What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay?

What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay? It’s acceptable to look at someone else’s essay as a sample and a creative tool. It is not OK to copy it or to excerpt anything without proper credit. And don’t even think about having someone else - parent, friend, tutor or writing service â€" create your essay for you. Big Future, run by the College Board, has sample essays and tips. The more real you are, the more intriguing you will be…and the more the admissions officers will love you. This is the one caveat to the last sentence above. Some of you are passionate about politics or social issues, but this is NOT the place to explore those beliefs. You want your essay to appeal to a broad range of readers, so picking one side or another of a controversial issue is not a good idea. Have a couple other people read the essay for typos and coherence. It ends with a strong closing paragraph or summation. The body of the essay is where you make the sale that your thesis is true. Restate your thesis in a clear way without repeating it word for word. Leave your reader with a takeaway or something to think about. Many colleges, including Johns Hopkins University and the University of Connecticut post “essays that worked” going back several years. It is important to think deeply about the meaning of things in your life. Determine what about your experience is unique to you. That’s what will make your story different from the next essay in the pile. Ask someone to help you proofread for spelling and grammar. And be you follow the essay guidelines as far as word count and topic are concerned. The college wants to know if you can follow directions and how creative you can be within set limitations. And pay close attention to your transitions from one section to the next. Transitions should give information, not just be links. Beware of words like “but” or “meanwhile” as transitions. The classic essay starts with an introductory statement that hooks the reader and continues with a strong topic sentence. For example, check out these 10 opening lines from Stanford admission essays. These are the parts that make your essay come alive. The first paragraph is mostly summary â€" it tells the reader facts about who you are, things you’ve done, tendencies you have, etc. (e.g. I never saw myself as a cat person). Try to imagine the impression the reader will have of you. You shouldn’t sit down and try to write the essay straight away. This essay is going to convey who you are as a person, so you should start by jotting down ideas, examples and fragments that might form an essay. In your conclusion, you wrap everything up in a neat package. Here’s the conclusion of the Skyline College essay sample. Your intro tells your reader what to expect from your essay. Think of it as a brief roadmap that begins with an intriguing opening line, includes a quick summary of the topic and ideas you’ll present, and concludes with a thesis statement. By the end of the research and planning process, you’ll feel energized and ready to write about all this interesting stuff your research has uncovered. Summaries can be useful for bridging the gap between in-scene moments, or reflecting back on an experience and what it meant to you. However, an essay consisting entirely of summary is going to be dry and boring to read. When you’re writing, open up and let your voice come through loud and clear. Be your wonderful, amazing self â€" idiosyncrasies, quirks, and all.