Soon I came to write, filling up loose ruled paper with words, writing in the dark when we didn’t have money to pay for electricity. And as I got older, I began to think that there must be others who were going through this, too. I tried to find them. I created an anonymous blog that centered what it meant for a teenager to find joy even as her life was in shambles. In this blog I kept readers updated with what I was learning, nightly yoga to release tension from the day and affirmations in the morning to counter the shame that was mounting as a result of witnessing weekly my inability to make things better at home.
I hadn’t heard about the encounter that sparked this move on her part and was surprised when she didn’t stand up beside me, hand against her heart, mouth chanting an oath. She hadn’t mentioned any mounting discomfort to me, nor had I noticed anything. Unlike my “patriotic” peers, I was less upset by her refusal to stand up for the pledge of allegiance and more upset that she didn’t share with me that she was hurting and what she was going to do to protest how she was treated because of her beliefs and the color of her skin.
Living on the Notre Dame campus with other REU students, UND athletes, and other summer school students was a whole other experience that prepared me for the world beyond high school. For 9 weeks, I worked, played and bonded with the other students, and had the opportunity to live the life of an independent college student.
In all its splendor
The Phoenix rises
In a burst of orange and yellow
It soars in the baby blue sky
Heading to that Great Light
Baptized in the dance of time
Fearless, eternal, beautiful
It releases a breathtaking aurora
And I gasp at the enormity
College Essay Example #8
I decided to spend my summer doing research because I knew that I liked scientific thought, and that I would passionately throw myself into any new challenge. I always want to know more – to probe deeper into the laws of the universe, to explore the power and beauty of nature, to solve the most complicated problems. I have an insatiable curiosity and a desire to delve deeper down in the recesses of my intellect. At the Summer Research Program, I found out how much I enjoy thinking critically, solving problems, and applying my knowledge to the real world.
This period in my life is not a sob story, but rather, the origin story of my love of writing. During a fight once, my stepdad left the house to retrieve a baseball bat from his truck. He didn’t use it, but I’ll never forget the fear that he would, how close he’d gotten. And in that moment, I did not cry as I was prone to do, but I pulled out a book, and experienced a profound disappearance, one that would always make me associate reading with escapism and healing.
I started a petition with my friend’s permission to end her suspension and to take disciplinary action instead on the student who had taken racist actions in the first place. Of the 1000 students at my high school, over 200 signed, a number that far exceeded my expectation. When I shared the results with my friend, she said to me, “Because of who you are, you will always have supporters. Use your power to do good.”
Back in his office, Dr. Q addressed my obvious state of contemplation: “This is the hardest part about what we do as surgeons,” he said, sincerely. “We hurt to heal, and often times people cannot understand that. However, knowing that I’m saving lives every time I operate makes the stress completely worth it.”
In general, you should avoid topics that are overly controversial, like things that are politically charged, doing things that are illegal, or anything involving graphic descriptions of any bodily function. So if you’re going to write about recovering from hip surgery, probably leave out the gory details of you being constipated and your oozy scars.
Here’s some tailored guidance on some of the most common college essay prompt types. And if you’re writing a Common Application essay, here’s advice on how to choose the right Common App prompt for you.
- Use vivid, specific details.
- Be genuine—get beyond the superficial.
- Be unique, but not bizarre.
- Avoid cliches and platitudes
You may think that once you’ve gotten a draft done that you’re good to go. Not so! Editing is one of the most important parts of writing the best college essay possible, and here are two essential college essay tips for editing.
#4: Decide on Your Approach
In general, there are two main approaches you might take to write your essay. It might primarily take a narrative format, or it might take a thematic format.
Here’s a list of over 600 cliches. But for the most part, you won’t need a list
Brace yourself for cutting up your initial draft into tiny little ribbons and rearranging the remaining pieces Frankenstein-style. A first draft is really just a starting place to get your ideas down before you revamp the entire thing into a more streamlined, better organized, highly polished version. So you have to be ready to let go of pieces of your essay, no matter how much you love a particular turn of phrase or analogy. The ultimate goal is to turn the rough stone of your first draft into a polished and clear piece of writing—and that’s going to take a lot of chipping and sanding!
Challenge 1: She grows up surrounded by war, which is explicitly stated.
