WRITING COLLEGE ESSAYS Goals of the Essay To help the reader get to know you. (Regard the essay as a window to your personality, values, goals.) To illustrate your distinctiveness. The essay is where you get to speak to the colleges in your own voice. Therefore, it is crucial that the essay actually does speak in your own voice. Don’t let a parent or anyone else write your essay. It’s a matter of integrity; it’s a matter of showing the college your true self. To enable the reader to evaluate your writing. To help the reader create a full (and hopefully memorable) picture of you. (College admission In regard to length, conform to guidelines within reason; if guidelines are not given, one page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced is appropriate, roughly 500-650 words. (Important reminder: The 650 word limit on the Common Application is an absolute cut-off. You must conform to that length.) Avoid loading up on adjectives and adverbs — the power of writing resides in nouns and verbs. Write directly from your own experiences. Use your own voice — informal, conversational, not stilted. In fact, read drafts aloud to make sure your essays sound like you. Avoid humorous essays unless you are really, really funny, but use humor when appropriate. Watch spelling - there is no excuse for errors - and don’t rely on spell check. Avoid overly familiar quotations or definitions. Be careful in writing about travel, Outward Bound, Mountain School, death, community service, sports. All of these topics need a personal, fresh perspective, one distinctive to you. Don’t write about writing, standardized testing, or the college process, or repeat lists of activities. Don’t let a parent or anyone else write the essay. Dialogue works (if done correctly). Think small — anecdotes and rich details work. Accentuate the positive — even in a painful experience. Be free with format. Don’t write a traditional introductory paragraph. Don’t include a title. For that matter, don’t use the five paragraph essay form; it is too repetitive. (And, don’t write just one long paragraph either!) The first few sentences are critical and must engage the reader. Have someone who knows you well read it. This is always a good way to ensure that your “voice” is clear and authentic. If you are writing about how someone influenced your life, emphasize the influence, not the person; colleges want to admit you not, e.g., your grandfather. officers say that, in a successful essay, the student “steps off the page.”) To provide evidence of intellectual vitality. (And vitality in general!) General Guidelines
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