USA: Personal and university essays

Mr. McCavigan offers a writing drop-in centre available to grade 11 and 12 students who would like to have support with any form of academic writing. The centre will be in room 124 each Wednesday during period 7. Support can be provided for all types of argumentative/persuasive writing, such as research papers, essays, college/university essays, speeches, etc. If you would like some writing assistance then drop by. If this time does not work for you then email him at dmccavigan@vis.ac.at so that you can arrange an alternative appointment. 

Crafting a compelling essay for university applications in the United States is a pivotal step towards standing out. These essays serve as more than just a medium for showcasing academic prowess; they provide a unique opportunity to present yourself beyond test scores and grades. In this section, we'll delve into the key strategies and insights necessary to navigate the process of writing impactful essays. 

Three types of university essay questions

1. The “Describe yourself” question

With this type of question, the college is looking to get to know you better and to see how you present yourself. For example Tufts University used to ask “What makes you happy?” How to answer it This type of question can be intimidating because it’s so open-ended. The key is to look at it as a chance to show who you are and what’s important to you. Discuss one or two subjects that reveal your best qualities.

The purpose of this essay: Your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can't—your personality. It can give admission officers a sense of who you are, as well as showcasing your writing skills. Make sure it looks like a teenager wrote it, you don't have to talk about something huge, such as solving world hunger!

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Source: https://bigfuture.college board.org/getin/essays/3-ways-toapproach-commoncollege-essay-questions (accessed on 24 September, 2020)

Essays that worked (examples provided by John Hopkins University):

Some more tips:

How do I start writing this essay?

1. Get started by brainstorming Starting the essay can be the hardest part. Brainstorming about your personality traits and defining your strengths is a good place to begin. Think of these four questions: Who Am I? Why Am I Here (pathway)? What is Unique About Me? What Matters to Me?

2. Let your first draft flow After you've gathered your notes, create an outline to organize your essay and decide where you want examples to appear. Now you're ready to write your first draft. Don't worry about making it perfect. Just get your ideas flowing and your thoughts down on paper. You'll fix mistakes and improve the writing in later drafts.

3. Develop three essay parts Introduction: One paragraph that introduces your essay. Body: Several paragraphs explaining the main idea with examples. Conclusion: One paragraph that summarizes and ends the essay.

4. Be specific: Show, don’t tell Give your essay focus by figuring out how the question relates to your personal qualities and then taking a specific angle. Make sure everything you write supports that viewpoint.

5. Find a creative angle

6. Be honest The essay question might ask you about your best quality, an experience that shaped you or the reason you want to attend a certain college. Don't be tempted to write what you think the admission officers want to hear; answer the question honestly.

7. Get feedback Show your draft to family, friends or teachers. Ask if it makes sense and sounds like you. Consider their feedback and make changes, but keep your voice. High school senior Dana warns, "Make sure the essay is in your own voice. If at some point you read over your essay and you hear your mother's voice, something is wrong." 

8. Proofread and make corrections Read your essay over carefully to check for typos and spelling and grammar errors. It's best to ask someone who hasn't seen it yet to take a look as well. They're likely to see mistakes you won't catch. 

​Source: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/8-tips-for-crafting-your-best-college-essay ​(accessed on 24 September, 2020)

Common App (for the "describe yourself" prompt)

If you are applying through Common App, please check the video and information below:

Common App essay prompts:

Describing yourself: Which are the seven essay prompts provided by Common App?

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. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

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.

Revising this essay

2. The “Explain why you want to attend our college” question

With this type of question, admission officers want to find out about your goals. They also want to know how serious you are about attending their school. Questions in this category include: “Why is this college a good choice for you?” “Tell us about your career goals and any plans you may have for graduate study.” How to answer it The focus here is why you chose a certain college or path. It’s a pretty straightforward question, but be sure you know your subject well. For example, if you say you want to attend this college because of a specific academic department, make sure you’re clear on what that department offers. You should answer this question in a way that the essay can't be mistaken for another college essay. You shouldn’t be able to take the name of the college X out of the essay and add in the name of college Y and the essay still make perfect sense.

The purpose of this essay: To find out about your goals. They also want to know how serious you are about attending their school. Be specific! Write about a professor at the school or research that the school is doing or something that can only be found at that specific school.

Some strategies:

HOW TO FIND ALL THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT A PARTICULAR UNIVERSITY

• Carry out serious research in the university’s website

• Read reviews (there are some interesting books at JBS)

• Read student reviews

• Take real and virtual tours

• Contact the admissions office: Definitely have a few specific questions in mind before you call and try not to ask about anything you could Google in five minutes.

• Get in touch with current students

Some other strategies:

* Find a syllabus: Find a syllabus for a class you may take at that school.

Why does this help? Imagine you’re trying to articulate why you’d take a certain class. What better way than to peruse the language the professor is using in the part of the syllabus that says “What I hope you will learn from this class”? You can show off your research skills by mentioning in your essay you found a syllabus: “When I read Professor [X]’s syllabus for her Class in [Y], I was intrigued by the possibility of exploring [Z], in particular…”

Remember the “Why this College” essay is another opportunity to share a few more of your skills/talents/interests/passions. So think about everything you want the college to know about you and ask yourself: Are all these values/qualities somewhere else in my application?

