1. Essay Writing  Essays can make or break an application. ANSWER THE PROMPT! Your essay should be a narrative, telling an interesting story, revealing to the reader something about you not already found in the application.

2. Essay - Critical Factor  Humor is good, but above all, be genuine. Remember that the hardworking people in admissions offices have to read hundreds, sometimes thousand, of essays in a year, so make yours interesting for them.  You don’t have to be hilarious or shocking, but you do have to be engaging and sincere.  The reader is not as interested in WHAT happened to you, as in what the experience says about you or taught you.

3. Essay Writing  Essays don’t occur at one point in time; they evolve. A great essay usually takes a minimum of five or six edits.  Pick the story that best represents you.  Check and recheck your essays to eliminate completely all spelling or grammatical errors.  Having these errors in your essays says either “I’m ignorant” or “I don’t care enough to be careful in material I’m submitting to you.” Do you think colleges want to admit either of those types of people?

4. Why Essays?  The Admissions Committee is using the essay to make sure that you can write.  They want to see a side of you that the rest of your college application and credentials can’t show.  Essays can make a difference if you have a less than ideal academic record.  It’s the one thing you can do that’s unique. Your application and letters of recommendation are fairly standard.

5. Checklist  You might be able to use the same essay for more than one application. BUT you need to make sure the essay fits with each school’s question. Few applications ask exactly the same questions in exactly the same way. Or copy/paste parts to use with another.  Don’t repeat information from other parts of your application. Take advantage of opportunities to expand on information you’ve already provided. Write about something interesting that you did or that happened to you in one of your activities.

6. Checklist II  Outline all other parts of your application so that you know what has NOT been said. Use it to help you broaden out and balance the image of you that you want to portray.  Your essay should be written last after everything else has been completed (ideally after letters of recommendation too)

7. Checklist III  Avoid generalities. Most essays are boring. Write about particulars not activities in general.  “Extracurricular activities are important to me because they enable me to expand my horizons. :(  Narrow your focus. Write about something particular that happened to you while you were involved in the activity.  Pick interesting details. Story of helping someone.

8. Checklist IV  Don’t use a ton of SAT words. Don’t go wild with the thesaurus. Rewriting your first draft with big, impressive words is always obvious and never impressive.  Some of the greatest writers in history are those who have been lauded for their eloquent use of rather simple words.

9. Checklist V  Good writing is writing that is easily understood. You want to get your point across, not bury it in words. Flowery writing is not good writing.  No tedious introductions and conclusions that first announce and then repeat what has already been said.  No quotations. Colleges will know that you’re pulling it from a book. They make essays seem phony, not sophisticated.

10. Checklist VI  Put a lid on it. Confine your responses to the spaces provided for them. Longer is not better. It’s better to be brief and leave the reader craving more.  Be humorous if you can, but be careful. A student who can make an Admissions Officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But watch it. When humor is overused or used inappropriately, it can even more easily hurt you. The most successful joke is often the one told with a straight face.

11. Checklist VII  Have a good writer critique your essay. Have a good speller proofread it.  Does it sound phony? Is it clear? Do I get my point across? Is it boring? Are the jokes stupid? Do you see any errors?  Be especially careful about punctuation.  Submit extra materials if they’re called for: poems, musical compositions or tapes, short stories, art work.

12. Checklist VIII  DON’T WRITE ABOUT:  Your relationships with your girlfriend or boyfriend. That’s creepy.  Your political views. You don’t want to offend.  A classmate who was killed in a car accident. It’s too hard to write about.  How much you love yourself. Adults are tired of hearing about high school students talking about themselves.

13. More Stuff to NOT Write About  The importance of a college education. Duh!  Your test scores or your grades. They’ll see them.  How your team won the state championship. It’s trite.  How much you like to party. Don’t make your reader blush or feel embarrassed for you.  Big ideas. Stick to details and particulars  Current events. They might change by the time your essay is read. And it’s predictable and impersonal.  Anything that makes it sound as though the only reason you want to go to college is so you can make a whole lot of money when you get out.

14. Typical Essay Questions  Why do you want to attend this college? Wake Forest - “Why do you think Wake Forest is the best college for you?”  How do you see yourself 10 years from now?  Write about a meaningful activity. Columbia University - “Briefly describe which (school- related or outside) activity/interest represents your most meaningful commitment and why.”

15. 8 Essential Essay Tips  Follow the rules. Watch word limit.  Remember your audience. Leave off slang and obscure references.  Mind your grammar.  Choose your words carefully. Don’t be dull.  Write in your own voice. Let your style shine.  Humble your humor. They might not get it.  Proofread and revise  Ask someone else to read your essay.

16. Types of questions  Spiritual questions:  What does having a relationship with God mean to you?  Relate your salvation experience.  What in your life indicates that you are walking with the Lord?

17. Types of Questions  Academic/achievement questions  Please write a well though-out essay to discuss your ideas, your experiences, interests and achievements.  Summarize your school experiences in both academic and extracurricular activities. If your academic performance was not at an acceptable level, please explain why and what action you have taken to improve your academic ability.

18. Types of Questions  Goal-oriented questions  As you think of the future, explain your most important goal.  Please specify your personal ministry goals and how you perceive an education at ____ will assist you in meeting them.  In what ways do you expect a Christian liberal arts college to contribute to your future goals.

19. Types of Questions  Open-ended questions  Write about something that is important to you. Describe what it is, and tell why it’s important.  Describe one of your most significant experiences and how it has affected your life.  Share any additional information about yourself that might be helpful to us in the selection process.

20. Common Application Essays  1.Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.  2.Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.  3.Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

21.  4.Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.  5.A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.  6.Topic of your choice.