Writing the College Essay

Here are some suggestions to help you successfully write college application essays:

1. Start early. Allow plenty of time to revise and rewrite your essay. 

2. Read and follow the directions carefully. Answer the question as directly as possible. Follow the word limits exactly. Express yourself briefly and clearly. Think through the question before responding.

3. Keep in mind that admissions staff will be evaluating how you write as well as what you write. Concentrate on organization of thought, complete and concise sentences, and correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage.

4. Be honest and positive.

5. Focus on your assets, talents, and achievements. Show your best side. You might have overcome some adversity, worked on a difficult project, or profited from a specific incident.

6. Avoid clichés, lists, and common themes.

7. Be specific about what this particular college can do for you and what you can do for the college.

8. Do NOT repeat information that is given elsewhere on your application. Colleges are looking for something that sets you apart from other applicants.

9. Have someone critique and PROOFREAD your draft. Do NOT rely on Spell-check. An essay riddled with spelling and grammatical errors will not help your application.

10. Type all essays unless a sample of your handwriting is requested, then use black ink.

11. Avoid "generic" essays - ones that could pertain to just about anyone. Focus on something specific.

Contrasting two Essays:

ESSAY #1:

Throughout my high school years, there have been many factors which have influenced my interest and personality. Being a well-rounded student, I have had many experiences working with people as well as with books. I have learned a great deal through these experiences.

A major influence in my life has been my family. Their love and encouragement have motivated me to expand in many areas of interest.

Another factor which has influenced me is my involvement in many activities outside of academics. Working with my peers in musicals, tennis, dance class, volunteer work, and various committee and staff work, I have gained a sense of achievement and accomplishment. I have learned to work better with people, learning the value of team effort. I have gained an appreciation for the talent and hard work contributed by each and every person concerned with the project.

Working in Maine during the past few summers, I have learned much about dealing with people in a great variety of situations. Mt co-employees, being older than I am, also helped me to mature and accept things as they are. Furthermore, I now know more about the economic aspects of life, both business and personal.

In college, I plan to continue to live a well-rounded life, meeting and working with people from a variety of backgrounds. I expect to prepare for a profession that permits me to be closely related to children as well as adults. I want to help people. I have gotten so much out of life through the love and guidance of my family, I fell that many inpiduals have not been as fortunate; therefore, I would like to expand the lives of others.

I am excited about the possibility of attending College X. I feel that I am ready for college. I am ready to accept the challenge of the academics. I plan to give my best to College X, knowing that College X will do the same for me.

Critique: This is the kind of essay that colleges read all day long. It is not the kind of essay they remember. The essay describes an ideal student - eager, involved, loyal, thrifty, reverent - but it's a general picture, not a real person. This essay does not add to an application because it is general and unfocused; it could apply to any high school senior. It does not give the admissions committee any sense of who the applicant is. 

ESSAY #2:

Someday, I hope to have a career in the biological sciences. I've always enjoyed the study of science, with its plausible explanations for the 'hows' and 'whys' of our lives. My serious interest in the area of the sciences developed in my sophomore year, during which I took Advanced Placement Biology. One aspect of that course I particularly enjoyed was the final project of designing, conducting, and writing up my own experiment.

Although the work involved was time-consuming, doing the experiment allowed me to see how real scientists test hypotheses. My laboratory dealt with the effects of photoperiod and temperature on the growth of zea mays seedlings. Not only did I have to care for and daily alter the photoperiods of the plants, I also had to measure, every other day, the heights of 76 corn seedlings. As the labs were to be researched and prepared on a college level, I spent several hours in the library at Washington University and Meramec College, using the Biological Abstracts to find information on experiments similar to my own which had been written up in scientific journals. The effort required by the lab really made me appreciate the scientists who spend their lives proving or disproving theories by experimentation and research.

Ironically, the experiment was personally rewarding because my original theory was actually disproved. I hypothesized that the plants with the longest photoperiod would grow the fastest. After I concluded the lab and began analyzing the data, however, I found that the plants with a median photoperiod grew faster. I thought that this was very exciting; potentially routine results were given a twist.

I consider my biology experiment to be a valuable scientific experience; I was exposed to the methods and materials of bona fide scientists, and, in a small way, felt the excitement of discovery. That laboratory intensified my interest in science. Last year, in chemistry, I conducted more self-designed experiments, including one to test the amount of copper in copper chloride, and another to determine the amount of oxygen required for survival by a fish, a mussel, and a clam. These experiments were also worthwhile, but I still consider the zea mays experiment to be the most exciting lab I've ever done.

Critique: A sense of this person - his/her way of looking at the world, his/her involvement and enthusiasm - comes across. Its strengths are its clear focus (the experiment) and its specifics (the class, the 76 seedlings, Biological Abstracts, etc.). These make it memorable and unique. In Essay #1, the writer assures us that her family is supportive, that she learned a lot in Maine, and that she wants to help people; but there's no evidence of that in the essay. In Essay #2, the writer shows her points. She says she enjoys the study of science and her experiment proves it.

Most college essays fail in one of these counts: They're either too comprehensive (no focus) or too general (no proof). Remember, be specific, be focused, and be yourself.