TO ESSAY HOW TO WRITE A COLLEGE ESSAY
While grades, test scores, and extra-curricular activities are important probably the most important component of your college application is your college essay. The college essay tells the admissions committee who you are, where you’ve been and where you are going. This writing sample is your time on the soapbox to convince them that you will be an asset to their school. Seize the opportunity to succinctly relate why you should be a student at your school of choice. First, take some time to ponder who you are: your attributes, qualities, and skills that distinguish you from other high school students and applicants. What are your greatest strengths? Why? What are your goals in life? Where do you want to be in ten years? Who has had the most impact on your life? Why? What has been the most difficult period in your life? What did you learn from that experience? Are there any unique experiences that set you apart from your friends and other classmates? Think about all of these questions before you begin writing. Make lists of adjectives about yourself, and begin to draw an outline that might speak to the most important features of your life that make you who you are today. Secondly, make the final decision on your thesis. What will be your essay topic? There are many ways you can go about writing your essay, but the most important thing to remember is to keep it interesting! Nobody wants to read a boring essay that has been written a million times. Tell a story about yourself, describe a defining moment or explain why you believe what you believe. Don’t just tell them you’ve done this, that, or the other; but demonstrate it through a narrative. The students of an incoming class are like the pieces of a puzzle. Make sure that you are a good fit with the other students and with the school itself. Finally, organize the essay into the traditional introduction, main body, and conclusion. This format, for almost every paper you will ever write, is a nice way to introduce yourself, subtly argue why you should be at that particular college, and finish with a number that makes you unforgettable. This is your chance to shine.
Nelson’s Complete Guide to Colleges and Universities for Christians
O NLINE R ESOURCES FOR W RITING T HE C OLLEGE E S SAY
www.essayedge.com www.northfork.com/essaywiz/ www.essayplus.com/ http://collegeapps.about.com/cs/admissionessay/ www.personalessay.com/advice.html