* Make sure that each time you mention something about the school you connect it back to yourself. How do you know? Simply check each mention of the school and see if you’ve explained why this is important--not just in general, but to you. Think of this as a "Why we are perfect for each other" essay.

Example:

The Why Tufts “Why this College” Essay Example

Prompt: Which aspects of Tufts’ curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short: “Why Tufts?” (200 word limit)

In addition to providing a strong foundation in economics, Tufts provides me the opportunity to further explore global health care policy through an International Relations Program that leverages the strengths of 18 related departments and programs. I’m also keen to continue my study of the Chinese language through Tufts’ Chinese Department, studying with Professor Mingquan Wang and perhaps study abroad at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, to receive the full immersion experience. Tufts’ Experimental College intrigues me as I can take unconventional courses such as Game Strategy (EXP-0029-S) and Rising Tide: Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Adaptation (EXP-0021-F). Further, Tufts’ urban backdrop provides me the opportunity to play league cricket year round, while studying abroad at Oxford would provide me with not only global economic perspectives, but also the opportunity to continue my pursuit of cricket in its birthplace. Visiting Tufts, my mother’s alma mater, I felt I was at home in Singapore. Its strengths in Chinese, Economics and International Relations, combined with its beautiful suburban campus, academic rigor, and global reach have confirmed that Tufts is the place for me. (under 200 words)

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Sources:

https://bigfuture.college board.org/getin/essays/3-ways-toapproach-commoncollege-essay-questions (accessed on 24 September, 2020)

https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/why-this-college-essay ​(accessed on 24 September, 2020)

3. The “Discuss an issue” question​

​Admission officers look at both how intelligent and how creative your answer to this type question is. They want to see your ability to think outside the box. Here’s an example from Denison University: “Do you believe there's a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others.” How to answer it Here you are asked to write about your views on a topic. Even though this is a creative piece, make sure to back up all your points with facts and intelligent explanations. And don’t take the creativity too far. Inventiveness is good, but wacky may not be the best choice.

The purpose of this essay: To look at both how intelligent and how creative your answer to this type of question is. They want to see your ability to think outside the box.

How do I start writing this essay?

1. Get started by brainstorming about facts and points you want to make.

2. Let your first draft flow. After you've gathered your notes, create an outline to organize your essay and decide where you want examples to appear. Now you're ready to write your first draft. Don't worry about making it perfect. Just get your ideas flowing and your thoughts down on paper. You'll fix mistakes and improve the writing in later drafts. 

3. Develop three essay parts

4. Be specific: Show, don’t tell

5. Find a creative angle

6. Get feedback

​7. Proofread and make corrections

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Source: https://bigfuture.college board.org/getin/essays/3-ways-toapproach-commoncollege-essay-questions (accessed on 24 September, 2020)

Writing requirements by college (only for Common App)

This resource provides guidance to students on what writing questions they can expect within individual college questions!

To access it, please click on the button below:

Strategy: Super essays

One of the most daunting aspects of applying to college is the sheer number of essays students have to write. Many universities have anywhere from one to eight supplemental essays. So, considering you are applying to 10 universities, you might be writing, to give a number, around 30 essays, in addition to the one you write for Common App.

But......you might not need to write as many as 30 essays. In fact, you may end up writing fewer than ten. Why?

The College Essay Guy has developed a pretty simple, step-by-step process to help students see which essay prompts can overlap. Follow his lead and it may not only save you dozens of hours of writing, it could improve the quality of those essays.

The secret involves doing a little bit of research and creative brainstorming before deciding on your topic. Let's illustrate with an example.

Writing an essay about your improv comedy troupe could probably work for both of these prompts:

University of Michigan: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background--we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke.

Want to save yourself even more time? Look for MORE prompts your topic could work for. Take this one, for example:

Stanford: Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why.

See how that topic can be used to write an essay that works for all three schools?

Plus, now Stanford is going to not only learn why improv comedy is meaningful to you, but also how it has created a kind of community for you (thanks to Michigan) AND how it has equipped you with a unique perspective (thanks to Duke).

So what are we doing here? We’re brainstorming what the College Essay Guy calls Super Essays.

A Super Essay not only answers the prompt, but also tells the reader something more. Here’s a Venn Diagram to illustrate based on the Michigan/Duke/Stanford example above, but remember that this can be applied to any schools that have overlapping prompts:

Here’s the short version of how to write a Super Essay:

1. Collect all your college essay prompts in a spreadsheet and list all the schools you're applying to, their required essay prompts, and your chosen topic.

2. Choose 2-4 activities, ideas, or passion projects that might work as a potential Super Topic.

3. In the "topics" column of your essay tracker, note which topics might work for which prompts.

4. Brainstorm and write a Super Essay that works for all the prompts you’ve identified

That's it! You're on your way to saving lots of time (and writing better essays.)

Source: The College Essay Guy (November 2021)

How to write a successful Common App activities list

Check this amazing resource to excel in this section:

Other resources

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