1. Writing the College Application Essay
Tips from the College Board

2. Why Go To College?

3. The Application Essay: Some Typical Prompts
Recollect some significant experience of yours, some considerable achievement or problem you have faced. Analyze what impact they had on your life ?
Dwell on some problem of personal, local or global concern and its significance to you.
Describe the person who has influenced your life greatly, or, maybe even changed it somehow.
Choose some character from the book, film, or, some historical figure and say what impact he/she had on you; you may even analyze the influence this book, movie or historical event had on you.
Dig into your student’s past; remember some event from it that may turn persuasive for the committee. With its help disclose the ways in which you may be useful for the school you are applying

4. Keep your focus narrow and personal
Prove one single point or thesis throughout
Do not tell the committee what you’ve done; they will read your application’s list. Instead SHOW THEM WHO YOU ARE.
You can’t be too comprehensive in your limited space; instead choose a narrow focus and stick to it.

5. Prove your main idea. Use VIVID facts.
Ho hum: "I like to be surrounded by people with a variety of backgrounds and interests."
Better: "During that night, I sang the theme song from Casablanca with a baseball coach who thinks he's Bogie, discussed Marxism with a little old lady, and heard more than I ever wanted to know about some woman's gall bladder operation."

6. Prove it even more!
Use SPECIFIC facts. Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing by using vivid and specific facts.
Ho hum:  "I want to help people. I have gotten so much out of life through the love and guidance of my family, I feel that many individuals have not been as fortunate; therefore, I would like to expand the lives of others."
Better: "My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of sidelines until their shoes filled with water, or their fingers turned white, or somebody's golden retriever signed his name on their coats in mud. That kind of commitment is what I'd like to bring to working with fourth-graders."

7. DON’T TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK THEY WANT TO HEAR!

8. Most admission officers read plenty of essays about the charms of their university, the evils of terrorism, and the personal commitment involved in being a doctor. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear.

9. Don’t include information found elsewhere in the application.
Don’t Write a Resume
Don’t include information found elsewhere in the application.
Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list.
Yawn.

10. Don’t use 50 words when 5 will do.
Be concise: Eliminate unnecessary words.
Using active voice will help you write concisely and powerfully.
Remember: you have limited space; use it wisely!

11. Ho hum: "Over the years it has been pointed out to me by my parents, friends, and teachers -- and I have even noticed this about myself, as well-- that I am not the neatest person in the world.“
Better: “I am a slob.”

12. Remember Have a focus. Be concise.
Vary sentence structure and vocabulary.
Use active voice.
Be vivid and concrete.
Let your voice come through.
Do not repeat information from your application.

13. An Activity…
Step 1: Think about yourself What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your best qualities? Are you a plugger? An intellectual? A creative type? Curious? Passionate? Determined?

14. An Activity…
Step 2: Choose a positive quality you'd like to convey to an admissions committee. Don't pick an event or something you've done. President of the Nuclear Awareness Club is not a personal quality. Focus on a quality of your mind or of your character. Complete this sentence: "I am a very _________ person."

15. An Activity…
Step 3: Tell a story Set a timer for 20 minutes. Pretend you're taking an exam at high school and responding to, "Tell a story about an experience or time when you showed you were a very _________ person." Use the characteristic you identified in Step 2. Write or type non-stop for 20 minutes; force yourself to keep telling the story and what it reveals until the timer goes off.

16. Your homework:
Choose three colleges or universities that you could see yourself going to after high school. One should be a top choice, one a middle choice, and one a safety school. Research the application process for each school and bring in any information on application essays available through the admissions web pages. Be prepared to share your findings with the class.