The following blog is going to contain some tips for writing your college essays. Some of you may already be familiar with writing essays for high school assignments, but there are some differences in expectation between the essays you submit for your high school teachers and the ones you will submit for college.
Research and Word Limits: I don’t mean research in the same way that you may dig through information to support your English paper thesis or History papers. The research you should be doing at this point is making sure you understand the kinds of essays you will need to write as well as their word limits. The Common Application asks you to write a Personal Statement essay and chances are high that the colleges on your radar will ask you to write an essay about why you want to specifically apply to that school. Sometimes colleges have two or three prompted essays, so it is best to do your research and be prepared. Also! The word limits for these essays often land at less than 300 words (except for the Personal Statement), so while you may be used to writing more than that for school, you will need to practice dialing it back and being a bit more concise for these essays.
Purpose and Perspective: Essay writing can be frustrating! However, it might help you to understand why these essays are crucial from an admissions counselor’s perspective. Sean Ashburn, a former Tufts Admissions counselor put it best:
“Your writing serves to give a human element to your application file, creating a connection between you and the reader who likely hasn’t had the opportunity to meet you in person. Your essays help us understand your voice beyond the academic data and learn about your personality, values, interests, priorities, and background.”
With this perspective in mind, be sure to make the most of your essays so admissions counselors can both understand you and your context throughout the admissions process.
Details: Some students feel constrained by prompted essays, but in reality, the prompts simply serve as a frame for the reader to understand your writing. As the writer, your essay is actually a large canvas and you can choose many ways to illustrate what you would like to portray. No matter which topic you choose, be sure to include specifics and details so that your painting can truly “pop.” For example, if you are going to write about your love for anthropology, be sure to provide some examples on where you think this interest may have come from, what specifically you hope to study through anthropology, and why you (yes, you specifically) think it is important.
Grammar + Spelling Checks: Be sure to ask someone to look over and check your essays for spelling, grammar, or other mistakes that might detract from the readability and meaning of your essay. My advice for this is to ask two people, a teacher (perhaps the one who writes your recommendation letter) and a close friend who knows you well to look over your essays.
Keeping Your Voice: You are encouraged to let your personality shine throughout your essay. If you are naturally a jokester, then perhaps you will lace your essay with comedy and a few punchlines. If you are more analytical, then perhaps you will enjoy writing something that is more formal and to the point. If you are contemplative, then perhaps your essay will house a series of questions to which you are seeking answers. Either way, there are a plethora of ways to infuse your personality into your writing. *In the paragraph before this I mentioned asking 2 people to look over an essay. Letting many people read and edit your essay might result in your voice and personal style being jumbled and lost in edits. Take care to maintain your voice.