10 Steps To Writing A College Essay That Gets Noticed

10 Steps To Writing A College Essay That Gets Noticed You might think you’ve read or heard the perfect opening someplace elseâ€"a book of sample essays, a speech, a line in your favorite movie, etc. But pirating someone else’s writing is plagiarism, and every college I can think of would frown on an applicant who steals other people’s work without crediting the source. There’s always that chance that your reader could recognize what you’re sharing. And if they have even the slightest suspicion, the answer will always be just a Google search away. The moral to the college essay is that there need not be a moral. Colleges want to “hear specifically what you learned from an experience” â€" not clichés. Students will be accepted “if the student’s numbers fit the academic profile of the institution,” she says. Some teens think their college essay, or “personal statement,” will determine their entire future, and others bristle and balk when asked to finally write it, believing it will never be read. You have the space tell us what you’re thinking about and how you’re thinking about it. Your essay should read like a short English paper about yourself. Start with a main idea and cite specific evidence to support your statement about yourself. Describe your feelings when you found your career or major goals. Good essays are always quite personal without being sentimental. Strong verbs, not adjectives and adverbs, will make your admissions essay come to life. When an essay has two or three adjectives or adverbs in every sentence, the admissions folks will quickly feel like they are in the presence of an immature writer who is trying too hard to impress them. When writing your admissions essay, be careful to avoid overusing flowery language . In fact, more than one professional points out that students should not have already reached their writing potential before entering college. I know parents who believe kids who can’t sit down and write essays themselves aren’t ready for four-year college. Jager-Hyman said there are some who believe a 17-year-old need only “put one foot in front of the other” and apply himself to complete this task. But in reality, many otherwise-capable teens have no clue where to start. Well, first of all, you can presume that some admissions officers are just bored of essays about challenges you’ve overcome or experiences that have changed you. They want to see how you think when challenged. If you fall into the excited category, consider this a complimentary resource. We’ll spotlight some of the essay prompts you’re likely to see, and we provide a few examples of essays that have actually earned students passage into the colleges and universities of their choice. Consider this a good set of references as you hammer out your ideas, and work through your essay drafts. Keith Berman is the President of Options for College (), which he founded in Harvard Square right after working in the Harvard Admissions Office. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, PBS, Fox Business and Lifetime. They want to see how you function when removed from the safe confines of formula and expectation. On the subject of essay prompts, Meredith points out that the 7 variations offered by the Common App are designed to give all applicants the opportunty to share something meaningful about themselves. Many selective colleges and universities have their own essay prompts. Other colleges may simply offer you free writing space to provide a personal statement. However, the Common Application is perhaps the best starting point for anticipating likely college essay prompts. You are writing a personal narrative, not a parable, so don’t feel compelled to conclude with a lesson learned or a happy ending. Regardless of the topic about which you choose to write, be sure the essay reveals more about you than the other characters or places in the story. Visit our Writing Lab for more writing tips, pertaining both to your college essay, and to the array of other writing challenges you’ll face in college or graduate school. So what’s the takeaway from this array of unexpected, possibly even bizarre essay questions? Practicing your writing skills in advance can help you prepare for college essays. Is there a way to find out what essay questions colleges are asking before you start the application process? Would it relieve some of your stress, or help you focus your search on fewer colleges, if you knew what essays you'll have to write? Reading your essays gives us insight into how you define yourself and how you will define yourself as a member of the Babson community. Too many adjectives and adverbs can ruin the reading experience. Digression isn't always wrong in a college admissions essay. Sometimes a colorful aside or anecdote can help engage the reader and enhance the reading experience. Here are some college application essay dos and don’ts for students to keep in mind as they complete their applications this fall. No one would expect a student to dash off a perfect essay.