| College
Admissions Essay Strategies |
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Tell
a Story
The best essays tell a story about
the applicant. The essay does not have to be the story of your whole life,
but rather a glimpse of it--one that is rich with meaning, alive with imagery,
and clear in purpose. It often helps to think about the impact that past
events have had on you. A good strategy is to select one significant event
upon which you can expound at length, using vivid details and thoughtful
commentary.
You
should begin with an engaging introduction, drawing your reader into the
story. A creative way to do this
is to drop the reader into the middle of the action and then fill in the
before-and-after facts: Consider director Quentin Tarantino's movie "Pulp
Fiction" as an example of how to engage your audience by telling your story
out of sequence. Then present the rest of your anecdote, followed by insightful
analysis of the experience--why it was important, what you learned, and how
it will help you in the future. Stay away from creating an introduction that
includes cliché ideas or generalizations and then inserting your anecdote.
By the time the admissions officers get to your experience, they may already
be soured by your generic assertions.
Sample
Essays And Comments
1. Well
Done Story Essay
2. Poorly
Done Story Essay
Use Detail
"Write about the
specific rather than the general,
the concrete rather than the abstract."
-- Admissions Officer, Stanford
University
How will your essay stand out, even
if you think you are writing about a topic common to most applicants? Details,
details, and more details. The reader needs to know what makes your story
unique. To differentiate yourself from other applicants and help your essay
stick in the minds of admissions officers, you need to incorporate, for example,
names of people and places, times and dates, colors and textures of objects,
and degrees of feelings.
Too
often, an essay with an interesting story will fizzle into a series of statements
that tell rather than show
the qualities of the writer. As a result, the essay succumbs to the usual
cliché: "the value of hard work and perseverance," "learning
from mistakes," and so on. The following example will help you understand
the difference:
Before: I developed
a new compassion for the disabled.
After: The next time that Mrs. Cooper asked me to help her across
the street, I smiled and immediately took her arm.
The first sentence is vague and could
have been written by anybody. The second sentence, however, evokes a vivid
image of something that actually happened, placing the reader in the experience.
Admissions officers will appreciate
good use of detail. They will be able to assess that you are a mature candidate
capable of getting others to understand the uniqueness, significance, and
value of your experiences.
Sample Essays And Comments
1. Well
Done Detail Essay
2. Poorly
Done Detail Essay
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