This essay could work for prompts 1 and 7 for the Common App.
As the says, “Colleges want to see that prospective students can write well and build a logical argument with supporting ideas. Some colleges also use the essay to help them determine whether an applicant is a good fit.”
The college admissions essay is all about you. Before you start to write your essay, admissions experts advise that you do a reflection exercise with yourself. Ask yourself questions like,
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.
This essay could work for prompts 1, 2 and 7 for the Common App.
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.
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.
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.)
Are you asking yourself, “What should I write my college essay about?” The Common Application, as well as some individual schools, will give you a list of prompts that are useful starting off points to help you tell your own story. While the Common Application prompts can change each year, some examples include:
How many paragraphs should a college essay be?
Most college applications include a supplemental essay that offers the opportunity to understand each applicant on a more qualitative level. The essay section asks about each student’s life experiences and goals with the aim to learn more about them. Colleges include the application process because the admissions board knows that applicants are more than just a GPA, extracurriculars, and test scores. These essays give applicants the chance to showcase their thinking process, resilience, and communication skills. writes, “Colleges are looking for thoughtful, motivated students who will add something to the first-year class,” and the essays are the perfect opportunity to showcase that.
How long should my college essay be?
I still have the first photo I ever took on the first camera I ever had. Or rather, the first camera I ever made. Making that pinhole camera was truly a painstaking process: take a cardboard box, tap it shut, and poke a hole in it. Okay, maybe it wasn't that hard. But learning the exact process of taking and developing a photo in its simplest form, the science of it, is what drove me to pursue photography. I remember being so unhappy with the photo I took; it was faded, underexposed, and imperfect. For years, I felt incredibly pressured to try and perfect my photography. It wasn't until I was defeated, staring at a puddle of kombucha, that I realized that there doesn't always have to be a standard of perfection in my art, and that excited me.
How (and why) to outline your college essay to use a good structure
Five years ago, I vigorously worked on my college applications. I stayed up late for countless nights and met with my English teacher to review my personal essay. Luckily for me—and a testament to my hard work—my college admissions process ended with an acceptance to my dream school.
This section contains five examples of good college essays.
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