COLLEGE ESSAY MUSTS
By: Sara Robbin
Strong opening to catch the reader’s attention: Admissions staff are reading hundreds of essays a day so you need to grab their attention immediately. Do not give away your entire topic in the first sentence. Rather, leave the essay topic a mystery so the reader is not sure what to expect and is compelled to read on. For example, I distinctly remember my first sentence from my own college essay over 20 years ago. It read: “I have never cried at a commercial-until yesterday.” The goal was for the reader to be intrigued as to what the content of this commercial was that would touch a student in a way to create such a strong emotional response.
Use description- show, don’t tell: Make strong word choices so the reader can picture what is happening and become a part of your story. A strategy I tell the students I work with is to highlight or circle all verbs and adjectives to make sure they are not generic. For example, rather than say you felt angry, depict your anger by saying your brow furrowed or your face turned beat red. Use the five senses to make your essay come alive (i.e. what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, touched).
End with a bang: The essay should never end abruptly. Just like it should have a distinct attention catching beginning, a strong ending is just as important. The reader’s attention is always the highest at both the beginning and the end so make sure to finish strong and leave the reader with a lasting impression! The last sentence should tie up the essay and reiterate your takeaway message.
Never force a topic: Be true to who you are and let your voice shine through. You will not be able to write a strong essay about something you are not passionate about or that feels inauthentic to you. If you pick a topic that is important to you, it will be much easier and enjoyable to write an essay about it. College admissions officers can easily tell when you are writing about something you think you are supposed to write about rather than something that you want to write about that makes you unique.
Share something about yourself that isn’t already apparent on your application: The common app essay is an opportunity to share a piece about yourself the admissions committee would not otherwise know and compel them to want you to become a part of their school community. Think about what makes you special and sets you apart from everyone else, aside from your scores, grades, and activities. Ask yourself, what do you wish you had a spot on your application to talk about more? Choose your topic without worrying about the prompt- the prompts are generic, and all topics will typically match with a prompt. Let your voice come through so the admissions staff will feel like they learned something new about you that would make you an integral part of their incoming class.
About Author:
Sara Robbin is a graduate of Cornell University and Emory Law School. Sara helps students with all parts of the college essay process, from brainstorming ideas and creating outlines, making activity lists and providing assistance with supplemental essays.
