Tips for Writing College Essays

I. Working with Essays Set

Some schools require you to write answers to a series of questions rather than submit a single personal statement ; If this is the case with you, then you will need to consider the impact that your essay set as a whole is going to have. You need, in other words, to put as much thought and planning into the structure, balance, and content of your set as you do into each of your separate essays. There are many advantage to having multiple essays to work with. First, more essays mean more opportunity to sell yourself to the committee. Second, you do not need to worry about having to cram too many points into one essay, or having to leave something out. Multiple essays give you ample space to do justice to all the different areas of your life. Third, because you have the chance to present many different sides of yourself, you can be more creative and take riskier approaches with one of them, knowing that the other essays will back you up if your approach doesn't go over well with all of the readers.

Making an impact with multiple essays requires that you plan and strategize for the set just as you would for a single composition. Begin by making two lists. One should cover all the points that you would like to make about yourself. The second should include all the different areas of your life you would like the committee to know about. Your first list might include skills or personality traits such as perseverance, dedication, or enthusiasm. The second will include things like extra-curricular involvements, international experience, or academic interests. When you have finished, look at your questions and begin thinking about which ones can be used to convey which points and areas. Picture your essay set as a jig-saw puzzle where each essay provides a different piece of the puzzle that when read together form single, cohesive image. Do not be afraid to be creative when it comes to fitting the different areas of your life into the framework of the questions as long as you answer the question asked. You could use a question about your accomplishments to discuss your diving trophy, for example, but then surprise them by focusing on your love of traveling in answer to a question about extra-curriculars.

When you are required to answer multiple questions there is often a strict word limit for the answer. These questions need the same care and attention as longer essays. The best way to approach them is to write a regular, full-length essay and cut. Begin by reducing the introduction and the conclusion from one paragraph to one sentence each. Choose only the clearest, most direct parts. This is a very effective method for writing anything. You should always let yourself continue to write as long as you are inspired, without time limits or length constraints. After you have the ideas on paper, you can go back and look for the pieces of gold buried under all of the words. Some short answer questions ask for lists of activities, summer work, jobs, honors, reading, etc. There are two approaches to answering this type of question: the list and the paragraph. For each method, provide complete information about the items you are listing, following the same format for each question. Be sure to include the activity, your involvement and the time commitment. Make it clear that your activities have involved responsibility and effort. And don't worry about the number of activities you list - when it comes to quality, less is often more.

We have stressed in numerous places throughout this book the importance of proofing your essays and getting feedback. While most applicants are stringent about taking this step after writing individual essays, some forget to apply the same advice to their essay set as a whole. Before you send your application in, be sure to assess the impression your essays will make when taken together. Use the following checklist to be sure that you have addressed the large-scale problems that can be missed even after diligent proofing of individual essays:

• Are the main points that I am trying to make evident?
• Are there redundancies or apparent contradictions between essays
• Is a cohesive, coherent image presented throughout the essays and does each essay contribute to the same image?
• Is the voice and style used throughout the essays consistent? Does it sound like the same person wrote them?
• Does the essay set support the impression that is made in the rest of the application?

Go to the next step: Construct an outline to help structure and organize your essay.

II. Outline and Structure

Now that you know what you want to say in each of your essays, it is time to start writing. First, set a time limit of no more than one day for each essay. The longer your time frame, the more difficult it will be to write your first draft. The point is to not allow yourself to sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. As the admissions officer said, some of the worst writing ever crafted has been done under the guise of inspiration. Relieve some of the pressure of writing by reminding yourself that this is just a draft. Rid yourself of the notion that your essay can be perfect on the first try. Don't agonize over a particular word choice, or the phrasing of an idea - you will have plenty of time to perfect the essay later. For now, you just need to start. The most important thing is to get the words on paper. Creating an Outline. The easiest way to sabotage all the work you have done so far is to skip this step. Writing is as much a discipline as it is an art, and to ensure that your essays flow well and make sense, you need to construct solid outlines before you write. Unless you conscientiously impose structure around your ideas, your essay will be rambling and ineffective. Based on the information you have developed throughout the last chapters, choose one essay and construct an outline which contains the central idea as well as its supporting points. At its most basic, an outline will be as simple as this:

1. Introduction which contains the central idea.
2. Paragraph #2

• Topic sentence that ties into the central idea

• First supporting point

• Evidence for point

• Second supporting point

• Evidence for point

• Third supporting point

• Evidence for point

An outline should make sense on its own in which the ideas should follow logically in the order that you list them. As you add content around these main points, it should support and reinforce the logic of the outline. Finally, the outline should conclude with an insightful thought or image. Make sure that the rest of your outline reinforces this conclusion.

