The College Essay You Can Nail It Some

The College Essay: You Can Nail It! Some schools don’t require a writing sample, but most will ask for a Personal Statement or a “Common App Essay”. Many schools also require short answer statements or essays, which are also important and an opportunity to show thoughtful responses.

How much do essays matter? Depends on the college; Think of the application and the essay as two distinct parts of the evaluation, serving different roles. Smaller or more selective schools tend to look at students more holistically and place more value on the essay; The more selective the college, the more qualified students there will be in the pool, and often without enough space to accommodate them. Essays are used to differentiate a student from other students with similar academic profiles (grades, test scores, extracurriculars). An amazing essay will not get you into a top school on its own, but it can make the difference in selecting one student over another. If your essay is poorly conceived & written, plagiarized, or your parents wrote it, it can negatively affect your application!

What are college admissions officers looking for in your essay? 1. Who is this person? 2. Will this person contribute something of value to our campus? Write about YOU: Colleges want to get to know who you are, what you value and care about. What type of student will you be? Will you be a good roommate? Will you be an impactful student on their campus? Will you be an alum who contributes to society? 3. Can this person write? 4. What can we learn about this person that was not on their transcript, application, school report, or recommendation letters? Believe it or not, College Admissions Officers want to know what matters to you. If you believe in helping others, share a story about that. If you are intellectually curious, what is it that you want to learn or what fascinates you? What stories will enlighten the Admissions team about YOU?

Values Exercise - from the College Essay Guy What defines us? Our VALUES. Values form the foundation of our lives. They dictate the choices we make and determine our direction when it comes to relationships, careers, and other life changing decisions. Simple yet profound exercise; you’ll need something to write with Takes 2 minutes, but we need you to be focused Choose your top 10 values from your list; they don’t have define you for all space and time, just for right now: You have 1 minute Now: Make your top 10 list to your top 5. What would you really fight for? You have 30 seconds Now: Choose your top 3 values, and you only have 10 seconds to do it Last thing: What’s your number 1? For today, what would define you? Why is this value meaningful to you? How does it manifest in your life?

Two types of College Essay Styles Narrative Structure Montage Structure Storytelling, movie style: 1. status quo A few images/scenes tell the whole story; normally tied by a theme 2. Conflict/Incident 1. Show the most illustrative points 3. Raise the stakes 4. Moment of truth/A-Ha moment 5. Outcome – with new & improved status quo 2. Theme running through your life - sports, a favorite place, hobby, etc. that you select a few examples that highlight who you are and where you want to go 3. Favors a strong writer who has thought through their strengths and values

If Your School is a Common Application School, You’re Writing an Essay!- There are seven prompts to choose from, and they are same as last year! Word limit: 650 Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. Describe a topic, ideas, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt or one of your own design.

Supplemental Essays- While the Common Application and the Universal Application each have a required essay, many colleges include their own school-specific essays, known as writing supplements. Highly selective schools often have the prompt: Why _____? Why Brown, Why Lehigh, Why Penn? Hint: Look to see which programs your student plans to take advantage of while on campus. Research school thoroughly and have SPECIFIC answers, NOT “great location and football team”. Describe a person you’d like to invite to dinner and why. Describe your most important extracurricular activity and what it has meant to you. How do you plan to give back to the ______ College Community? Describe a time you failed and what you learned from it. What activities do you plan to participate in at ______ school?

Why can’t I Use an Old Essay I Wrote in English Class? It’s probably a great start, but you need more time, thought, and a different style of writing for your College Essays. You KNOW who your reader is – so write the essay with the Admissions Officer in mind! Questions to ask yourself: Does it show your values? Could only you have written it? Is it fun to read? Will the reader remember it tomorrow? If not, go back and find a different angle, more details to include. Think of movies with their sharp editing…. you need to do the same! Does it make the Admissions Team know you any better (and want to invite you to join their campus? ) Are they not bored out of their mind? Think of how many essays they have to read!

Feelings & Needs Exercise from College Essay Guy. Normally takes 15 minutes- we’ll get it done in 5! This exercise is to help show self-awareness – knowing what you think, feel and need. By thinking back to a life impacting event, a student can get in touch with those illuminating moments. Best essays have a conflict, growth, and show self-awareness Be vulnerable, write the “deepest version” of your story. Focus more so on what comes after that challenge or event and not dwell on the negative Brainstorming will be done on the horizontal side of the sheet; ideas about feelings and needs on other side of sheet

Essay Tips: Show colleges your best self in your essays & supplements! Show Positive Traits: Turn-offs to colleges: 1. Embrace learning 1. cynical and negative 2. Initiative 3. Deeply committed to an activity or idea 2. Think you are a “finished” product 3. Are a victim of circumstance 4. Can overcome adversity 5. Self-destructive 5. Care about your community 6. Lack integrity 6. Value diversity 7. Tend to blame others 7. Know your own values

WHEN should I start writing my college essays? A strong essay will be done over a long period of time, with approximately three drafts. Never too early to start thinking about your essays! You will write one in your Junior English Class - use as a springboard Summer between Junior and Senior year put pen to paper Try to have them done before school starts! Think about them, map out some ideas in June Write and re-write in July August edit, share with two other people who can proofread & give feedback Be OPEN to feedback…. it will help you! You’ve got this!

Resources College Essay Guy, Ethan Sawyer Julie Spak www. collegeessayguy. com Email: juliespakessays@gmail. com Book: College Essay Essentials, 2016 Phone/Text: 484. 252. 1678 Former Admissions Officer & School Counselor, located in Downingtown Always happy to help students write their best essays and supplements if you want individual help/advice/assistance! Fantastic resource for DIYers (Do It Yourselfers).