COLLEGE ESSAY WORKSHOP

WHAT COLLEGES LOOK FOR IN AN ESSAY Something about you… What makes you different, unique, extraordinary, ordinary? What are you going to bring to the campus? How well do you write?

THREE KINDS OF ESSAY QUESTIONS THE “YOU” QUESTION: – Many colleges ask for an essay that boils down to, "Tell us about yourself." The school just wants to know you better and see how you'll introduce yourself. THE “WHY US” QUESTION – Some schools ask for an essay about your choice of a school or career. They're looking for information about your goals, and about how serious your commitment is to this particular school. THE CREATIVE QUESTION – Some colleges evaluate you through your choice of some tangential item: a national issue, a famous person, what you would put in a time capsule, a photograph. Here the school is looking at your creativity and the breadth of your knowledge and education. *Taken from

DEFINE YOURSELF Start with defining who you are and what you want the colleges to know about you. Who are you? What qualities do you have? Brainstorm all your strengths. Be sure to use adjectives not actions. how-to-start

PROVIDE EVIDENCE Highlight top 5 adjectives and connect the adjectives to an activity or example. Example: –I am genuine: No matter what social group I am in, I always stay true to myself. –I am tolerant: I took part in the disability awareness day and had an opportunity to support the students in Ms. Burton’s class. –I am resilient: When I got cut from the soccer team, I didn’t put my head down, rather sought out cross country and had an awesome experience.

Scour your life for interesting stories, experiences, people, themes, events Identify your passion and figure out a way to tell it in a story MAKE IT INTERESTING AND CREATIVE

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT Take a break from your work and come back to it in a few days. Does your main idea come across clearly? Do you prove your points with specific details? Is your essay easy to read aloud? Feedback Time: Have someone you like and trust read your essay (but is willing to tell you the truth). Ask them to tell you what they think you're trying to convey. Did they get it right?

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT, CONT. Edit Down: Your language should be simple, direct, and clear. Make every word count (e.g., if you wrote "in society today," consider changing that to "now"). Proofread Two More Times: Careless spelling or grammatical errors, awkward language, or fuzzy logic will make your essay memorable—in a bad way. Taken from

COMMON APPLICATION Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

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