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favour
Student
Elkridge
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What are things college admission officers look for in an applicant's essay? What type of essays do admission officers generally dislike? #Spring23
I am in the process of writing my college essay and would really like to produce a remarkable essay.
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7 answers
Rian Alam
Student
139
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Rian’s Answer
Hi!
Generally, college admissions officers are not a fan of essay's that regard illegal substances. This can include drugs, alcohol, breaking the law, vandalism and more. Many times, its also often not a good idea to speak on very politically divisive topics, as you are unsure who will be reading your essay. A good general rule for writing a college eassay is that you want it to be unique. If the topic you wrote about can apply to any other student, your essay's strength decreases. It's important to talk about yourself and your unique path, because ultimately that is what will distinguish you from everyone else.
Best of luck to you!
Rian
Generally, college admissions officers are not a fan of essay's that regard illegal substances. This can include drugs, alcohol, breaking the law, vandalism and more. Many times, its also often not a good idea to speak on very politically divisive topics, as you are unsure who will be reading your essay. A good general rule for writing a college eassay is that you want it to be unique. If the topic you wrote about can apply to any other student, your essay's strength decreases. It's important to talk about yourself and your unique path, because ultimately that is what will distinguish you from everyone else.
Best of luck to you!
Rian
Thank you Rian! I'll keep these in mind.
favour
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1590
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Favour so many students think that they “know” what colleges want from in the application essay and this unfortunately has a big influence over their essays. Students will overuse the thesaurus and write about strange topics in an effort to impress the college application team in a effort to stand out they fail to impress anyone. Instead of writing what you think the admissions office wants to read, write about what you want them to know. Again, the essay is a great space to reveal something new about you, so stand out by being authentic and showing another side of yourself. Forget about trying to concoct a version of yourself that you think the admissions office wants to see and let your authentic personality shine through instead.
START EARLY
Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.
Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. My recommendation would be to start as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible. You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner get you started the better.
OPEN STRONG
Knowing how to start a college essay can create a strong opening paragraph that immediately captures the reader’s interest. You want to make the admissions officer reading your essay curious about what you say next. Admissions officers also want to see that the student can give a direct answer while sticking to a comprehensive narrative. When writing college essays, consider the point you want to make and develop a fleshed-out response that fits the prompt. Avoid force-fitting prewritten pieces. Approach every personal essay prompt as if it's your first.
Hope this is helpful Favour
START EARLY
Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.
Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. My recommendation would be to start as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible. You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner get you started the better.
OPEN STRONG
Knowing how to start a college essay can create a strong opening paragraph that immediately captures the reader’s interest. You want to make the admissions officer reading your essay curious about what you say next. Admissions officers also want to see that the student can give a direct answer while sticking to a comprehensive narrative. When writing college essays, consider the point you want to make and develop a fleshed-out response that fits the prompt. Avoid force-fitting prewritten pieces. Approach every personal essay prompt as if it's your first.
Hope this is helpful Favour
Thank you so much for your detailed (and helpful) response!
favour
Favour you don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to start inorder to be great.
Doc Frick
Analisa if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. If you don’t keep moving forward, you'll always be in the same place.
Doc Frick
Timothy Stokes, PMP, MBA
Senior Technical Consulting Engineer at AT&T
7
Answers
Dearborn, Michigan
Updated
Timothy’s Answer
College essays are one of the few remaining factors which identify the student as an individual rather than a number! Admissions Officers are looking for what makes you who you are and not an identifier of your ability to write an essay. Think of one particular trait, accomplishment, or experience and write about that. One student admitted to a major university studying Engineering wrote about his ability to operate a tractor, from driving to repairing to using different tools with the tractor. Another wrote about her winning an award for ballet performance. My advice is to be yourself and write about you. You are promoting yourself to a person that could possibly see thousands of applications during the process. What can you write about yourself that will set you apart from the thousands of applications? How can you sell a product, YOU, to an unseen person reviewing thousands of applications?
Charlie Bernstein
Director
19
Answers
Murray, Utah
Updated
Charlie’s Answer
As someone who helped my two daughters get into their top school, I believe I can give you some very specific and good advice.
This is for your common App essay.
1) Your essay should tell the school what you are offering them. I would start by making a list of the traits you believe would be an asset to the school (examples: Hard-working, Responsible, Honest, Creative, Problem Solver, Organized, Driven or others you would like to use)
2) Think of a story about yourself where you learned those traits or exemplified those traits (this will help you narrow down your story options)
3) Create some interest at the beginning - for example I had no idea I could do it. I had never done it before, but last summer I realized I was more capable than I imagined. OR How did one simple question from my parents help me realize I had it in me? Their challenge helped me realize I was a creative problem solver and able to take on more responsibility than ever before.
4) Then tell your story.
5) End with how these traits will be an asset to the school when you are a student there.
6) If you really want to go to their school Tell them how much you like their school (tell them something specific) and let them know if they accept you , you will make them proud to have you at their school.
7) Write more than you need and edit it down to the best parts.
8) Edit it again and have your parent review it.
9) Run it through a grammar checker
10) Reread it one more time to make sure there are no mistakes.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck
Charlie
This is for your common App essay.
1) Your essay should tell the school what you are offering them. I would start by making a list of the traits you believe would be an asset to the school (examples: Hard-working, Responsible, Honest, Creative, Problem Solver, Organized, Driven or others you would like to use)
2) Think of a story about yourself where you learned those traits or exemplified those traits (this will help you narrow down your story options)
3) Create some interest at the beginning - for example I had no idea I could do it. I had never done it before, but last summer I realized I was more capable than I imagined. OR How did one simple question from my parents help me realize I had it in me? Their challenge helped me realize I was a creative problem solver and able to take on more responsibility than ever before.
4) Then tell your story.
5) End with how these traits will be an asset to the school when you are a student there.
6) If you really want to go to their school Tell them how much you like their school (tell them something specific) and let them know if they accept you , you will make them proud to have you at their school.
7) Write more than you need and edit it down to the best parts.
8) Edit it again and have your parent review it.
9) Run it through a grammar checker
10) Reread it one more time to make sure there are no mistakes.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck
Charlie
Adrian Santos
Marine Security Guard
161
Answers
Lome, Maritime Region, Togo
Updated
Adrian’s Answer
In a concise and straightforward manner, always strive to uplift yourself while maintaining humility. Additionally, aim to eliminate unnecessary words and focus on conveying your message directly.
Abigail Macpherson
Client Management Intern
1
Answer
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Abigail’s Answer
Hi,
In my experience college admissions officers can tell if you are being fake or writing what you believe they want to hear. So I would recommend finding something in your own experiences that you believe would tell them who you actually are, not who you think they want you to be. A moment of discovery, transformation, or a time you learned something about yourself is a good illustration that can ensure that you are being authentic and showcasing your ability to grow. On a personal note, if you are inauthentic and are accepted based on this inauthenticity, you won't know if you're truly a good fit for the school and may end up somewhere where you could have been happier somewhere else. In short, don't try to be someone you're not because you think that will lead to greater success; be genuine and they will appreciate that most of all.
In my experience college admissions officers can tell if you are being fake or writing what you believe they want to hear. So I would recommend finding something in your own experiences that you believe would tell them who you actually are, not who you think they want you to be. A moment of discovery, transformation, or a time you learned something about yourself is a good illustration that can ensure that you are being authentic and showcasing your ability to grow. On a personal note, if you are inauthentic and are accepted based on this inauthenticity, you won't know if you're truly a good fit for the school and may end up somewhere where you could have been happier somewhere else. In short, don't try to be someone you're not because you think that will lead to greater success; be genuine and they will appreciate that most of all.
Lucas Zhang
Intern
1
Answer
New York, New York
Updated
Lucas’s Answer
Consider approaching this question from a different angle - what is something unique about yourself that isn't mentioned in the rest of your application, but you'd like the admissions officers to know? It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what an admissions officer seeks, as colleges have various and evolving priorities based on the year and the applicant pool. Your best strategy is to identify something you're proud of, such as a passion for an extracurricular activity or a significant personal experience, and showcase it confidently.
With that in mind, there are a few things to avoid. First and foremost, while honesty is essential, being self-deprecating won't benefit you. Secondly, admissions officers read numerous essays, so they prefer to avoid generic-sounding ones. Many students write essays like "I volunteered at x place, and it made me feel bad" or "I faced this challenge and overcame it by working harder." It's not that you can't discuss these topics, but ideally, you should include more details about how it connects to you or what makes your experience stand out.
With that in mind, there are a few things to avoid. First and foremost, while honesty is essential, being self-deprecating won't benefit you. Secondly, admissions officers read numerous essays, so they prefer to avoid generic-sounding ones. Many students write essays like "I volunteered at x place, and it made me feel bad" or "I faced this challenge and overcame it by working harder." It's not that you can't discuss these topics, but ideally, you should include more details about how it connects to you or what makes your experience stand out.