Step 4: For each value, write down a specific example, memory, image, or essence object that connects to that value. Example:
Even if you’ve faced challenges, you do not have to write about them in your personal statement.
Moment of Truth: The climax. Often this is when our main character must make a choice.
The Feelings and Needs Exercise
Better personal statement: I want to run a tech-startup (more uncommon topic) because I value humor, “leading from the battlefield,” and stuff that makes me cry (uncommon connections for an essay on this topic), and because my journey to this place took me from being a scrawny 12-year-old kid to a scrawny 12-year-old man (uncommon language).
Each of the values creates an island of your personality and a paragraph for your essay.
Notice that roughly the first third focuses on the challenges she faced and the effects of those challenges.
Q: This is hard! I’m not finding it yet and I want to give up. What should I do?
My brother's hot cocoa: Why hot cocoa? (Again, warmth.) And why “my brother’s” hot cocoa? Why not “mom’s lemonade”? How is the fact that her brother made it change the image? (It implies that her brother is engaged in the family activity.) Do you think she likes her brother? Would your brother make hot cocoa for you? And finally:
For an inquisitive student like me, Brown’s liberal program provides a diverse and intellectually stimulating environment, giving me great freedom to tailor my education by pursuing a double concentration in both public health and business, while also being able to tap into other, more unconventional, academic interests, such as ancient history and etymology through the first year seminars.
What is insight? In simple terms, it’s a deeper intuitive understanding of a person or thing.
Here’s a 40-word sentence. Can you cut it in half without changing the meaning?
#35 The set-up should be super clear
A sneaky thing can happen as you set about writing your essay: you may find yourself guessing what a college admissions committee is looking for and writing to meet that made up criteria rather than standing firm in who you are and sharing your truest self. While you want to share your thoughts in the best possible light (edit please!), avoid the temptation minimize the things that make you who you are. Show your depth. Be honest about what matters to you. Be thoughtful about the experiences you've had that have shaped who you've become. Be your brilliant self. And trust that your perfect-fit college will see you for who truly you are and say "Yes! This is exactly who we've been looking for.”
This college essay tip is by Suzanne Shaffer is a college prep expert, blogger, and author who manages the website Parenting for College.
Most people prefer reading a good story over anything else. So. tell a great story in your essay. Worry less about providing as many details about you as possible and more about captivating the reader's attention inside of a great narrative. I read a great essay this year where an applicant walked me through the steps of meditation and how your body responds to it. Loved it. (Yes, I'll admit I'm a predisposed meditation fan.)
30. Take the pressure off and try free-writing to limber up.
A good paper starts with an outline. Then you can concentrate on all the important aspects, develop your own strategy and stick to a certain writing style. You need to plan out all of your writing stages so that it looks logical and consistent. The fact is that the college or university committee has clear quality standards that you must comply with.
Be laconic and don’t use complex word constructions. The fact is that the admission committee will not appreciate it. You need to enter college or university. This is your top priority. If you’re not ready to do it yourself, then you need to ask yourself the question, “Who can help me and whether I can get a speedy paper discount code?”
A good outline will help you determine the format of your essay, the flow of your thoughts as well as the main purpose and tone of voice. If you’re not ready for this, then email the writing service with the question, “Can I pay for essays here?”
Writing such a paper is quite complicated because you have to fit a certain amount of information into a small essay format. You should focus on a specific idea and follow your plan from start to finish. Also, be specific and avoid vague phrases that aren’t relevant to your essay’s topic. It’s best to just be yourself and tell an entirely original story without making up anything extra.
Create an Outline
It doesn’t need to be an incredibly long essay – just long enough to make a short description of what you have achieved and what you want to do when you go to college or university. Try to share something important that sets you apart from the rest. Or you can contact some writing services and tell them, “I need statistics homework help.”
This aspect is very important since you should fully concentrate on what goals this essay pursues. Typically, you will have to answer a question from the admissions committee for your purposes, think about how it might apply to you and describe why you are the ideal candidate.
If you’re going to enter college or university, you should not forget about the admission essay. At first glance, this paper doesn’t seem so complicated, as many students imagine it to be.
Brainstorming is what you need to write a good paper using any sources. You should think more and focus on your strengths. Think about how your friends or future employers would describe you. Consider jotting down each of their ideas to choose something special for the essay.