There are many different ways to take this simple outline structure and apply it to the material you have. There are multiple ways to modify it according to the type of essay you want to write. To get some ideas for the best way to structure yours, read through the descriptions and examples of some of the basics provided below.

This is a good structure to use when you want to make a single, strong point. Its power lies in its simplicity. Because it allows you to neatly present several points in support of a single claim, it is especially useful when you are trying to be persuasive or make an argument, although it can certainly be used in response to almost any kind of question. For an example of this type of structure, look at Essay 6. The writer takes the first two paragraphs to introduce his argument. (He probably could have done without the first. For more on this, see the section on "Beginnings and Endings".) He states his position in the last sentence of the second paragraph:" I adhere to the views of the Likud (opposition) party, which opposes the peace process." The next paragraph addresses the first example of arguments against his position: "the accusation of promoting war and violence"; The next addresses the second: "the question of whether they have the right to influence Israeli policy." The fifth paragraph addresses the third example: being " identified with condoning the assassination [of Yitzhak Rabin]. The last paragraph summarizes and restates his argument and then takes it one step further by concluding that the debate has:" demonstrated the necessity of objectiveness and removal of emotions from the discussion."

To facilitate smooth transitions, you might apply a chronological approach to your outline. The sequence of events will help reinforce flow from one stage of the essay to the next. One downfall of this approach is that you may create an essay that reads like a ship's log. Be sure that the element of time does not stifle the message you want to convey through the story. Do not feel obligated to tell more of the story than you need to adequately convey your point.

The chronological method does not have to span many years or even months. It was used in Essay E8 to demonstrate the events of a single day. It begins with an introduction stating his main point, time-management skills. The second paragraph begins at the start of his day, 6:45am. It proceeds through to 7:30am when he is in his first class, then 4:00pm when he is heading into the computer lab. He begins the last paragraph at 9:30pm and concludes by restating his argument. He takes it one step further by addressing that he wishes he could do even more in one day. He finishes in the last sentence with a catchy and clever statement: "If only I had a ….".

This is similar to the chronological structure except that instead of walking step by step through increments of time, it follows step by step through a description of a place, person, or thing. An example of this would be Essay 16 which takes the reader through a tour of his bedroom. The first paragraph gives an introduction describing the general feel of the room. The second describes the room's workspace, my desk and computer. The third turns to the relaxation area, commonly referred to as a bed. The last paragraph completes the tour by stepping out (literally) with"after exiting my room, I would hope my visitor learned a few important things about me "and offering a brief conclusion of what the room says about him.

Some questions make using this structure a natural choice, such as the personal growth and development question which asks you to compare yourself now to the way you once were. Essay E1 uses this structure by comparing the author's two favorite book characters to the person he would like to become and to the person his grandfather was. Essay E13 is another example of this type of structure. It introduces a comparison in the third paragraph: "with one hand on the tiller and the other holding the mainsheet, I see that my hands are in the same position when I play my bass guitar. Comparisons between the two mesh together in my mind as I realize the similarities between bass guitar and sailing."After comparing the two activities point for point, he sums up with: "bass guitar and sailing do not seem to relate to one another, but I discover the similarities." Like this example, you can structure a cause and effect essay point for point, by comparing one aspect of the object or situation at a time. Or you can choose to employ the block method by thoroughly covering all the points of the first object or situation in the first half of the essay and then comparing it with all the points of the other in the last half.

