1. The College Essay TIPS TO INCLUDE TO HELP YOUR ESSAY STAND OUT

2. College Admissions Officers…  Want to know…  Something about you  That your transcripts don’t reveal

3. How do I start….  Select traits that you want to incorporate in your essay  Try to find a metaphor for that trait  Incorporate an event that would exemplify those traits

4. Show Don’t Tell …  When writing your essay show your “traits” through sensory language and descriptive details of an event  Avoid telling the reader how wonderful you are.  Show humility; not perfection…be honest!

5. Avoid the “McEssay”  Typical five paragraph essay  Filled with abstractions and  Unsupported generalization  Grammatically correct  Incredibly boring  Starts with" I have been a member…”

6. Note what is good  Every writer has a line or lines that feel right.  The words flow  The text evokes emotion  Identify good lines in the sample provided