There is probably no college application task that is more fearsome than the essay. Read on for some insight into the purpose, variety, and scope of college essay writing, and you'll be ready to hit the ground running.

What is the purpose of the essay?
Who reads the essays?
What types of essay questions are required?
How does a college application essay compare to an academic essay?
How many essays will be needed?
The writing process: Topic brainstorm, substance brainstorm, drafting, revising
Using your writing to create a complete picture of yourself
The 6 writing traits and how to make the most of them
Katherine's Top Ten Writing Tips
Examples of real essays from College Street students

What is the purpose of the essay?

“The personal essay establishes a frame of reference with which to assess all information submitted as part of the candidate’s application to the College. Well-crafted essays, providing us with insight into the candidate’s ideas and values, goals and aspirations, special experiences and interests, are a window to “view” a candidate’s character and personality, helping us to begin to differentiate the candidate from other well-qualified applicants.
(Dartmouth College Admissions Office)

“Tell a story, and tell a story only you can tell….But telling a story only you can tell means going beyond describing the people and places in your life, and instead focusing on how
those people, places, and events have shaped you and your perspective…;
it is sincere, honest, and natural.”
(Stanford University Admissions Office)

Colleges are looking for evidence of:


Good Writing
Voice
Imagination
Enthusiasm for Learning
Thoughtfulness
Initiative
Motivation
Leadership
Persistence
Special Spark
Recognition
Honors
Hardship
Multicultural Experience
Rare Talent

 

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Who reads the essay?

“They're overworked. They're underpaid. Fairly often they're also bored….Clearly, admissions officers have a tough job. They've got to put together a class of students who will succeed academically and create a lively campus atmosphere. Depending upon the institution, they've also got to supply a backup quarterback, a cellist who can stay in tune, and a reasonably literate staff for the school paper. If the admissions officers fail, they spend the year fielding complaints and listening to inaccurate descriptions from crotchety faculty of "the good old days when we got quality students."
(From “Understanding Your Audience: The College Admissions Officers”)

But they also:

• like people
• want to know you
• are interested in how you think
• know you are 18
• don't expect you to solve all of life's mysteries or society's problems
• have a flexible idea of what makes a good essay 
• start with liking you and your chances for fitting in well at their college

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What types of essay questions are required?

The Common Application, which is used by more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States, offers several opportunities to write about yourself:

(1) The Personal Statement:
This personal statement helps us become acquainted with you in ways different from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will demonstrate your ability to organize thoughts and express yourself. We are looking for an essay that will help us know you better as a person and as a student. Please write an essay (250–500 words) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below.

• Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
• Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
• Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
• Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science) that has influenced on you, and explain that influence.
• A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
• Topic of your choice.

The Personal Statement is uploaded as a Word document to the Common Application online.  NOTE:  You can include an image or photograph if you think it would help get your message across.

(2) The Short-Answer Question asks you to write briefly about one of your activities. Highlight an extra-curricular activity or a work experience that is important to you!   This is the first example of your writing that they will see, so it should be approached with the same care and attention you give to longer essays. Try to make your topic vivid in a few lines and do not sacrifice specifics. For balance, don’t choose an activity you cover in another essay or in an Arts or Athletic supplement.

The suggested length for the Common Application Short Answer is 150 words. You enter your answer into a text box that counts characters, not words. Check the length of your essay in a Word document using Tools/Word Count/Characters and Spaces. The text box will accept 1000 characters and NO MORE!

Check out these examples of effective Short Answers.

(3) Additional Information Section is a chance for you to explain course selection, poor grades, alternative high-school experiences like Running Start or homeschooling, or learning disabilities or other obstacles you have faced.  It's best to use a straightforward, positive approach, focusing on what you have done to challenge or improve yourself.  In accounting for a weakness in your record, it's a good idea to have your explanation backed up in your high-school counselor's recommendation, if possible. The Additional Information section also provides a chance to round out your application by including information that does not fit anywhere else, but which adds materially to your profile as an applicant -- academic interests, career goals, special educational experiences (study abroad, internships, summer courses), and so on.

(4) Supplemental Essays are required by many colleges using the Common Application and cover a wide variety of topics. Here are a few types you will probably come across: 

Additional Major Essay:  Sometimes these are perfectly reasonable (“Tell us about an idea or experience that you find intellectually exciting.”); sometimes they are wacky (“How do you feel about Wednesday?”). Whatever the topic, these questions need to be answered with seriousness and specificity. The more selective the college, the more likely you’ll write a significant additional essay.

The Why Essay. Many colleges want to know why you are a good match. A good Why Essay: (1) provides an example of excellent writing, (2) shows the college why you are a match, (3) demonstrates your interest in attending, and (4) inspires research that will make you better informed at your interview and at final-decision time!  A great Why Essay goes beyond the facts and is personal and creative.

Quick Takes.  Sometimes colleges ask for very short responses to "pinpoint qualities the university values — practical intelligence, analytical ability, creativity and wisdom," according to a 2007 New York Times article by Samantha Stainburn.  Do not take these lightly! 