Cause and effect essays usually depict a before-and-after experience and are often used in response to questions about influence. Using this structure can highlight that you understand and appreciate the effect that other people and situations have on your growth, development, and maturity. The writer of Essay E9 ,for example, wrote about the effect that playing football had on him. Before football, he writes, he was "shy, had low self-esteem and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges." But his success at the game and the " months of tough practices taught him what it takes to succeed," and gave him a work ethic and self-confidence.

If you decide to use this structure, be sure you don't write yourself out of the equation, try to make the point that you were the catalyst between the cause and the effect. That way you demonstrate that you know how to take action and create change.

Structuring your essay as a narrative (by telling a story) is a common and effective method for keeping the reader's interest. This is the structure your essay will take if you have decided to focus on a single event in your life. A narrative essay can itself be structured in many ways. The example of the chronological essay about time-management is a type of narrative. But in its purest form the narrative essay does nothing but tell the story. It begins and ends with the action.

Essays Too? You might be thinking: But I am writing a creative essay, I don' t need to have structure. Wrong! All essays need structure even creative ones. Being creative or unusual does not give you license to be sloppy or careless , not if you expect to make a good impression. If you are going to take a creative approach, do it with the same kind of planning and organization that you would put into any other important piece of writing. On a similar note, you do not need to be dry, boring, or academic to appear logical and well-ordered. What makes an essay interesting and inventive is its topic, word choice, and imagery - not its lack of organization. And remember, the most creative and colorful writing in the world -poetry is also the most structured, planned, and precise.

The following are all examples of pure narrative.

Example 1 tells the story of a martial arts competition.

Begins with the writer's getting some sleep the night before. Follows him through breakfast and is with him as he drives to the competition. Climaxes with the actual competition as he "drove a solitary fist to its mark" Very action oriented. Spans one day.

Example 2 About attending the National High School Orchestra. Starts with her boarding the plane for Cincinnati. Is with her as she picks up her room key and makes her first friends. Tells about practicing, auditioning, having dinner in the cafeteria, and finding the results of the audition. Continues with the second day with rehearsals and climaxes with the playing of the orchestra: "my emotion soared, wafted by the beauty and artfulness of the music, brining goose-bumps to my skin and a joyful feeling to my soul". Spans several days.

Example 3 Tells of a hospital visit for grandmother. Begins with writer and grandmother smiling at each other. Moves to conversation between mother and grandmother and the writer's thoughts about each. Climax of action is the writer's hand moving to touch the grandmother's forehead, followed by the doctor's announcement that her tests turned out negative. Time span: minutes.

Notice the variety of circumstances this type of essay can be applied to when comparing these essays. A narrative can span a lifetime or a moment. It can be filled with action or with subtle looks and movements. It does not have to be filled with Hollywood style action to hold interest. The briefest and simplest of events can take on meaning when told effectively. What makes all of these essays effective is their use of detail, description, and direction. If you are going to take the narrative approach, learn from these examples by:

1. keeping events moving forward;
2. describing events, people, and places in specific terms, i.e. she flew to Cincinnati, he drove for two hours, hands knitted bright tri-colored scarves;
3. do not add reflective conclusions or introductions describing what you learned, start and end with the action and have everything take place within the context of the story.

Narrative can be combined with other structures for an approach that is less risky but still interesting. Beginning an essay with a brief story is the most common and effective method of doing this. Another twist on the narrative essay is one that describes a single place, person, or action in great detail. It appeals to the senses of the audience without necessarily drawing on the action of a story. There is no standard structure found in this type of essay ; each is differently organized, but all rely purely on crisp imagery and sensory detail. It does not tell a story or build to a climax. When done well it leaves the reader with a single, vivid image. Single images are easier to remember than a list of points, qualities, traits, or qualifications, no matter how impressive any one or all of them are. Still, this is a risky approach and is best employed when you have to provide multiple essays for one school so you have a chance to structure your other essays more traditionally.

Go to the next step : Get help with the nitty gritty of writing your essay -- from constructing solid paragraphs to using strong verbs and sentences.

III. Writing the Essay

Paragraphs are the pillars of the essay; they uphold and support the structure. Each one that you write should express a single thought and contain a beginning, a middle, and an end. And again, this holds true whether you are writing a traditional or a creative essay.

