Tips For Writing Your College Essay

Tips For Writing Your College Essay Formatting and presentation cannot replace substance, but they can certainly enhance the value of an already well-written essay. Tell us something different from what we’ll read on your list of extracurricular activities or transcript. Essays should have a thesis that is clear to you and to the reader. Your thesis should indicate where you’re going and what you’re trying to communicate from the outset. Feel free to tell us about a time you stumbled, and what happened next. That means every college has a pool of applicants with similar grades and test scores. You want to make sure you've used proper spelling, grammar and punctuation, so ask an expert to proofread your essay. The point of this essay is to show who you are, not who you wish you were. Stick to what you know and your true personality will shine through. Sometimes creating an outline for your essay can help you get started. It will also help you organize your thoughts and develop a framework. You can also include traditions, extracurricular activities, and the campus itself. Yes, Yale is very prestigious and consistently ranks among the top three universities in U.S. Your familial connections may also factor in, but they shouldn’t be your sole reason for applying. Especially if you’re recounting an event, take it beyond the chronological storytelling. Even if you didn’t visit, you can still establish a strong connection to the school. In that case, you might share a story about why you’re interested in studying a certain program that you can only find there â€" grounding it in an anecdote from your past â€" or a professor you want to study with. You don’t have to solely focus on academics, although you should make them a main point of your essay. Don't use big words just for the sake of using big words. Remember, this essay is about you, so use words you normally use. Ask people you trust for their feedback, but don’t let anyone else tell you how you should write it. This is your story, or some small but significant part of it, as told or reflected upon by you. Self-exploration can be fun, but don't procrastinate on the actual writing. You don't want to rush or be up against a tight deadline; it will affect your work. With a wealth of experience as a writer, journalist, and educator, Robert Schwartz has written for all four major television networks. In the feature film world he has written or rewritten screenplays for all of the major movie studios. Submit it, and treat yourself to something nice â€" like your favorite film, a run, quality time with your dog or whatever it is that you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to reveal yourself in your writing. Focus on one event, one activity, or one “most influential person.” Tackling too much tends to make your essay too watered down or disjointed. We’ll make sure you get the right guidance at the right time. Students use their grades and test scores to select where they apply. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.