Graded Academic Writing Samples are required or encouraged by some colleges. Do not send a long term paper.  A short, illuminating essay on a poem or historical incident is a good choice. Unless discouraged from doing so, consider sending a school paper even if not required. A strong performance [B+ or better] is obviously needed.

Non-Common Application College Essay Questions.  Often these are generic enough that your Common App writing can do double duty. 

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How does an excellent college application essay compare to an academic essay? 

Both are clear, well-written, succinct, well-organized, and original, with good ideas, excellent word choice, fluent sentences, and perfect spelling and punctuation.

Compared to academic essays, college application essays are more personal, narrative, and conversational.  They show rather than tell, and project an authentic voice (lots of "I" is expected).  A great college essay is one ONLY you could write.

CAUTION:  Be yourself, but not too emotional or personal, and definitely NOT egotistical.

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How many essays will be needed?

The answer to this question depends on how many colleges you apply to and which colleges they are. Less competitive colleges may not require an essay at all. Competitive colleges usually ask for one or more. Some Common Application colleges may not require any writing beyond the Common Application; others may require a Why Essay or a second substantial essay. In general the more selective your colleges, the more writing you will be doing.

Some essays may do double duty.  For instance, students who are filling out the Whitman College supplement (on an experience of cultural difference) will find they have responded to the University of Washington's short essay question! But be careful to make sure your essay submissions always answer the question asked. 

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The Writing Process

Brainstorm #1:  Picking a Topic

• Think about your activities by filling out your Common Application Activities Chart first. 
• Think of events or people of significance to you and what you have learned from them.
• Think about personal attributes you would like to highlight.
• Think about an incident in your life that is representative of you and describe it.
• Think about a time when you:
  • were conflicted
  • felt inspired
  • realized you'd changed
  • saw your family in a new light
  • completely lost track of time
  • felt an intellectual connection in class
  • felt exceptionally alive
• If you have kept a journal or taken pictures of special events, review them as an aid to recollection.
• Still stumped?  Try a personal profile activity to prime your essay pump!

Are there topics you shouldn't write about?

One college official ... said a common bonehead play is to waste the application essay by telling admissions officers things "we more or less already know or could figure out just from reading other parts of the application." This is not only boring, but it leaves the impression that your grades, scores and extracurricular activities are all that is interesting about you. College officials will never say this out loud, but one purpose of the college essay is to weed out insufferable people whom no one would want as a roommate. One good strategy is to write about some lovable quirk that reveals a facet of your character and lets you use some self-deprecating humor, essential to any successful college application essay. One applicant wrote about her ability to identify a song on the car radio after hearing just a couple of notes. It was trivial, but charming, and she got in.
(Jay Mathews, Newsweek)

Students often return from college visits to report that admissions officers warned against writing about cliched topics, like sports teams and foreign travel, because lots of kids do.  But does this mean you can never write about a sport you love, or your summer language study abroad?  No!  Does it mean that writing about a "lovable quirk" guarantees success?  No!  But it is a good idea to take a tack that others will not.  See Running and Soccer Coach essay for original approaches to sports, and Eduardo for a novel take on a foreign study experience.  See also a couple of excellent essays about nothing much -- Radio Play and Concoction Food that actually reveal a LOT about the author's character and experience.

The truth is that almost any topic can be successful in the hands of a thoughtful, engaged, and motivated writer who cares about the subject!!

You should try to avoid cliched themes, of course. 

Be careful writing about abuse, sex, drug use, religion, politics, race, or about events that elicit strong negative feelings in you.

Brainstorm #2:  Generating raw material 

Once you have selected a topic, jot down keywords, descriptions, and feelings to mobilize your memory around the task. THROW CAUTION TO THE WINDS!   Turn off your internal censor; loose, creative, uninhibited, honest, free association is what you need right now!

You can brainstorm over a period of time – keep a pencil and notepad with you to record ideas that come to you during the day. Once you've got a lot of notes, impressions, and memories related to a topic, you are ready to start writing.

If you have trouble generating raw material, talk with a parent or a friend. Have your listener take notes as you talk, recording direct quotes as much as possible (for authenticity and freshness), then talk it back.

First Draft

When you have enough material to work with, sit down with a pad of paper or at the computer and start writing. If you get blocked, try telling your story out loud, and you’ll soon figure out where to begin. Don’t aim for perfection – just blurt out your thoughts so you’ll have something to work with. As you are composing, remember to be anecdotal, using a narrative style. Without being flowery or excessive, make readers feel as if your experience is happening to them.  That will wake up sleepy admissions officers on their 50th personal statement of the day!

Revision

Expect to write multiple drafts. When you have a draft you are pleased with, read it aloud and pretend you are an admissions officer.  Ask yourself these questions:

• What did you learn about the writer from reading the essay?
• What will you remember?
• Was the question answered?
• What is the writer trying to say (one-sentence summary)?
• Does the essay provide evidence of intellectual vitality?
• Does the essay demonstrate excellent writing skills?
• Does the essay leave you with nagging questions?

Share your work with an experienced writer who knows you well (it can be a teacher, a parent, or a friend who writes well) and ask them the same questions.

Don't Be Afraid to Start Over!

