How To Write A College Essay

How To Write A College Essay You want to be memorable to the counselors who read your app. Sometimes, a sense of humor doesn’t hurt, if it’s applicable to your subject and/or that moment in your life. A natural understanding of narrative structure â€" not the prefabricated “academic paper” structure â€" and a great story to tell. Submit it, and treat yourself to something nice â€" like your favorite film, a run, quality time with your dog or whatever it is that you enjoy. Ask people you trust for their feedback, but don’t let anyone else tell you how you should write it. This is your story, or some small but significant part of it, as told or reflected upon by you. Formatting and presentation cannot replace substance, but they can certainly enhance the value of an already well-written essay. Tell us something different from what we’ll read on your list of extracurricular activities or transcript. Sometimes creating an outline for your essay can help you get started. It will also help you organize your thoughts and develop a framework. Prestige and rankings are another topic to avoid. Yes, Yale is very prestigious and consistently ranks among the top three universities in U.S. Your familial connections may also factor in, but they shouldn’t be your sole reason for applying. Finally, if you can find pretty much all the reasons you give through a cursory look at the website or brochure, that’s a sign that it’s time to dive a little deeper. The “Why this college” or “Why us” prompts are fairly common. Essays should have a thesis that is clear to you and to the reader. Your thesis should indicate where you’re going and what you’re trying to communicate from the outset. Even if you didn’t visit, you can still establish a strong connection to the school. In that case, you might share a story about why you’re interested in studying a certain program that you can only find there â€" grounding it in an anecdote from your past â€" or a professor you want to study with. Don’t worry so much that other people may have “better” stories than you. Everyone’s life is full of story, narrative, and it’s up to you to tell these stories in compelling ways. Feel free to tell us about a time you stumbled, and what happened next. Don’t be afraid to reveal yourself in your writing. Focus on one event, one activity, or one “most influential person.” Tackling too much tends to make your essay too watered down or disjointed. Especially if you’re recounting an event, take it beyond the chronological storytelling. Our mind is created to recall things in stories. Self-exploration can be fun, but don't procrastinate on the actual writing. You don't want to rush or be up against a tight deadline; it will affect your work. Don't use big words just for the sake of using big words. Remember, this essay is about you, so use words you normally use. In fact, the common appsuggested essay word limit is actually just 650 words. Begin thinking about answers to the common application questions and review the pre-writing techniques.