The first sentence of every paragraph (after the first, which is called the lead plays the important role of transitioning). An essay without good transitions is like a series of isolated islands; the reader will struggle to get from one point to the next. Use transitions as bridges between your ideas. As you move from one paragraph to the next, you should not have to explain your story in addition to telling it. If the transitions between paragraphs require explanation, your essay is either too large in scope or the flow is not logical. A good transition statement will straddle the line between the two paragraphs.

The transition into the final paragraph is especially critical. If it not clear how you arrived at this final idea, you have either shoe-horned a conclusion into the outline, or your outline lacks focus. You should not have to think too much about consciously constructing transition sentences. If the concepts in your outline follow and build on one another naturally, transitions will practically write themselves. To make sure that you are not forcing your transitions, try to refrain from using words like: "however""nevertheless", and "furthermore". If you are having trouble transitioning between paragraphs or are trying to force a transition on to a paragraph that has already been written, it may be indicative of problem with your structure. If you suspect this to be the case, go back to your original outline and make sure that you have assigned only one point to each paragraph, and that each point naturally follows the preceding one and leads to a logical conclusion. This may result in a kind of "back to the drawing board" restructuring, but try not to get frustrated. This happens to even the most seasoned writers and is a normal part of the writing process.

Well structured outlines, paragraphs, and transitions are all an important part of a creating a solid essay. But structure isn't everything. An essay can be very well organized with balanced paragraphs and smooth transitions and still come across as dull and uninspired. Adding lots of colorful details to your essays is a good place to start making them interesting. Second is word choice.

Rule #1: Put your thesaurus away; Using a thesaurus won't make you look smarter, it will only make you look like you are trying to look smarter.

Focus on verbs. Keep adjectives to a minimum. Pumping your sentences full of adjectives and adverbs is not the same thing as adding detail or color. Adjectives and adverbs add description, but verbs add action ,and action is always more interesting than description.

One of the admissions officers on our panel advises using the following test to gauge the strength of your word choice.

Choose a paragraph from your essay and make a list of every verb you have used. Compare your list to one of the following:

List 1: Said/has met/contorted/can say/complain/know /learn/dare usually/spreading/may have

List 2: heard/sprang/are/strained/gripped/strive/had been living/may not be involved/had attended/try to perform

These are lists of the first ten verbs found in two of the essays in our packages. One list was taken from one of our admissions team's favorite essays. The other is taken from one of their least favorite. Can you guess which is which? The essays were not being graded on verb use, obviously, and yet the correlation between strong verbs and high scores is undeniable. Think of it this way: if you had to choose an essay based solely on the verb list, which one would you rather read?

Another way to analyze the strength of your writing is to examine the pacing of your sentences. This is a good time to read your essay out-loud. As you read, listen to the rhythm of the sentences. Are they all the same length ? If each of your sentences twists and turns for an entire paragraph, try breaking them up for variety. Remember that short sentences have great impact.

One way to determine whether you are using a variety of different sentence lengths is to put S, M or L (for short, medium and long) above each sentence in a paragraph. A dull paragraph can look something like this: M M M L M S S S M L

On the other hand, an interesting paragraph may look more like this: S L M M L S

Go to the next step: Everyone needs extra help with beginnings and endings... get yours here!

Beginnings and endings can be the most challenging part of crafting any piece of writing , and also, in many ways, the most important. Part of the reason that they are so difficult is that writers tend to worry about them too much. There is so much hype on the necessity of thoroughly introducing the subject and ending with sharply drawn conclusions that anxious essayists compensate by going overboard. They feel that in order to appear mature and worldly their essays must contain profound insights and sweeping observations.

Do not fall into this trap! One of the biggest complaints that our admissions officers had were essayists who tried to say too much in their introductions. "Just tell the story!" wrote one officer repeatedly in response to numerous essays.

There are many examples of good essays crippled by bad beginnings. Look, for example, at the following introductions, and what admissions officers had to say about them:

Introduction #1

Of the many ironies which exist in life, one stands out in my mind: the same information which you would like to attain from others if often the same knowledge they would least like to divulge. As competition continues to grow in all areas, many who strive for an advantage must act tactfully and follow Polonius's advice in Hamlet that states, "By indirections find directions out" (II, i, L. 65). A perfect example comes to mind.

