Write An Essay That Never Analysis
HOW TO WRITE THE ESSAY THAT WILL GUARANTEE ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHOICE I'm kidding, of course, since no one can tell you how to write such a thing. In fact, you should not imagine that your essay, by itself, will blow open the doors to the college of your choice. Nevertheless, it is an important part of your application and, perhaps, the most important piece of writing you will ever create. So here are a few words about how to construct the best essay that you can. Your written work so far has, for the most part, been confined to school assignments. You have addressed subjects that may or may not have been of interest to you and your audience has
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consisted of the teachers who assigned the topics. So you have never had to confront the question that writers in the real world must ask themselves constantly: Who wants to read this stuff? or, more precisely, Who would PAY to read this stuff? Once you face this question, the rules begin to change. You are no longer guaranteed readership, and whatever you write must compete for space with the writings of many other people. I assume you can see the analogy to the college essay. Here also you have readers, college admissions officers, who read dozens of essays a week. If your effort is to make an impression it must be different in some way (one hopes favorably) to get the attention that will enhance your chances of admission. College application essay topics fall into three categories: Broad "tell us about yourself" questions. More specific "tell us about yourself" questions that involve a favorite book, a beloved teacher, a significant experience, a life goal. Creative questions: "You have just completed your 300 page autobiography. Please submit page 217." Regardless of how the question is phrased it can be translated as follows:
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF. The admissions people want to know something about you that is not apparent from the information on the rest of your application. They want to know at least one thing that you think is important - that sets you apart from others with similar "objective" credentials. They also, of course, want to know that you can write a simple declarative sentence. Note that in defining the all-purpose essay topic I use the word "interesting" instead of "important" or "significant," (even though these words may appear in the actual essay assignment). Imagine an admissions officer after hours of reading statements from 17 year-olds portraying themselves as saints or scholars, or, worse yet, discussing how their drives through West Virginia taught them the meaning of poverty. What does this reader want? The same thing we all want when we read: to be entertained. In addition, of course, he or she would like to get a sense of who you are and how well you can write. I urge you to consider just telling a story about yourself. If you select some compelling experience or interest in your life, write about it as if you were writing to a new friend, fill it with detail (quotes are especially telling) to render it authentic, you cannot fail to do the two things the essay is meant to do: reveal something about yourself, and hold the interest of the person reading it. Question: What reaction are you trying to elicit from the reader of your essay? Answer: "I really like this kid!" I'm encouraging you, therefore, to think of the essay as a (very) short story containing one personal idea that means something to you. Leave the big questions - life and death, peace in the Middle East, race relations in America - to syndicated columnists and editorial writers.
Your best bet is to tell a story about yourself. Now to the mechanics (in descending order of importance): The first rule of good writing, fiction or non-fiction, (whichever you choose to describe yourself) is SHOW, DON'T TELL. If a conversation with your grandmother taught you something important, just recount what was said. The "moral" of the story is implicit and should be left for the reader to discern without being "told" what he or she has learned.
Another requirement for good writing is rewriting. Unless you are a Mozart of the keyboard and are "taking dictation from God," your work will benefit from rewriting - several times.
Have your essay reviewed by a competent writer. (This may or may not include your high school English teacher. If in doubt, ask to see a writing sample from her.) Comments on mechanics and content are useful. It is important, however, that the editing not submerge your authentic "voice" which is, after all, what the colleges are interested in. If your essay sounds like it was written by your uncle, the novelist,
it will arouse suspicion in the mind of a reader who has seen many student essays, and who also is likely equipped with a finely-tuned bullshit detector.
