Tips For Writing Your College Application Essay

Tips For Writing Your College Application Essay Follow these simple tips to get a strong start on your essay. Remember, your disability is part of who you are but not all of who you are. Do not fall into the trap of describing your disability in great detail. People often ask me about the value of the application essay. ” I assure you, at my university and in admissions offices across the country, we do. It’s important to get a good chunk of regular decision essays done in November, otherwise December is going to be a mess. There's no formula, no trick, no strategy, says Harry Bauld, a former Ivy League admissions officer. But with acceptance rates at all-time lows, just being yourself in an essay means understanding your readers and the unique form in which you are writing. Students have no clue what to write that will wow admissions staff and faculty members from hundreds of other essays they will read. Colleges and universities have their own personalities and priorities. You should find out more about the college or university of your interest and write an essay specific to that audience. Getting started can be the hardest part of writing. There is information to share and college admissions officers like to read a good essay. However, once you get started, writing becomes easier. Do not write a textbook explanation of your disability. Disclosing your disability may be important, but explaining every aspect of it and how it affects your life might be more than what the college admissions expect from you. You could describe a situation from your unique point of view , mention it in passing, or tell a specific story about a situation in which your disability affected the outcome. These 650 words or less â€" your personal statement to colleges â€" will be one of the most important pieces of writing you’ve done in your life up until this point. As a senior English teacher, this book gave me a ton of guidance in helping my students write their college application narratives. I bought this book before my senior year for an essay writing course. I thought that it was a great read and that upcoming seniors should give it a read. Use this module as an opportunity to develop your essay step by step. Always ask for help and stay focused on your topic. Remember that the college application is important, but not as important as your grades. Your essay may be your own ideas, words, and writing. My essay advisor, Hugh McIntosh, worked with me to refine broad ideas to concise, strong personal statements and supplemental questions. The fall of senior year is inevitably a difficult time, but Mark's Education made it clear and painless. Often the best college essays develop out of a moment or idea that at first seems small, but then grows, develops, and takes on a life of its own. Writing your college essay can be a daunting task. Ask people to read your drafts to provide you corrections and advice on your essay. Your teachers, family, friends, school counselors, and community members are all people you might ask to help you create your essay. There are several tutoring services available across the nation; with a little research you should be able to locate an agency near you that may be able to assist you with writing. You should also feel free to use any assistive technology that you are using in school to help write your essay. Good writers always keep their audience in mind and a college essay is no exception. Your goal in a college application is to stand out. Use your uniqueness to your advantage, not as a hindrance. The team at Marks Education was very helpful to my college application process. The planning of my high school class selection, provided by Nina Marks and Ian Perez was especially helpful. Students applying to a number of top 20 reach schools for regular decision will have the majority of their essay work ahead of them and not a lot of time to ensure they’re writing their best possible essays. Getting your early application essay work done this early helps you to space out all the regular decision application work later on.