Is there a college essay template I can use?
So what’s the best approach to writing college essays? The list below outlines a tried and true approach for tackling the college application essay. (Don’t worry, each section will be explored more in-depth later in this article.)
Jaimie is also a FLEX College Essay Specialist, which allows her to bring out her students’ most authentic and compelling selves. She has a proven track record in producing high-quality storytelling with her students and finds that writing is a necessary strength for any major.
The most daunting aspect of the college application essay process for many applicants is writing the first draft. They might have a million thoughts running through their head about what they want to write about, or fancy hooks they’re excited to try. Maybe, they’re overwhelmed at the idea of writing about themselves and can’t even start to think about . The personal essay is a writing assignment that many high schools never assign, so the opportunity to write a personal story comes with a lot of stress. It’s important to take a deep breath, step back, and plan how to tackle the assignment.
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As mentioned above, before beginning the writing process, the applicant should make sure that the school aligns with their values. The is an amazing tool to help redirect distracted minds back to the college selection process. The guide provides a few questions that help students familiarize themselves with each of their selected schools. Reference these questions throughout the research process:
Admissions boards are looking for students that are able to communicate about their life, work, and learning philosophies effectively. This helps the board get to know each applicant as both a student and a human, and it can help them determine if each student is a good fit for the university or college.
Now that students have gotten to know more about each school’s mission and about the school’s student body. Think of each school as a persona and how would a prospective student befriend them. What interests do they have in common? Now think about how to incorporate that into the college essay.
For instance, if a student has few extracurriculars, they might use the essay to explain that they used that time to work a minimum wage job to finance a college fund. Maybe a student’s GPA dropped drastically during one semester because of a life-altering event, a student’s—the essay is an opportunity to discuss how that event may have dropped their grades but tremendously shifted their perspective of life.
College Application Essay Format
Before starting the writing process, it’s important to review and address why college admissions boards want college application essays in the first place. The supplemental essays provide the opportunity to let the admissions boards know about unique traits that they can’t read in the general application. Each essay is a chance for every applicant to speak directly to the admissions board and let them know their unique story.
College Application Essay Introduction
Ashley attended San Francisco State University where she received her BA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Poetry. As an avid writer, Ashley developed an interest in poetry at a very young age, after immersing herself in the collections of Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare. Throughout her college experience, Ashley participated in numerous workshops where she was able to sharpen her skills in playwriting, poetry, short stories, novels, and essays. She worked as an Editor for Transfer Magazine, SF State’s literary publication, where she read and edited hundreds of submissions and selected the best pieces to be published. After college, Ashley worked as an Editor for an appraisal firm, interned as a writer for a travel magazine, and became the lead writer for a video game startup, here in the Silicon Valley.
College Application Essay Conclusion
For many, the essay section is the most exciting and most stressful part of the college admissions process. It offers students the opportunity to show off what makes them unique and creative. However, most students have little experience writing personal essays. They are unaware that writing a personal essay will take just as much time, if not more than any academic paper. It requires self-reflection, articulation, and a whole lot of editing. Instead of focusing on getting into the school of your dreams, try to craft a story that you could read back in five years with pride.
College Application Essay Paragraph Format
Her passion for writing developed into a drive to educate youth on the English language. From Creative Writing to grammar and vocabulary, Ashley enjoys helping students hone their writing skills and prepare them for college. For over 5 years with FLEX, she has tutored students in essay writing for college and graduate school applications, with a focus on Architecture, History, Interior Design, Art, STEM, Social Sciences, and more! Ashley is a taskmaster who ensures her students complete coherent, authentic, and strategic essays well before application deadlines.
Below are some examples of good college essay topics:
An applicant may be asking themself, “What should I write about for my college essay?” The opportunities may feel overwhelmingly abundant or quite bare. An applicant’s best bet is to focus on significant moments that helped reshape their perspective. Here are some brainstorming tips and tools to help get the ball rolling: