WRITING COLLEGE ESSAYS (continued)
How to Write Write as if you are brainstorming. Start with an idea that interests you and follow it wherever it takes you. Don’t worry about length initially; take as long as you need to arrive at what you really want to say. Spend as much time thinking as you do writing. If you are stuck, have a brainstorming session with someone close to you. Or, try the in-class essay approach: Set the clock for 45 minutes and then just write. Or, try the three adjective approach: Name three adjectives that describe you best and then write anecdotes that reveal those adjectives. If you write about an activity or an experience, focus not on how good you are or what you have accomplished, but on what it means to you. Don’t ask “What should I write about?” The appropriate question is, “What do I want people to learn about me?” Reorganize your thinking. Test the “success” of your essay by asking someone to read it and then asking NOT “Do you like it?” but rather “What do you think it says about me?” Finally, ask yourself, “If college deans were to place me with roommates based on this essay, would they be able to choose compatible people? Have I given them enough to go on?”
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