Writing The College Essay

Writing The College Essay For 9 weeks, I worked, played and bonded with the other students, and had the opportunity to live the life of an independent college student. Sometimes students pick the hardest challenge they’ve been through and try to make it sound worse than it actually was. Tons of students write doctor/lawyer/engineer essays; if you want to stand out you need to say a few things that others don’t tend to say. The part of your application you’re likely to spend the most time on. Many students will try to include complicated sentences and long words to make their paper sound more academic. The reader should never have to go through a sentence more than twice to find out its meaning. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them. If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. But of course I’d say that; I’m the College Essay Guy. The personal statement is likely to be words long and many of the colleges you’re applying to will require it. There's no single answer to the question of what makes a great college essay topic, but there are some key factors you should keep in mind. The best essays are focused, detailed, revealing and insightful, and finding the right topic is vital to writing a killer essay with all of those qualities. All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world. Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay. Madison’s fun writing style left the admissions committee entertained, but more importantly gave us insight into her outlook and personality. Through this summer experience, I realized my ambition to pursue a career in research. I always knew that I would want to pursue a future in science, but the exciting world of research where the discoveries are limitless has captured my heart. Living on the Notre Dame campus with other REU students, UND athletes, and other summer school students was a whole other experience that prepared me for the world beyond high school. Yes â€" always use the appropriate terminology as this will get you marks, but before you use a term always be sure you know its meaning and how to use it correctly! Asking someone to read your finished essay will allow them to point out any confusions, inappropriate words or sentences that they feel could be made shorter. College courses have high writing standards, and most professors who assign essays have lofty expectations for those essays. Instructors can be rather difficult to please and their reputation is well-known on campus, striking fear into the hearts of students who are committed to getting good grades. The essay illustrates her joy in trying new things and having diverse interests. This helps us understand how Madison would thrive in a liberal arts academic setting with lots of flexibility where she can find the unique cross-sections of her interests. By the end of the summer, I wasn’t ready to leave the research that I was doing. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafusâ€"each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies.