Take Time to Create a Winning Essay (Part 4 of 8)
STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR APPLICATION COUNT series
Producing a college application essay is one of the most daunting tasks facing students in the senior year of high school—and for good reason. Add to the high stakes nature of the admission process itself the fact that the essay is the one credential yet to be created—most of the student’s relevant personal and academic history has already been recorded—the prospect of having to create a statement that might tip the competitive scales brings with it enormous pressure.
Multiply that dynamic by the number of original essays required to complete applications for all of the colleges on a student’s “short list” and you get the picture — you’ve got your work cut out for you!
That said, most students submit essays that do little more than satisfy requirements. For all intents and purposes, their essays are worthless. Ouch! I didn’t say they were bad essays or technically flawed. I am simply observing that, from my experience, a vast majority of essays fail to make a difference in the applications of the students who submitted them.
For the students who submit them, such essays represent solid efforts but that’s it. The essays may be “good enough” to meet the requirements, but they fail to elevate the applicants above the competition.
Writing a winning essay isn’t easy. However, if you can pull it off, you will have introduced a highly competitive element to your application.
Producing an essay that will grab the attention of the reader requires time, reflection and a bit of inspiration. It won’t materialize out of thin air. In other words, to create a compelling statement, you need to invest in its development. You can’t rely on the adrenaline rush or the sense of urgency that comes with deadline writing. Rather, you need to engage in a systematic drafting and editing process that could go on for a month or two.
Time can be your greatest ally if you use it wisely. You see, time can be an editorial tool that allows you to gain valuable perspective as you draft and edit your essays. Given time, you can step back from your working drafts and edit effectively. Conversely, if you are prone to “one-draft” writing, you deny yourself the opportunity to make a good essay great.
Consider the following tips as you prepare your college essays.
- Resist the temptation to look for examples of great college essays for ideas and/or inspiration. They will only confuse you more. Besides, those ideas have already been taken.
- Don’t give up ownership. You will find lots of opportunities to let other people (i.e. friends, parents and essay writing services) “help” you. Colleges want to hear your voice—it’s like your DNA. Authenticity is big here. While others can help with reflective editing, make sure the words you use are your own.
- Think about the messages/impressions you want to convey. What do you want the reader to know about you that won’t be apparent anywhere else in the application?
- Choose a topic about which you are an expert. The topic should give you a platform or perspective from which you are comfortable delivering the message.
- Answer the “why” questions. Why is the topic important to you? Why do you care about it? Why has it affected the way you see yourself in the world? As you answer the “why” questions, you give the reader insight into your soul. That might seem intimidating, but if you can pull it off your essay will make a difference.
- Be careful not to reframe information that is already presented on your application.
- Make sure you tell your story. If little-known circumstances have affected your academic performance or your life experience in general, you need to use a personal statement to address them.
Finally, be honest about your effort. One of the most effective collaborators on my early writing projects was my dad. He would look over an essay and hand it back to me with the simple observation, “You’re not going to hand it in that way, are you?” While he was happy to go over things I had written with me, he wouldn’t do the thinking or writing for me. He knew that I knew I could do a better job and he was willing to help me if I was truly interested in helping myself!
Help yourself—don’t settle for “good enough.” Rather, invest the extra time and effort it takes to produce great results. For more tips about writing a great college essay, check out Chapter 11, “Make A Difference with Your Essay,” in Winning the College Admission Game: Strategies for Students. The book is available in bookstores and online (www.Amazon.com; http://www.theadmissiongame.com/products.php).
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