College Essay Writing

At a college meeting yesterday, the discussion came up about when to start your college essay.  With the common application being used at more and more colleges, the personal essay has become one of the most important factors in the college application.  For many colleges, it is the only way to distinguish one candidate from another.  Therefore, it is extremely important for students to work on their essay in a non rushed setting so they can produce their best results. Here are some suggestions.

– Make it all about you.

The essay should reflect who you are as a person.  Transcripts and test scores tell your academic story.  The essay is the place where you can shine, tell about a family challenge, a learning difference, an experience that changed you or a hobby or passion in your life.

– Make sure it is your voice.

It is fine to have some input from a teacher, parent, college guidance counselor but colleges know when they are being taken.  They want to read an essay that is from the voice of a seventeen year old, not an adult.  Grammar and spelling are extremely important but write from the heart, don’t write what you think colleges want to hear.

– Start over the summer

This way you won’t be rushed in the fall when your grades are very important and most of you are prepping for the SAT or ACT.  Set a schedule that allows you to put in some time each week, starting with brainstorming ideas for your essay, working on several drafts and polishing the grammar and sentence structure.

-Try to enjoy!

This is probably the only place in the college admissions process where you get to show who you are, what you are made of and what your interests and dreams are.  Have some fun with that and allow your individuality to come through.  Summer Essay Writing Class

Kathleen Brigham