College Essay
Many colleges will ask for you to write to a prompt. The prompts can vary from “Why did you decide to apply to our school?” to “Discuss your interest in your major,” to “Any additional information you would like to share?” to “What's so odd about odd numbers?” Ultimately, the school wants to learn more about you. This is the first time they have a chance to hear from you, about you. Though the admission counselor will notice if you have typos and spelling errors (so be sure to proofread), their focus is learning more about who you are, why you are a “good fit” for their school, and what you may bring to their school. Typically an admissions counselor will spend about 5-15 minutes reading your essays when reviewing your file.
Here are some tips when writing:
Start early ... but not too early. We do not want you spending your entire summer on essay writing, but we do recommend that you spend some time writing prior to starting your senior year. The essays are the most time consuming part of your application. Once you start school, you will be busy with your senior year. Starting during the summer will allow ample time for your proofreader as well. Giving your proofreader only a week before the deadline to review your essay may not give you (or your reader) enough time to polish it.
Spend some time brainstorming topics. Pre-write, and don’t be afraid to go in a completely different direction after writing an essay. Just because you write it doesn’t mean you must use it. Check out our brainstorming worksheet here.
Answer the prompt. This might sound silly, but many of the essays we read we find students veer off the prompt. Sometimes this is a result of using another essay and trying to morph it into a different prompt. Don’t be afraid to start fresh.
Remember the essay is for the school to learn more about you. One-third of your essay should be about the “topic” and two-thirds should be about who you are because of it, and how you will be at the school (analysis and self-reflection). An example of this can be shown through the essay prompt “tell me about a significant person in your life.” Let’s say you write about your grandmother. At the end of your essay the reader should want to admit you, not your amazing grandmother. Be sure to include examples of her (no more than one-third of the essay), and how that has translated and inspired you in your life.
Use the “additional information” prompt to share about a hiccup on your transcript or factors that are important for admission counselors to know. It is important to not make excuses, but to discuss what you learned from the experience and how you have grown. If it applies to you, this is also a great section to discuss an IEP or 504 plan if you choose to disclose it.
Proofread and have someone else proofread. Spending so much time on your essay makes it easy to miss the errors. Having someone else read for content and grammar is a great idea. Consider perhaps a non-family member or close friend. Sometimes having someone who doesn’t know you well read your essay can be very insightful. They can tell you what they learned about you from your writing (which is the ultimate goal). Look in our FAQs for help we offer at East.
On the flip side, do not have too many readers. The more people who read, the more opinions you will receive, and the more confused you will likely be with the direction of your essay.
Don’t lose your voice (this goes along with the prior points). You may have some well-intentioned help in the process with people assisting with your edits. It is important that you are the one re-writing and that it is your voice and words. Admission counselors can tell the difference in writing within various parts of your application. They expect the writing to look like that of a 17- or 18-year-old. If it doesn’t “sound” like you, it might actually hurt your application.
FAQs
1. How long should my essay(s) be?
Most essays will provide you a word or character limit. Be sure to stick within the limit (some applications will even cut you off mid-sentence if you exceed the limit). Do not feel like you need to hit the limit, though. As long as you have answered the prompt, and you have some substance in your response, your response is perfect. We actually find, though, that students struggle more with staying within the limit. 650 words is less than you think. Do not worry about the word limit initially. Write until you feel like you have said what you wanted, then go back and make edits. This is a great time for your proofreader to make suggestions on edits, too. Often times they are able to provide more insight since they are not so close to the writing.
2. Can I use humor in my essay?
Humor can be used in essays, but remember that you do not know the person reading your essay. They could be male or female, 25 or 65, conservative or liberal, etc. If you are trying humor for the first time, this may not be the best place. If you are including humor in your essay, we recommend that you share it with several different people (diversify the type of people). If they all laugh, then great! If not, then perhaps go in a different direction.
3. What type/tone of writing should I do?
Students often struggle at first with the tone of the writing. This may be the first time you are writing informally. It is okay, and expected, to use “I” and write in first person. Being detailed and descriptive with all senses can pull the reader in, but remember that you have a word limit and ultimately, the admission counselor wants to learn more about you. Finding the balance with the tone and content is important.
4. Are there any topics that are off limits?
Well ... no ... but there are “cliche” topics. We hear them described as the three “Ds”: Death, Divorce and Disease. This doesn’t mean not to write about one of them if it is significant to you, but you may want to use caution. Also, we know some of you have been through some significant experiences or life events. It is important you remember that a stranger(s) is reading this. It is also important that you have had the chance to fully process your feelings. The topic may be too premature, or too deep/emotional, to share for your college application. It can be therapeutic to write about it, but then perhaps pick another subject. This is another great discussion to have with your proofreader or counselor.
5. Can I use the same essay for multiple schools?
If you are using Common Application or the Coalition Application, they will have a list of prompts and you will need to pick one. This essay will be sent to all of the schools to which you are sending your application. Be sure not to personalize it to a particular school. Each school will probably have you write to a more individualized essay. Though there may be some overlap in the prompts between schools, you will probably need to personalize them. Often we see students trying to use an essay they wrote for one school in another school’s application. This practice may not fully answer the prompt or be specific enough to the school. Though it may seem like more work, it may be easier to start fresh than try to take an essay and morph it into another prompt.
6. Should I complete an optional essay?
Probably. Optional, in this case, is not really optional. If it is for a college that you are confident you will be admitted to because you meet the published admission requirements, than it may be okay to not write the essay. But if you are on the bubble for admission (you may meet some requirements, but not all), or it isn’t a guarantee that you will be admitted, then you should complete the essay. Completing this optional essay shows the college that you are a serious candidate and have genuine interest in the school.
7. How should I respond to the “Why Us” topic?
This essay topic is meant to be very personalized to the school. You should not be able to copy an essay from another school and use it. This essay is a way to demonstrate interest. The college wants to see that you know about their school and why you might be a good fit. We recommend referring to your notes from your campus visit, from the admission rep visit at STCE, and from what you learned on their site. Look to see what the school values in an applicant and the type of student on its campus. Learn about unique programs and missions that support you and your potential major. Each school offers something unique, so treat this essay as a small research project. Investigate and discover why this school is a good fit for who you are. Many colleges tell us they find this essay invaluable.
What are the 2020-2021 Common App essay prompts?
The 2020-2021 Common App Essay Prompts are as follows:
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.