” claims Niki Barron, associate dean of admissions at Hamilton College in New York, “because they’re looking at the blank paper and don’t know where to get started.”
This pressure is likely to increase because many colleges have gone test-optional during the last year, meaning that ACT and SAT scores are considered if they’re submitted but not required. Other schools are test-blind and won’t accept such scores. Since there is no need for scores from tests, some admissions experts have suggested more attention should be given to other components of an application, like the essay.Read here suntrics At our site
Every applicant is unique as are the college admissions policies and priorities.
Barron sent an email explaining that “being testing optional hasn’t affected how essays are used in our selection process, however I would not say that the essay serves to replace standardized scores,” Barron said in an email. “Our assessment of applications places student’s academic preparation in the front of our attention.
Experts offer tips for essay writing that highlight the importance of being succinct as well as coherent and friendly. An applicant should also flex some mental muscle and add the most vivid details or anecdotes.
This is what college students should learn about writing essays that are strong.
How to Start Getting Started with College Essay
The best time to start writing essays is during the summer before senior years since homework and other activities that aren’t a part of the curriculum don’t consume all of your time or energy.
It will give students ample time to write multiple drafts before the deadlines for applying to colleges. The deadlines could be as early as the month of November when students apply for early decision or early action.
Online essay requirements are reviewed by students. This includes word limit and guidelines for topics. Common App is a platform used by more than 900 schools and may be utilized by a lot of students for a start in their application process.
Some colleges also require applicants to submit additional writing samples in addition to the essay. Supplemental essays, which are usually shorter than the primary essay are usually utilized by students to provide a reason why they are interested.
If schools request additional essays, students will have to devote more time for the process of writing.
“Most selective schools will require more than one essay. Don’t waste your time working on one long essay and then fail to put your energy into other parts of the application process,” Sapp says, noting there may be additional concerns on an application that need well-thought-out responses.
How long should a college Essay be?
While the Common App – which students may submit to multiple colleges- states that “there are not strict limit on words” for the main essays, it suggests a maximum of around 500 words.
“While we won’t generally stop reading at 650 words, but we cannot promise that a too wordy essay would keep our interest for as long as we’d like,” states the Common App website.
The word count is much less for those supplemental essays for specific institutions generally around 250 words.
How to Select an College Essay Topic
The most difficult and often the most challenging part of essay writing is selecting a topic to write about.
The college application will typically contain a number of essay prompts. Barron affirms that they’re generally broad and flexible and allow students to write on a variety of topics.
Mimi Doe, cofounder of Top Tier Admissions (a Massachusetts-based consulting firm), says that the essay isn’t an autobiography in its entirety. It’s overwhelming to all your life’s experiences in one essay,” she said.
Experts recommend that students reduce their focus to writing about an experience, hobby, or trait that reveals something about them, such as how they think, what values they have or their strengths. Students can also write about specific aspects of your life. If it is done correctly, an essay that is based on a familiar topic can be intriguing.
It’s a common myth that students do not have the obligation to talk about the significance of their achievements in their essays. U.S. News spoke to admission officers about memorable essays that were focussed on topics that are common to life, such as fly-fishing or the student’s journey from school to go to school and to return.
The most important thing, they say, is that a college essay is well-thought out and tells a compelling story that reveals what a person is like as a person.
Whatever students pick for their topic, they’ll ultimately be writing about themselves, according to Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy website, which offers free and paid essay writing resources. “What we perceive as the subject is actually just the lens or frame which we use to peer into other areas of your.”
Stephanie Klein Wassink, founder and CEO of Winning Applications and AdmissionsCheckup (both Connecticut-based colleges admissions advisory firms) Says that students can receive help in brainstorming ideas from family members or friends. Wassink suggests students ask their families and friends questions like “What is your opinion about me?” Or “What are your quirks?”
Experts say that the essay must inform college admissions personnel about something they don’t know. The essay should be about something that’s not listed in their application elsewhere, perhaps in the section on activities, or elaborate upon the topic if it is not mentioned elsewhere.
Writing the College Essay
Experts advise students to outline the essay prior to writing.
However, there are numerous methods to approach it, says Sara Newhouse (senior consultant at Enrollment Research Associates) and ex-vice president of admissions and financial planning at Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama.
She says “Your writing is yours.” Newhouse encourages students not to duplicate the method that was used in the past to write assignments in English or other high school classes.
The first draft of an essay does not have to be perfect. “Just do a brain dump,” Doe says. “Don’t edit your work, but simply write it out on the page.”
Doe suggests that students should focus on their opening sentence if they’re struggling to get started. Doe suggests that an essay’s hook or first sentence should grab the attention.
Editing and submitting the college essay
Admissions officers use essays to meet students. They also assess writing abilities. Students must ensure that they have submitted their best work.
Sapp affirms that “Rewriting is the best way to write.” “You should never give me the first draft of your work.”
Doe suggests that students make sure that their initial drafts are demonstrating rather than conveying. Students should demonstrate how they display certain beliefs and traits to their readers, not just say they have.
Experts suggest that students get help from an outside editor following the editing of their essays. There are both individuals and companies offering assistance with essays – from editing assistance to essay-writing boot camps, students and families may not be able the costs associated with it.
However, there could be solutions to cover the costs. Sawyer For instance, claims he gives scholarships to students who come from low-income families that pay for one-on-one essays.
The free essay advice services offered by the company can vary in terms of the quality and availability of the feedback they provide. Certain college prep firms offer free consultations. Essay workshops for free may be offered by local high schools, libraries, or other community groups. Khan Academy, an educational platform on the internet that provides free education, includes many videos and other resources created to help students with writing essays.
Colleges may also offer resources, Barron notes, pointing to pages on Hamilton’s website that provide writing tips along with examples of successful admissions essays. Hamilton organizes virtual panels on the topic of writing admissions essays.
There are a myriad of choices for help with essays available to students. Students can seek help from teachers, students, counselors, or family members to help them polish their essay.
Newhouse states that it is a good idea to include two proofreaders on your essay. The first stage concentrates on the text. This stage is most crucial. After the content has been clarified, the how to style the essay is the next step. This covers grammar and punctuation.
The tone of the essay must not be altered by proofreaders. Doe cautions that proofreaders should not change the tone of your essay.
While proofreading is fine but having someone else rewrite the essay could not be.
When an essay is ready to go, students generally upload it online along with the rest of their application. Students are able to simply copy and paste their essay to the Common App.
Sapp says that even though college admissions staffers focus on their essay, students shouldn’t stress too much about it. “The essay is the window, while the application is the house,” he says. “So we must remember the fact that an application is comprised from many parts.”