Admissions comments: "The beginning is very awkward, even pretentious. This is a simple story that needs a simple style of writing. The author is trying too hard to impress." "This essay begins with an awkwardly written pseudo-profundity. 'What the heck is he talking about?' is my immediate reaction." I can do without the gratuitous quote from Hamlet. Please! The question was not, 'How many intellectual push-ups can you do?' It would have been much better to begin with his brother's pleading. Like this: 'Where is it?' my brother yelled. But, I wouldn't answer. 'Where is it?' he screamed. I made a dash for the door, but he cut me off, threw me to the floor and landed on top of me. Placing a question at the beginning of an essay is a great hook for catching the reader's attention." "Machiavelli aside, the student takes too long to get to the story."

Introduction #2

I am learning, both through observations and first-hand experiences, that there are many mishaps in life which seem to be unexplainable and unfair, and yet have devastating consequences. Disease fits into this category. Its atrocity does not stem from the fact that it is a rare or uncommon occurrence, since illness and disease pervade our lives as we hear numerous stories of sick people and come into contact with them each day. However, there is a marked difference between reading in the newspaper that a famous rock star or sports icon has tested HIV positive and discovering that your own mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

Admissions Comments:

I wish this kid had started the essay with his mom sitting him down in the rocking chair. That would have been a powerful beginning. In general, using the introduction of the essay to paint a scene or mood can be very effective.&quot; </em></p> <p>Interestingly enough, both these essays would have been greatly improved had the writers simply eliminated their introductions altogether. This is true in a surprising number of cases.</p> <p>Do yourself a favor and forget about beginnings and endings during the first stages of writing. Instead of crafting your introductory paragraph first, just write down in your own words, for yourself only, the main point or points that you are going to try to make in your essay. They should not be grand or worldly. Simple and specific is better. It may be as simple as "prove that I have teamwork skills because of the time I took the blame at soccer practice" or "explain that I am different now from four years ago because I learned to rely on others during my Outward Bound " Then dive straight into the body of the essay starting with your first point. What? No introduction? When you have finished writing the rest of your rough draft, you may discover that you don't need an introduction at all. But isn't that risky? Maybe. But believe it or not, more essays have been ruined by forced and unnecessary introductions than have been ruined by the lack of one. Largely this is because of the misconception of what an introduction is supposed to accomplish. This is especially true if you are writing your essay as a narrative. It might feel risky or uncomfortable just letting the story stand on its own. You might be afraid that your reader will miss the point. But the point should be made in the story - through the telling - not before or after it. If you really cannot resist, then offer your observations and explanations in the conclusion instead of the introduction, leaving you free to begin your essay with the action.

Some of the essayists you will find in our packages decided to add a title to their essay, although most did not. "The Key To Medical Advancement"and "One Memorable Sailing Practice" are two examples. Our favorite is the tongue-in-cheek title introducing the humorous essay: "On the Eighth Day, God Created No-Trump?" Titles are definitely not required, and if you are wondering whether or not to add one to yours, remember the old adage: when in doubt, leave it out.

The most important part of any beginning is, of course, the lead. The lead is the first sentence of your essay and it plays the dual role of setting the theme of your essay and engaging the reader. The introduction should not be overly formal. You do not want an admissions officer to start reading your essay and think, "here we go again." Although admissions officers will try to give the entire essay a fair reading, they are only human - I if you lose them after the first sentence the rest of your essay will not get the attention it deserves.

Just as you should not worry about your introduction until you have gotten an initial draft on paper, you should not begin the writing process by writing the lead. Often, you will spot the lead floating around in the middle of your first draft of the essay. Many essayists miss great lead opportunities by burying the most interesting sentences in the middle of their essays. A good lead does not have to be this shocking to be effective. There are many different kinds of effective leads. You will find examples of some of them listed below.

