MAKING A STATEMENT WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?

The Basics of College Application Essays Why do colleges ask for personal statements anyway? What are Admissions Officers really looking for?

Three Primary Types of Essays 1.“Why You” Essay (Personal Statement)  Why should you be admitted to this particular school? What do you have to offer their community? 2.“Why Us” Essay  Why are you applying to this particular school? How is this school going to help you pursue you career plans? 3.“Creative” Essay  Highlights your creativity and breadth of knowledge.

Let’s hear from some colleges to see what they look for in these essays.

Admission representatives look for three qualities in their applicants: 1.Academic Character 2.Impact or Initiative 3.Personal Contribution and Fit  What do you think this really means? school transcript, admission representatives want to be able to see your…

1. Academic Character What is your passion? ◦Does your transcript tell a story about what you are interested in? Is there a pattern of classes that demonstrate your interests? Where are your risks? ◦Does your transcript show that you were willing to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone to stretch yourself academically, or did you play it safe and take classes you knew would yield high grades?

2. Impact or Initiative What are you interested in? ◦What are you passionate about? What pursuits are willing to put extra effort, energy, and time in to mastering? How are you making a difference in your community? ◦Are you leading a club at school, engaging in volunteer or community service work, or creating an invention that helps others? How are you going to make this world a better place?

3. Personal Contribution & Fit Why Johns Hopkins (or insert other college name)? ◦Be reflective; explain, as specifically as possible, why you want to attend their college/university. ◦Describe how the institution is going to benefit from having you as one of their students. ◦Note: Don’t be too broad or give laundry list of answers (if you can substitute another school name in easily, you are being too broad).

Other Words of Advice “What ever you do, do it with joy.” -Jim Miller, Admission Representative at Brown University Actual Brown Admission Question: What do you do for fun? ◦ Be honest and true to yourself in your response; don’t write what you think admission representatives want to hear. ◦Have joy in your life. How are you spending your time? Have fun and make life meaningful and important to you.

What does YALE have to say? an-effective-application-essay-college-admissions an-effective-application-essay-college-admissions

The Bottom Line  Be REAL.  Answer honestly.  Be positive.  Do your own work. DO NOT have someone else write the essay for you. Seriously, we mean it.