Ask any admissions staff what aspect of an application makes a student stand out and they will reply that it is the essay. There is really no way to stress the importance of the essay component during the college application process. Being one of the most important aspects of the application, the essay is also one of the hardest to do. Here are a few tips that I discovered during my college application process.
1. Avoid cliches.
There are thousands of other students applying to the schools you are applying to and the last thing you want to do is appear like you are just one more applicant. Therefore, it is very important for your essay topic to be creative, unique and not like the rest. How do you do that? Well, I wish there was a formula for it but sadly, there isn’t an equation that gives you a unique essay topic. Or maybe there is. I believe that it goes as so: (brainstorming) + (more brainstorming) + (brainstorming)(more brainstorming) = a unique topic. Maybe it is because I took a calculus final last week that my mind is in a mathematical mood but my point is that coming up with that unique topic takes a lot of thinking.
Think about who you are, think about any experience that has changed your life or has taught you something that you still carry with you to this day. Avoid anything that you think is common such as an international trip, a camp experience, winning an award. Do not get me wrong, you can write about these things but you will really have to make it stand out. Many people are able to travel abroad, get an award, go to summer camps, but what admissions officers are looking for is a vivid picture of who you are. Which leads me to my next point.
2. Draw A Picture With Words
Writing is an art. It is the writer’s skill to make the reader see what the writer wants him to see. With this in mind, when writing your essay, you do not want to tell the reader who you are. You want to show him or her who you are. What I mean by this is that you want your personal statement to show your qualities. If you are very determined, you do not want to say that. What you want to do is show a situation in which your determination was brought forth, such as facing an obstacle (learning how to ride a bike, walking in the snow, learning how to swim). For example, in my personal statement I showed that I am a first generation student. I did not say that I was but I described in my essay that English was not the first language in my house. You see what I did? I showed the reader who I was. I did not just tell him.
3. If at first you don’t succeed, try it again. Oh, and make sure someone proofreads your personal statement.
Most of us average human beings did not get their personal statement in their first try. It’s ok. It takes time. That is why it is not the best idea to write your essay the week before all your applications are due. The deadline is in less than three weeks! So if you haven’t started yet, start now. Like right now.
That is all for now.
Man, it is good to be home.