5 Dos
1. Be your own expert.
Only you, the college-bound student, know your unique life experiences, character traits, perspectives, and ways of thinking better than anyone else. Therefore, take some time to deeply reflect on events/moments that have made you grow as a person and jot them down. From there, you can come up with some possible leads and finally, choose the ‘one’ that allows for a compelling story.
2. Be creative and engaging.
As we all know, hearing or reading a story that’s dry, overly detailed, or that takes us on one too many tangents can be outright confusing or even boring to follow. By putting yourself in the college admissions officer’s shoes, think about a topic that can transform into a captivating narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Since this essay is a form of creative writing, you also get to choose the tone you wish to set along with infusing it with vivid imagery and descriptions through word magic!
3. Authenticity goes a long way.
College admissions officers are expert readers when it comes to deciphering applicants’ personal statements. If you are presenting yourself in a way that comes off insincere or causes reason to question if in fact your story is true or not, you are running the risk of jeopardizing a major component of the application itself. You don’t have to be the best writer, but you do need to try and let your words match who you are as a person.
4. Less is more.
Sometimes students want to cram together a whole bunch of talents, interests, and lived experiences in their college essay, hoping to share the entirety of their person with a 650-word space. Though the reasoning for wanting to put your best foot forward is valid, in this particular case, it’s best to choose a clear topic idea that is focused and can unfold in a chronological and logical way. In doing so, a couple of key character traits along with one or two impactful lived experiences can be interconnected in the presentation of a cohesive narrative.
5. Find your voice.
Here’s a little secret: the college essay is the perfect place to reveal your voice to the college admissions officer. By choosing a topic of personal importance whether it be based on how you experienced a shift in perspective or how you learned something new about yourself or others, or how you took a risk and benefited from its outcome (and of course the list goes on), you are articulating something of meaning and doing so in a way that provides insight into who you are as a person.
5 Don’ts
1. Don’t minimize your positive qualities, maximize them.
For whatever reason, I find that students are either fearful that they’re coming off as bragging if they showcase a positive character trait interwoven within their narrative or they feel that they have nothing remarkable to say about the virtues they possess. In fact, if done with great thought, the college essay is the perfect place to reveal one’s strengths within actual context whether this happens by sharing a quick anecdote or when using dialogue.
2. Don’t choose a topic that can make the reader comfortable.
As we all know, if someone reveals a story that is either too personal or too trauma-laden, it can make us feel uncomfortable, even to the point of making us freeze since we may not know how to react. This by no means is to minimize anyone’s life experiences, especially those that are difficult to overcome. But in the context of a college essay, it’s best not to raise any ‘red flags’ with the college admissions officer.
3. Don’t opt for the ‘typical route’—strive for something standout.
College admissions officers read thousands of essays, many of which fall under the categories of sports victories, performance anxiety only to turn into a standing ovation, generic volunteer experiences, the bond with one’s pet, etc. What I’m trying to get at here is that again, though this isn’t to minimize anyone’s life experiences, it’s best to choose a topic that can make the reader take great interest in the story being told and about the applicant who in fact wrote it!
4. AI generated essays have no place within the college application—DON’T DO IT.
If used as a brainstorming tool, AI writing tools can perhaps be helpful. But I have no idea if this is true because admittedly, I have never even seen one and don’t even know how they work. The point that I’m getting at here is that though times change and technological advancements are truly helpful in some areas of our lives, as a professional educator and expert writer, I would strongly advise against using them when approaching the written component of the college application. These tools are not only unethical in this context, but they rob you of your voice and they also produce lackluster essays. This, however, I do know.
5. Don’t replicate other people’s college essays.
Although there is value in going online and reading some college essay examples or even reading an older sibling’s or friend’s college essay, it’s important not to go too overboard. Reason being, too much external influence may cloud your actual vision when seeking to tell a story that is unique to you!