Writing Your Way Into College

August 23, 2013Dr. Meredith A. Miller

Mr. Trey Broussard

The College Application EssaySo what makes it so important?

• The ONE part of a college application completely within your control

• The living, breathing part of your application to college

• Authentic self-revelation

• Fundamentally different from academic essays; it is about risk-taking rather than conforming to a predetermined structure.

• It is about writing from one’s personal voice about one’s own, often intimate, experiences while expressing one’s values and philosophy

• For a student on the admissions margin, it can be a deciding factor in the admissions equation

• One of the keys of writing a successful essay is that you must write the essay that ONLY YOU COULD WRITE

TipsConsider it a WORK IN PROGRESS!

– Plan and allow time for multiple revisions

– Use humor carefully

– Beware in writing a poem or song unless you’re applying to a specialized school that encourages such a submission

– Honor code rules are in effect – do your own work and don’t make things up

– Students often have the mistaken notion that they must take on an “important” topic or recall an experience “worthy” of an admissions essay. Yet sometimes the most idiosyncratic and unconventional topics often result in the most compelling essays. Rather than trying to be dramatic, be interesting. STAND OUT BY BEING YOU.

Before You BeginBrainstorm: BE REFLECTIVE

how do you view the world?what do you care about deeply?what experiences and people have been important in

shaping you as a person?what are your aspirations in life?Free write! Try a stream of consciousness

Choosing a Topic• Hobbies, non-school pursuits that excite you and engage your heart

and mind• Social cause about which you feel passionate• An event that has touched you in a personal way• Academic subject that sparks your interest: why does the subject

engage you? Has it led to experiences or study outside of school?• Experience or person that has had a significant impact on you

For all of these, GO BEYOND THE WHAT AND DIG INTO THE HOW AND WHY

DO’s• Answer the question directly• Use your own personal voice & style; let the true YOU come through• Beware of the 3 D’s: death, divorce, disaster. If you do use one, focus less on the

event and more on how it affected you• Use a hook for an opening sentence and paragraph: grab your reader!• Follow all instructions given• Make a point and stick to it: develop your argument or narrative• Check all your facts: do you mention a date, place, or event? Make sure it is correct!• Be as specific and illustrative as possible; show rather than tell -- details, details,

details!• Use figurative language when possible and appropriate• Strong essays focus on the use of nouns and verbs; weak ones overuse adjectives• Proofread carefully! The wrong name of the school is the kiss of death!• Use correct grammar, punctuation, & spelling

DON’Ts• Choose topics that you think the admissions office wants to hear• Use clichés • Use an essay for another school that is inappropriate• Waste words by repeating info somewhere else in the essay• Generalize• Submit a glorified listing of awards and honors• Blame others for your circumstances• Exaggerate or write to impress• Use a flowery, inflated, or pretentious style• Ramble

A great essay is…About YOU

Show your sense of humor, values, initiative, etc.InterestingDetailed

Use anecdotes and observationsReflective

Show your ability to see the “big” pictureAbout nothing (think Seinfeld)

Focus on the small things

On writing the essay:The opening paragraph NEEDS to hook the reader.

Anecdotes, Zingers, Straightforward statementsThe body paragraphs need to display a balance between

the experience and reflecting on the experience.Dialogue

Kickers are equally important.Your last thoughts should stick with the reader

Edit, Edit, Edit!!!!!

Edit for:Lack of a main ideaWeak verbs– avoid “to be” verbsPassive voiceOverused and ordinary adjectivesSentence varietyWordinessTenses – avoid past tense when possibleSpelling – don’t rely on spell check

Additional note: Use “I”– First Person, this is a personal essay