College Essay & Application Consulting

College Essay & Application Consulting You can have a good essay that has 2 or 10 paragraphs, or includes a good amount of dialogue. I first discovered this versatile building material as a seven-year-old visiting my father’s HVAC shop. But instead, you should write something that you think will make someone be measurably more likely to admit you to college. Otherwise, what you are doing is the logical equivalent of handing in a watercolor for your math homework. The key is to write for a purpose beyond self-expression, much like how you do all of your homework with the objective of getting a good grade. DON’T rehash information that is already in your application. Concise and easy to follow, it turns a very tough assignment into a writing opportunity you can manage with confidence. Have you effectively communicated who you are and what you value? The best way to tell is to have your parents or a friend give a draft of your essay to a colleague or individual who has never met you. Ask them to read the essay and then respond with three adjectives that describe you and a sentence that captures what they learned. Write the story that you want to express and then choose the prompt with which it best aligns. If all else fails you can default to the last prompt, which is essentially topic of your choice. What will admissions officers know about me prior to my essay from my teachers, counselors, activities and grades,What is it about me that they would need to know to be more apt to want me there. Does it reflect the message you hoped to convey? When you have finished a draft of your essay, read it over and ask yourself why you wrote it. If you cannot answer this question, you might not be going deep enough or painting a vivid picture of who you are and what is important to you. As it turned out, Beth came through the surgery well and the tumor was benign, but the horror of the experience has stayed with me. Day after day, we rehearsed the last act and day after day I stayed dry-eyed and emotionless. Soon coming out in its third edition, Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps is regularly ranked #1 on Amazon among all books on how to write the personal statement. Beth could become paralyzed, lose memory, and she could die. I have never been so sad and terrified in my entire life, and I was so angry that this had happened. The goal of your essay should not be something like “to show I’m co-captain of the soccer team.” They already know that; you need to tell them something new. This may be your only chance to address an admissions officer directly. Most conformists will stifle their unique voice by attempting to respond to the specific prompts that the Common Application provides. What results is often a generic statement that lacks energy or personality. They’re going to turn down lots of highly qualified applicants, so your essay could be critical if the choice comes down to you and another, similarly qualified applicant. That said, your essay probably won’t actually hurt you as long as it’s reasonably literate . Students don’t need to stick to the 5-paragraph model that they’ve used so often in school.