College Entrance Essays Introductions/ Helpful Tips!

Journal Prompt  Answer the following question: On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being super confident and unworried, how confident do you feel about writing college application essays? Is there anything in particular that you are nervous/ worried about? If you answered 10, explain why you feel prepared/ confident.

Why Do they Have These?  To be honest, the most important factors when applying are GPA, test scores, and extra-curriculars  However, the essays are still important:  Show writing skills (grammar, vocab, etc.)  Tell a bit about your personality

Most Common Prompts  There are usually one/ a combination of three kinds of essay questions in an application:  The “you” question  The “why us” question  The creative question  Each should be approached in different ways

The “you” question  This is the type of question that basically asks you to tell the college/ university about yourself  It is an opportunity for the college to get to know about your personality  Example: (Insert college/university name here values a diverse student body. What contributions might you make to our campus community outside of academic achievement?

The “why us” question  This is pretty straightforward; the college/ university wants to know why you chose to apply to them  They want students that want to be there  Make sure it looks like you have done your research in a question like this!!!

The “creative” question  This type of question allows colleges to assess the depth of students’ knowledge and education  Also, again, gives students the opportunity to share a little bit of personal info. About themselves  Example: Sharing intellectual interests is an important aspect of university life. Describe an experience or idea that you find intellectually exciting, and explain why.

Remember to Consider Your Audience!!!  It is important to keep in mind that your audience is key!  Usually, a panel of people called an Admissions Committee, that involves university staff, professors and even students!  One key thing to remember: This committee reads thousands of essays each term.  Therefore, YOU HAVE TO STAND OUT

Being Yourself  Before writing your essay, think about what makes you unique (and yes, there is one thing about each of you that makes you unique)  Make sure to incorporate this into your essay!  This is a chance for the university/ college to get to know the real you!

The DOs  DO proofread your own work  DO have someone else check it over/ peer edit (friend, family member, teacher, etc.)  DO incorporate unique aspects about yourself into your essay  DO write about anything that is counterintuitive to your self (ex: a football player who likes poetry, a macho guy who wants to be an elementary school teacher, etc.)  DO consider your audience!!!

The DO NOTs  DO NOT brag, or come across as arrogant.  DO NOT write what college admissions people want to hear instead of what you really feel/ think.  DO NOT write too much, ramble on and ignore the specified character/ word counts  DO NOT lie!!!