Many application essays are based on prompts, such as writing about a time when you experienced failure or a time when you challenged an idea. Other prompts include describing a place with special meaning or a moment that changed your life. Whether you are writing an essay from a prompt on a common application or from a prompt designed by a specific college, your essay may be the most important piece of your application. It provides you with an opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants, and it lets the admissions team know who you are in a way that grades and test scores don't.
Although writing a college application essay may seem like a daunting task, it is really not too different from writing an essay for your English class. Your college application essay should be clearly organized with a beginning, middle, and an end. It should stay on topic, use effective transitions, and be free of any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Look at the chart below for information that your essay should, and should not, include.
DO:
DON'T:
Spotlight your personality with a funny, moving, or interesting anecdote.
You probably noticed a number of techniques that are used to create a strong essay. These paragraphs use active language and vivid details to describe an important event in the writer's life. Moreover, the writer successfully gives the reader an understanding of who he is today-his values, thought processes, and knowledge-without being overly dramatic or philosophical. Lastly, the writer creates a strong ending to his essay. With all of these elements, it is likely that the reader will remember Jeremy amongst all the other applicants. This is just the effect that a college application essay should have.
Please evaluate the student's answers:
Excellent
Good
Okay