Writing The College Essay

Writing The College Essay It’s important to draw your reader in from the very first sentence. Take a look at some of these opening lines from college entrance essays submitted to Stanford University. You don’t want to write an entire essay only to find out you were completely off topic. Each school, professor and student body is different. Colleges must adapt their rules and discipline efforts to reflect the current needs of their students. Eliminating cell phones in college classrooms is an overstretch, but there are ways to balance students’ rights and instructors’ rights. After you’ve read through the instructions a few times and gathered your notes, you can start creating an outline to organize your essay and decide what message you want to send. Rocio’s essay uses the tortilla-making story to introduce us to her sense of multiculturalism, an identity that is clearly important to her. By utilizing the example of struggling to cook well in the kitchen, the writer is able to effectively relate to readers of all ages and backgrounds. We believe that Rocio’s sense of perseverance will translate to her college experience as well. A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. Admissions officers tell us they read every essay. The number of reviewers reading the essays vary from school to school. I cannot make that claim, but I do believe that most of them are read. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything offâ€"color. According to the College Board report Admissions Decision-Making Models, admission officers have expressed concern about how much assistance students receive in preparing an essay. Many institutions now ask applicants to sign a statement avowing that the essay submitted is their own work. Warn students not to write about high-minded topics or exotic locales simply to impress the reader. In smaller to mid size colleges they are certainly read, at least by two readers, and all Honors College essays are read. Most colleges hire readers during the application season. How many people read each essay varies by institution with two being somewhat standard. Letters of admission are the main way university students find out if they have been admitted to universities where they have applied. Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you. With the right amount of control and flexibility, colleges can create a pleasant learning environment with maximum safety and minimal interruptions. During your scholarship applications, you may need to submit a 500-word essay answering a specific question. The theme of the essay can range from personal achievements to political controversies. This means you can adjust your writing style to fit the message of the prompt. This guide will explain how to write a 500-word scholarship essay. College admission officers look to the essay for evidence that a student can write well and support ideas with logical arguments. They also want to know something about the personality of the student. The application essay is your opportunity to impress an admissions officer with your determination and existing knowledge of your chosen subject. Make sure it reflects all of your skills and ambitions, and show how your chosen program will help you achieve future goals. Creativity is an aspect very much appreciated in writing, but don’t assume that a creative essay is not also an organized one. Obviously, you don't want to write a bunch of words without meaning, so make sure you write about just one subject at a time. Remember that there are thousands of others students applying to your desired university, and you need to distinguish yourself. Re-read your essay, delete all the sentences that sound like a cliché, and try to find a more original angle.