Compiled for Pope John XXIII High School by Christopher D. Stuck College Counselor

In general, there are 2 types of essays.  Type 1: Open ended Promotes creative writing  Ex: “Step outside and describe how you would change what you see. Why?”  Type 2: The personal statement Usually encourages self description May ask to explain academic deficiencies Why did you apply here? Why should we admit you?

 Provides a portrait of the applicant beyond what is evident on academic record  May be used in lieu of a resume to describe extracurricular activities and service  Helps the college assess critical thinking, writing abilities, interests, experiences, values, attitudes, and expectations  Can help determine how creative and resourceful a student can be when confronted with a difficult topic

Colleges are increasingly asking for graded writing samples in addition to or in the place of an essay. These are assignments that you have completed for a class and have been turned in to your teacher, graded and returned. The writing sample shows the student’s ability to write in an academic setting, as well as the teacher’s assessment of that writing.

 Provide reasonable straightforward responses  Demonstrate your best writing abilities  Provide vivid, clear impressions of yourself  Avoid broad, unsupported statements about yourself  Allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusion

 Do keep your focus narrow Prove a single point; the reader should be able to follow your main idea from beginning to end  Do provide proof Supplement your main idea with facts, quotes, examples and reasons  Do be specific Rather than tell the reader that you had a life changing event, describe the event and how it changed you

 Do NOT tell the readers what you think they want to hear Be original, and be YOURSELF  Do NOT forget to proofread Typos and grammatical errors reflect poorly on the writer, and can be interpreted as carelessness. Do not trust your computer’s spell check. Ask someone to look over your essay.

 Writing Ability Want to see if you can write at the college level Avoid using words that you don’t understand Understand sentence and paragraph structure Keep a good pace; flow logically and have a good conclusion Make it believable Keep it relatively brief and coherent

 Insight into who you are Do not make it sound like a marketing piece Make it sound like how you talk (but with good grammar) Again, be yourself, not someone you think the college wants to see Write about something you actually care about Essay should provide why you love what you love, believe what you believe, and are what you are This shows that you know how to reflect and analyze

 Sex, drugs, violence  Travelogues  The News  Swearing  Humor/ sarcasm