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How do you draft the most fluent and organized essay for college admissions?
Hi! I’m a rising high school senior hoping to get the most information about college tips! Right now I’m drafting my main college essay, and this question would help a lot. Thanks to all!
4 answers
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Fernando’s Answer
When it comes to college admissions essays remember that this is mostly a means of you introducing yourself to the college of choice. With this in mind remember to keep it personal with a bit of formality. Now for keeping the essay fluid, first right the down the beats, or main ideas, you want to touch on in the essay. Really nail down what you want to say and how you want to say it. Once that's part is done it's all about organizing the order in which you want these beats to be in. Always be sure to make it so that one beat leads into the other. If you have an academic advisor or teacher you trust, feel free to ask them to review the essay drafts to really fine tune your vision.
Updated
Tara’s Answer
12 CRUCIAL GUIDELINES FOR CRAFTING A WINNING COLLEGE ESSAY
1. Embrace Authenticity - Your essay should reflect your unique personality. Let your natural voice, humor, and style shine through.
2. Captivate Your Readers Immediately - Begin your essay with a powerful statement, a reflective quote, an intriguing question, or a vivid scene.
3. Dive Into Profound Themes - College admissions officers are interested in understanding the experiences and influences that have shaped you into the person you are today.
4. Show, Don't Just Tell - Engage your readers by painting vivid scenes and sharing personal anecdotes, rather than merely listing your achievements and activities.
5. Dare to Be Different - Share not only your triumphs but also the lessons you've learned from your setbacks. Consider crafting an essay that saves the answer to a question for the very last sentence for an element of surprise.
6. Consider Your Reader - Construct a clear and logical argument, ensuring each thought naturally progresses from the previous one. Smooth transitions between paragraphs are key.
7. Create Multiple Drafts - Allow yourself some time between drafts to reflect on your work and identify any potential additions or deletions. Use tools like Grammarly for necessary corrections.
8. Read It Out Loud - By reading your essay aloud, you can quickly identify any awkward, verbose, or insincere passages.
9. Avoid Repetition - Your essay should offer college admissions officers fresh insights about you. Ensure your essay aligns philosophically with the rest of your application.
10. Seek Feedback - Invite a diverse group of people, such as a teacher, school counselor, parent, or sibling, to review your essay.
11. Mind the Form - While there's no strict word count for college essays, the Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple college, suggests keeping essays around 650 words.
12. Conclude with a Bang - Leave a lasting impression on your reader by tying together all your points in a compelling conclusion.
By following these guidelines, your essay will not only be clear and concise but also truly memorable. I urge you to take time to reflect on your unique experiences and aspirations as you embark on this journey. Best of luck with your essay!
1. Embrace Authenticity - Your essay should reflect your unique personality. Let your natural voice, humor, and style shine through.
2. Captivate Your Readers Immediately - Begin your essay with a powerful statement, a reflective quote, an intriguing question, or a vivid scene.
3. Dive Into Profound Themes - College admissions officers are interested in understanding the experiences and influences that have shaped you into the person you are today.
4. Show, Don't Just Tell - Engage your readers by painting vivid scenes and sharing personal anecdotes, rather than merely listing your achievements and activities.
5. Dare to Be Different - Share not only your triumphs but also the lessons you've learned from your setbacks. Consider crafting an essay that saves the answer to a question for the very last sentence for an element of surprise.
6. Consider Your Reader - Construct a clear and logical argument, ensuring each thought naturally progresses from the previous one. Smooth transitions between paragraphs are key.
7. Create Multiple Drafts - Allow yourself some time between drafts to reflect on your work and identify any potential additions or deletions. Use tools like Grammarly for necessary corrections.
8. Read It Out Loud - By reading your essay aloud, you can quickly identify any awkward, verbose, or insincere passages.
9. Avoid Repetition - Your essay should offer college admissions officers fresh insights about you. Ensure your essay aligns philosophically with the rest of your application.
10. Seek Feedback - Invite a diverse group of people, such as a teacher, school counselor, parent, or sibling, to review your essay.
11. Mind the Form - While there's no strict word count for college essays, the Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple college, suggests keeping essays around 650 words.
12. Conclude with a Bang - Leave a lasting impression on your reader by tying together all your points in a compelling conclusion.
By following these guidelines, your essay will not only be clear and concise but also truly memorable. I urge you to take time to reflect on your unique experiences and aspirations as you embark on this journey. Best of luck with your essay!
Updated
Nathanael’s Answer
For fluency and organization, start reading your essay aloud to yourself to spot any awkward or weird sentencing. This would help your essay flow better and look for smoother transitions between ideas. Also, ask for a third party to read your essay. My English teacher was a great source and helped me structure my essay in a way that was easily digestible.
Updated
Stephanie LH’s Answer
I am going to recommend that you hit two birds with one stone and reach out to your ELA teacher and ask to use your course work as college essays and for extra help. Now if you do not work well with whom you're assigned to next year I like the links below:
How to Write an Essay: 4 minute overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuOWNNvupik
How to Write an Essay for Beginners – Outline to Draft:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqhgENMJAWs
How to create a Clearly Structured Essay Outline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwzfnDbZCRQ
How to Write an Eye-Catching Essay Introduction Paragraph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msaynBwwxkA
How to write Strong Essay Body Paragraphs – with real example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0SMvLu2D1Y
How to Write a Stong Essay Conclusion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UElC_YZ0Eo
FREE APA Citation Generator:
https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/apa/
Transition Words and Phrases (also known as Conjunctions or cohesive devices):
https://library.stlawu.edu/sites/default/files/2021-07/linking-words.pdf
How to Write an Essay: 4 minute overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuOWNNvupik
How to Write an Essay for Beginners – Outline to Draft:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqhgENMJAWs
How to create a Clearly Structured Essay Outline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwzfnDbZCRQ
How to Write an Eye-Catching Essay Introduction Paragraph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msaynBwwxkA
How to write Strong Essay Body Paragraphs – with real example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0SMvLu2D1Y
How to Write a Stong Essay Conclusion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UElC_YZ0Eo
FREE APA Citation Generator:
https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/apa/
Transition Words and Phrases (also known as Conjunctions or cohesive devices):
https://library.stlawu.edu/sites/default/files/2021-07/linking-words.pdf
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