Transcript Cracking the College Essay

Cracking the College
Essay
Christopher Piane
Territory Manager – South Jersey
The Princeton Review
[email protected]
800.2REVEW
Why do colleges ask
you to write essays?
Why an essay?
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To find out who you are (and what they can’t
see from your grades and test scores)
To find unique people who are going to make
the campus a better place
To test your ability to organize your thoughts
and express yourself through words (what you
do most in college)
Most Importantly
 Be
yourself
 Separate
 Start
yourself from the crowd
early
What have you been told
about writing a good
college essay?
The Dos
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Be creative and/or funny
Reflect and opine (easy on the ‘what’, heavy on the
‘why’)
Write in the first person if you want
Omit anything that doesn’t advance the story
Give to someone you trust to edit (not necessarily your
mom or your English teacher)
Follow the word count (not less than the minimum or
more than the maximum)
The Don’ts
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Be funny if you’re not funny
Be shy or modest (or too much of a braggart)
Use a template or example essay
Make stuff up
Worry if you haven’t done anything amazing
Reuse another essay you already wrote
Repeat things from other parts of your application (like
grades and activities)
Topics That Work,
Topics That Don’t
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What do they like? Curiosity, passion, persistence.
Attributes that successful college students have. Great
students become great alumni.
What universally makes them cringe? Sex (especially
YOUR sex life), drugs (especially YOUR drug use),
violent events in which you participated.
They also tire of reading travelogues and stories of how
you recovered from a sports injury.
Want to make them groan? Rehash the extracurricular
activities that you already listed on your application or
editorialize on the top news item of the day.
Your grammer will be
judged by the
admissions officers.
(What’s wrong with this sentence?)
Composition 101
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Spelling, grammar, and usage do matter
Spelling is easy, grammar is hard
Follow the SAT/ACT rules
Put ‘Strunk and White’ into google – it will
change your life
Be brief, focused. GET TO THE POINT IN 3
PAGES!
Proof, proof, and proof some more
When should you start
writing your essays?
Plan of Attack
For regular admissions deadlines, earlier for Early Decision.
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Research your topics (Early Summer)
Brainstorm and sleep on it (Mid Summer)
Write your first drafts (Late Summer)
Put them in a drawer (at least a week)
Edit and revise (September)
Solicit feedback (October)
Finalize and perfect (November)
What topics can you
expect?
Example Topics
What would you write?
From the Common Application:
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Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma
you have faced and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its
importance to you.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that
influence.
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music,
science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much
to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that
illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an
encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Topic of your choice.
More Example Topics
What would you write?
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Rutgers University is a vibrant community of people with a wide
variety of backgrounds and experiences. How would you benefit
from and contribute to such an environment? Consider variables
such as your talents, travels, leadership activities, volunteer
services, and cultural experiences. (Rutgers)
Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant
way. (Princeton)
Why is UVM a good college choice for you? (University of
Vermont)
Describe your reasons for selecting Loyola College and your
personal and professional goals and plans for after college.
(Loyola College, MD)
Even More Example Topics
What would you write?
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How would you describe yourself as a human being? What
quality do you like best in yourself and what do you like least?
What quality would you most like to see flourish and which
would you like to see wither? (Bates College)
To learn to think is to learn to question. Discuss a matter you
once thought you knew 'for sure' that you have since learned to
question. (Bryn Mawr College)
In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge that your
generation will face? What ideas do you have for dealing with
this issue? (College of the Holy Cross)
You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please
submit page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)
What if?
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What if the “personal statement” is optional?
What if I’m asked to write short essays?
What if I have a choice of essays?
What if one of the choices is “topic of my
choice?”
What if I’m asked for my “favorite things?”
What if? Answered
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What if the “personal statement” is optional? Do it!
What if I’m asked to write short essays? All the same
rules apply.
What if I have a choice of essays? Play to your
strengths.
What if one of the choices is “topic of my choice?”
Don’t get tempted by this easy way out. They will
know you are recycling.
What if I’m asked for my “favorite things?” Tell the
truth! Don’t tell them what you think they want to
hear.
There’s a storm in your
brain and it’s time to
let it loose.
Brainstorming Session
Begin to brainstorm a personal essay on one of the
following topics from the Common Application:
Evaluate
a significant experience, achievement, risk you
have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its
impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or
international concern and its importance to you.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on
you, and describe that influence.
Let’s Review
 Be
yourself
 Stand
 Start
out from the crowd
early
Cracking the College
Essay
Christopher Piane
Territory Manager – South Jersey
The Princeton Review
[email protected]
800.2REVIEW