I've heard from more than one novelist that they approach revision the same way. They write a complete draft and then start again from the beginning. It takes a lot of guts and confidence to do that. In some ways, it seems like more work. But ultimately, I think it's a timesaver. You're not going over and over the same bad passages — or chapters — making small corrections that aren't really getting to the heart of the problem. You're trusting your own thinking and allowing it to carry you through the next draft.

"Visions and Revision" by Rachel Toor in the Chronicle of Higher Education (2008)

Proofread

Proofread, and proofread again by reading it aloud. You can also read it to someone else or have another person read it to you.  Your ear will pick up errors that your eye might have passed over.

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Using your application to create a complete picture of yourself

It’s important to think about how the different parts of the application dovetail, and the portrait they jointly create. Admissions officers form impressions of each student as they read, but the impression is only as memorable as the information the student provides. 

So, help yourself stand out.  Let's say you play soccer, study piano, worked last summer as an intern in a biology lab, volunteer at the Seattle Parks Department, and love math and solving number puzzles.  Let's say also that you are using the Common Application to apply to the University of Puget Sound, which requires a supplementary essay on why you want to attend UPS.

The tendency of most students would be to list their activities in the Activities Chart, write about one activity in the Short Answer and a second activity in the Personal Essay, write a generic answer to the Why UPS question, and call it a day.

But consider going the extra mile, with written responses that create a 3-D picture of you -- your personality, your commitment to helping others, your accomplishments in the arts, your athletic activities, your intellectual interests and academic goals and how, specifically, these connect to UPS.

• Fill out your Activities Chart with great specificity.
• Write about your love of puzzles in your Personal Essay including, in a subtle fashion, how it connects to academic interests.
• Write about community service in the Short Answer.
• In the Additional Information section, write about your internship, how it helped you grow intellectually, and and how it relates to future academic plans.
• Submit an Arts and/or Athletic Supplement to highlight soccer and piano.
• Write a detailed and insightful essay about why you are a good match for UPS.

With this approach, simply by using the opportunities presented in the application, you can create a vivid and memorable picture of yourself.  There is no single best way to three-dimensionalize yourself through your essays, short answers, activity lists, why essays, and supplements, but take the time to think about how to present as rich and varied a portait as you can!

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The college essay and the six writing traits

As noted earlier, the college essay is NOT like the essays you write for English and history class.  You don't need a formal introductory paragraph, an implied thesis is fine, and it's also fine to have long (or very short) paragraphs and abrupt transitions.  Because the college essay is not an academic exercise, you should mix thoughtful, intelligent insight with personal revelation, using a tone that is honest and personal and language that is engaging and vivid. This is narrative, not exposition.  You are basically trying to get an "invitation" to the college, not prove a thesis.

At the same time, the six writing traits traditionally used to evaluate academic writing can also be adapted to the college essay. 

Content

• Feature your assets and your values.
• Write about other people as well as yourself. Egotistical writers are not appealing. Tip: Count the occurrences of the word “I” and “me.”
• Write about something that really matters to you that only you could write.
• Don't just list accomplishments or activities contained elsewhere in the application
• Don’t make excuses for scores or grades you wish were higher
• Don't mention popular television shows, movies, musicians, or actors, regardless of how significant they are to you.
• Think about what others might write and take a different tack.
• Think small and anecdotal; a narrow focus is best. 
• Start with a "snapshot" and fill in the background.
• Show rather than tell.

Organization

• Organize your essay around a clear main idea.
• Hook: Start the essay with an opening that gets attention.
• Exposition: Set the scene clearly so the reader can follow the action.
• Rising action: Follow the progress of the protagonist (you!) who faces challenges and changes in pursuit of a goal.
• Climax followed by resolution: The emotional high point should be resolved and loose ends tied up.
• Create a clear timeline.
  • A chronological story moves forward steadily in time.
  • A flashback story starts at an important moment and backtracks to catch up, returns to climax, and finishes.
• Tie the parts of your essay together with smooth transitions.

Voice

• Don’t try to be funny or wildly creative unless you naturally are.
• You should be positive, but you can also show vulnerability.
• Tell the truth and be yourself – you are worthy and interesting.
• Don’t brag, but don’t be overly modest either.

Word Choice

• Avoid arcane SAT words like “plethora.” This is not a scholarly essay!
• Avoid pedantic words like “however” and “furthermore.”
• Avoid clichés and famous quotes.
• Use adjectives and adverbs wisely; use metaphors and similes sparingly.
• Use dialogue only when HOW someone said something is important.
• Use vivid images and specific details to paint a picture, create a world.
• Use strong adjectives and active verbs.
• Avoid vague words:  really, seriously, very, ok.

Sentence Fluency

• Omit unnecessary words without sacrificing rhythm and flow.
• Use varied sentence structure and length.

Conventions

• Do not use cute fonts or formats.
• Don’t use quotation marks around words that aren’t quotations.
• Don’t use exclamation points!
• PROOREAD!  (Spell check is NOT ENOUGH!)

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Printable Forms

Information Request Tracker

Application Checklist

Individual College Application Tracker

Essay Checklist

Interview Checklist

Recommendation Checklist

Junior Checklist

Senior Checklist