1. Writing the College Essay

2. Purpose of the Essay To see you as a person, not just statistics
To distinguish you from all other applicants
To demonstrate your ability to write and express yourself at a high academic level
Talk about the other parts of the college application
Talk about how many people apply for one seat in top universities
Most humanities courses evaluate you on papers and essays
Most homework is reading college-level texts

3. Three Main Types of Essays
Why you?
Why this college?
Creative

4. Why you? What sets you apart? What do you think about a certain issue?
What defines you as a person, student, etc.

5. Why you?
Examples:
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, or risk that you have taken and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national or international concern and its importance to you.
Indicate a person, character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, etc.) who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

6. Why this university? Example
Why do you want to spend two to six years of your life at a particular college, graduate school, or professional school? How is the degree necessary to the fulfillment of your goals?

7. Why this university? Avoid mentioning the history of the school
“University of Virginia was founded by my personal hero, Thomas Jefferson.”
UVA was founded in 1819, the same year my great great great great great great grandfather bought his house, the same house we live in today.
Avoid platitudes
UVA is a really great school.

8. Creative You pick the format You pick the content
Short story
Poem
Stream of consciousness
You pick the content
You still need to demonstrate your ability to write and express yourself at a high academic level

9. Getting Started Step 1: Choose a Topic
One central experience (disaster, miracle, family incident, etc.)
One theme (what you believe is the purpose of life, the vastness of the universe, working hard is the way to dreams, etc.)
Choose a fresh topic, one that millions won’t already have written about
Say no to: death, divorce, disease, disorders, sports injuries, trips, heartbreak
Do not choose three topics, and write the 5-paragraph essay with introduction, three topic paragraphs, and conclusion. Instead, choose one theme, experience, or fresh topic that you can write about throughout the entire essay.

10. Getting Started
Step 2: Brainstorm supporting details, experiences, stories, images
Concrete
Meaningful
Relevant

11. Writing the Essay Step 3: Follow the prompt
If they say 1000 words, don’t go over
If they say double-spaced, double space
Make sure you answer the question

12. Writing the Essay STEP 4: Follow good writing rules
Have a powerful opening sentence
“I am a changed person. Three years ago, I realized that people are important.”
“Three years ago, my mind was reborn.”
Use concrete examples to support your statements
“Every day, I get up early to help my grandmother.”
“ When the sun reaches the horizon, I am already carrying my grandmother’s tamales to the neighbors.”
Avoid clichés, contractions, and big words
Powerful essays are original, formal, and don’t need a dictionary
Write your own essay, and use your own words
Example of cliché:

13. Writing the Essay Avoid unnecessarily long sentences
Write clearly
Have a variety of sentence lengths
Have a strong conclusion
Don’t just repeat your essay
If you used a story or image in the opening part of the essay, mention it in the ending, with a new meaning or twist.

14. Writing the Essay Choose a verb tense, and stick with it
Write in the active voice
“That summer was very educational.”
“That summer taught me a valuable lesson.”
Show, don’t tell
“My family is very traditional.”
“Each March, we place sprigs of rosemary and thyme outside our front door to commemorate the end of winter.”
Write about what you know
Be sincere
Don’t try to impress the admissions board

15. Writing the Essay
Edit
Don’t be in love with the sound of your own writing
Cut out anything that doesn’t need to be there
If you can say it in 4 paragraphs, get rid of that 5th paragraph
Self-edit
Get others to edit your essay

16. Final Thoughts Essays take time and a lot of work
Start early, and abandon an essay if it not working for you
Use resources and people to help you, but don’t use other people’s words

17. Questions…