Use your spell-check and proofread thoroughly. Carelessness in matters of grammar is not entertaining. You can write about anything if you do it well. So many students, however, have chosen similar subjects that they have become trite to admissions officers. Think twice before using the following topics: Generalizations about the world or social issues. Your religious beliefs or political views. How much you love yourself. The importance of a college education. The college admissions process. Your SAT scores. "The Best Game of My Life." How your hard work paid off. Your trip abroad, unless it was truly memorable. Keep in mind that the essay is like a snapshot. The standard advice: "Just relax and be yourself" has some limitations. Each of us has many selves, depending on the circumstances. Look at pictures of you in the family scrapbook: In one you are clowning with your friends, in another you are posing with your family, in another you are at a formal dance. For the purpose of writing your college essay, pick one of your better selves, one that is passionate about something interesting. [ intro | good advice | bad advice | do's and don't's | truths | clichés | editor ]
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consisted of the teachers who assigned the topics. So you have never had to confront the question that writers in the real world must ask themselves constantly: Who wants to read this stuff? or, more precisely, Who would PAY to read this stuff? Once you face this question, the rules begin to change. You are no longer guaranteed readership, and whatever you write must compete for space with the writings of many other people. I assume you can see the analogy to the college essay. Here also you have readers, college admissions officers, who read dozens of essays a week. If your effort is to make an impression it must be different in some way (one hopes favorably) to get the attention that will enhance your chances of admission. College application essay topics fall into three categories: Broad "tell us about yourself" questions. More specific "tell us about yourself" questions that involve a favorite book, a beloved teacher, a significant experience, a life goal. Creative questions: "You have just completed your 300 page autobiography. Please submit page 217." Regardless of how the question is phrased it can be translated as follows:
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF. The admissions people want to know something about you that is not apparent from the information on the rest of your application. They want to know at least one thing that you think is important - that sets you apart from others with similar "objective" credentials. They also, of course, want to know that you can write a simple declarative sentence. Note that in defining the all-purpose essay topic I use the word "interesting" instead of "important" or "significant," (even though these words may appear in the actual essay assignment). Imagine an admissions officer after hours of reading statements from 17 year-olds portraying themselves as saints or scholars, or, worse yet, discussing how their drives through West Virginia taught them the meaning of poverty. What does this reader want? The same thing we all want when we read: to be entertained. In addition, of course, he or she would like to get a sense of who you are and how well you can write. I urge you to consider just telling a story about yourself. If you select some compelling experience or interest in your life, write about it as if you were writing to a new friend, fill it with detail (quotes are especially telling) to render it authentic, you cannot fail to do the two things the essay is meant to do: reveal something about yourself, and hold the interest of the person reading it. Question: What reaction are you trying to elicit from the reader of your essay? Answer: "I really like this kid!" I'm encouraging you, therefore, to think of the essay as a (very) short story containing one personal idea that means something to you. Leave the big questions - life and death, peace in the Middle East, race relations in America - to syndicated columnists and editorial writers.
Your best bet is to tell a story about yourself. Now to the mechanics (in descending order of importance): The first rule of good writing, fiction or non-fiction, (whichever you choose to describe yourself) is SHOW, DON'T TELL. If a conversation with your grandmother taught you something important, just recount what was said. The "moral" of the story is implicit and should be left for the reader to discern without being "told" what he or she has learned.
Another requirement for good writing is rewriting. Unless you are a Mozart of the keyboard and are "taking dictation from God," your work will benefit from rewriting - several times.
Have your essay reviewed by a competent writer. (This may or may not include your high school English teacher. If in doubt, ask to see a writing sample from her.) Comments on mechanics and content are useful. It is important, however, that the editing not submerge your authentic "voice" which is, after all, what the colleges are interested in. If your essay sounds like it was written by your uncle, the novelist,
it will arouse suspicion in the mind of a reader who has seen many student essays, and who also is likely equipped with a finely-tuned bullshit detector.
Use your spell-check and proofread thoroughly. Carelessness in matters of grammar is not entertaining. You can write about anything if you do it well. So many students, however, have chosen similar subjects that they have become trite to admissions officers. Think twice before using the following topics: Generalizations about the world or social issues. Your religious beliefs or political views. How much you love yourself. The importance of a college education. The college admissions process. Your SAT scores. "The Best Game of My Life." How your hard work paid off. Your trip abroad, unless it was truly memorable. Keep in mind that the essay is like a snapshot. The standard advice: "Just relax and be yourself" has some limitations. Each of us has many selves, depending on the circumstances. Look at pictures of you in the family scrapbook: In one you are clowning with your friends, in another you are posing with your family, in another you are at a formal dance. For the purpose of writing your college essay, pick one of your better selves, one that is passionate about something interesting. [ intro | good advice | bad advice | do's and don't's | truths | clichés | editor ]
click the mailbox to contact the editor Please contact the webmaster with any site problems last update 1/00
ebWWeb design