Standard leads are the most common leads used. A typical standard lead answers one or more of the six basic questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. They give the reader an idea of what to expect. A summary lead is a standard lead that answers most of these questions in one sentence. Perhaps the most standard of all standard leads is the one that simply rephrases the question that was asked. The problem with this kind of lead is that, although it is a logical beginning, it can be dull. The advantage is that it sets your reader up for a focused and well- structured essay. If you live up to that expectation, the impact of your points are heightened. They are also useful for short essays when you need to get to the point quickly. Of all the characters that I met through books and movies, two stand out as people that I most want to emulate. I am most interested in a career in psychoneuroimmunology . I have learned a great many things from participating in varsity football .

This lead attempts to add interest by being obtuse or funny. They can leave you wondering what the essay will be about, or make you smile"If you like storms that clear a path of change and arcs that bridge communication gaps, slide down my rainbow into the whirlwind of my life. It is weird being a high school bridge player in Lincoln, Nebraska."

This lead takes the reader into the middle of a piece of action. It is perfect for short essays where space needs to be conserved or for narrative essays that begin with a story. "Struck with sudden panic, I hastily flipped through the many papers in my travel folder until I spotted the ticket. Reluctantly smearing sun block over every exposed inch of my fifty-three pound body, I prepared mentally for the arduous task that lay ahead of me. A faint twinge of excitement floated through my body that night."

This lead reveals something about the writer. It is always in the first person and usually takes an informal, conversational tone:

"For some reason, my parents felt the necessity to inundate me at a young age with extracurricular activities ;Ever since I was little, I've had this overwhelming desire to travel the world. It's not that I'm a weak guy, just that I had been somewhat self-conscious about my strength early on in my high school career."

This type of lead can be a direct quotation or a paraphrase. It is most effective when the quote you choose is unusual, funny, or obscure, and not too long. Choose a quote with a meaning you plan to reveal to the reader as the essay progresses. Some admissions officers caution using this kind of lead because it can seem like you are trying to impress them or sound smart. Do not use a proverb or cliché, and do not interpret the quote in your essay. The admissions committee is more interested in how you respond to it and what that response says about you: " Within his poem, 'Sailing to Byzantium' William Butler Yeats speaks of escaping from the natural world to a land of paradise." A Greek philosopher once said, "In argument, truth is born."

This lead takes the reader into a conversation. It can take the form of an actual dialog between two people or can simply be a snippet of personal thought:" What are your intellectual interests? "" Well, gee. I don't really know. ""Je deteste des Americains?" said the old Swiss woman sitting across from me.

The final sentence or two of your essay is also critical. It must finish your thought or assertion, and it is an important part of creating a positive and memorable image. Endings are the last experience an admissions officer has with your essay, so you need to make those words and thoughts count. A standard close merely summarizes the main points you have made. But you should not feel obligated to tie everything up into a neat bow. The essay can conclude with some ambiguity, if appropriate, as long as it offers insights. If you have introduced a clever or unusual thought in the first paragraph, try referring back to it in your conclusion. The aim is for the admissions officer to leave your essay thinking, "That was a satisfying read and I wish there were more." One essayist, for example, closes with:

"Perhaps, one day, many years from now, a weary young seeker will venture through a thick tangle of vegetation to be welcomed by the roar of a shimmering cataract. Within the shadows formed by the play of sunlight on a cascade of water, will be an old man, bent with age, sitting with feet crossed; the light in his eyes undimmed with the passage of time. And the old man will speak of his own voyage to: Within his poem, Sailing to Byzantium , William Butler Yeats speaks of escaping from the natural world to a land of paradise.

"This stylistic touch wraps the essay up nicely and shows that time was spent in planning and structuring." Some last sentences aim to get a laugh, and others present a single, strong image. Some of the admissions officers favorites from the essays in this book are:" I had everything I'd ever need. I was no longer doubting myself among strangers; I was making music with friends."

"Understanding my queerness has become a process, a process of deciding that my difference will no longer isolate, relegate, or alienate me. Instead, it will build me a space from which I can expose the perversity in calling someone perverse."

"Only now, some of my dreams are finally starting to come true as I live vicariously through the ink of my foreign friends .Plus I learned two things. One: I can pride myself on the smallest triviality. Two: I'm glad we don't measure strength in our gym classes with the bench press".