A Survival Guide
The Purposes of The Essay
• Share something that might not be reflected in
your application – something that has shaped your perspective or challenged your beliefs
• The essay takes colleges beyond numbers and
statistics to your creativity and substance
• Demonstrate mastery of mechanics as well as
fluency and originality
What Colleges Want to Know …
• How will you handle academic pressure?
• How well do you understand the value of this particular college to you
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as an individual?
How will you contribute to our campus?
How will you be a positive influence?
How well will you handle this transition?
How will you cope with conflicting demands and enticements?
How public spirited are you? (What portion of your time and energy will be spent helping others?)
How creative will you be in adding to campus culture in a positive way? How loyal will you be in promoting the image of our college?
What will you contribute as an alumnus?
From Your Essay They Should See…
• Imagination
• Enthusiasm for
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Learning
Thoughtfulness
Motivation
Leadership
Persistence
Special Spark
• Rare Talents
• Multi-cultural
Experiences
• Hardships you’ve
Overcome
• Special Honors or
Recognition
• Initiative
Common Application
• Answer all “optional” questions
• Length of essay has increased to 650 words
• Eliminated “Topic of Your Choice”
• Five new questions for 2013-2014
• Some students have a background or story that is so
central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Common Application
• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.
What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
• Describe a