writing the first draft of your personal statement is probably the hardest part of the whole application process. and it makes sense – it’s not easy to capture so much of your experience onto a single page.

moving your first draft from just ok to simply spectacular

i’ve read hundreds of first drafts over the years. most were okay. not stellar, but that could be polished up enough to probably win an interview at an average program.

but i’ve also read a few first drafts that totally blew me away, ones that told me the applicant would be accepted somewhere great. first drafts that, although the language might not be sharp or the organization might be terribly muddled, already contained the core of what would be an astounding final version. in fact, sometimes in the most focused, sharp sounding, well-written essays, applicants are just too focused on how their story sounds to really recognize what was special about it.

write big, even when word counts are small

when you allow your first draft to be expansive, writing and writing without worrying about limitations, wonderful things can happen. i frequently find the best ideas are hidden, just waiting to be pulled out and put center-stage. for instance, in the middle of one applicant’s four-page first draft, this gem was tucked away:

[the radiology attending] was pointing out how sometimes we forget that in interpretation that it is still an image and not an actual person. however, our interpretation will significantly impact the human and not the image. this same radiologist on a separate occasion while a resident and i were looking at a plain film of the chest brought up the same point, but in a very creative way. he pulled up a painting by rené magritte that said “this is not a pipe.” in this painting, magritte cleverly communicates with his viewers that it was truly not a pipe, but an “image” of a pipe.

this passage concealed an essential truth of how this applicant had come to view radiology. we brought it to the start of her personal statement, and used it to set the stage for an essay focused on the radiologist’s commitment to his patients:

“the treachery of images,” one of surrealist artist rené magritte’s most famous works, depicts an ordinary pipe with “this is not a pipe” written below it. while a resident and i examined a chest x-ray, our attending pulled out this image. i immediately understood his meaning. what we saw was not truly a pipe, only its image; similarly, a chest x-ray was only a representation of what we were really seeing. it was a reminder that what was revealed in these shadowed images – the reality behind the image – could be used to treat our patients.

many things stand out about this introduction. this revelation about radiology is expressed in a creative way that shares something about the expanse of her education. the way she seems to effortlessly extrapolate these other aspects of her life to this chosen specialty implies a level of comfort with this specialty – a way of thinking of herself already as a practitioner of it. it also helped roll out a very clear structure for the essay focusing on how these images could help real people.

this applicant succeeded because she gave herself the freedom to write expansively in her first draft, expressing – albeit unknowingly – what was special in her story. whatever your educational goal, try giving yourself this freedom, and allowing yourself to discover what is special about your own story.
 
author bio: cydney foote, accepted consultant and author of write your way to medical school, has helped future physicians craft winning applications since 2001. want cyd to help you get accepted? click here to get in touch!

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• spending hours practicing an instrument every day for years
• being responsible for an annual fundraiser that amasses thousands of dollars for your favorite charity over the five years that you chaired it
• training despite weather and physical injuries to beat your personal marathon best
• volunteering for an organization close to your heart twice a week since your freshman year in college

 
so, the next time you see the word “passion” in an admissions context, read it as “dedication.” and for those future accountants out there, remember this equation: passion = action + dedication.
 
the best way to learn is to learn by example. see how successful applicants utilize the tips above when you read accepted’s admissions guide, example to exemplary: how to use sample essays to make your essay outstanding. grab your free copy today!

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1. create a spreadsheet that includes all of your school choices and your “to do” list: writing essays, keeing track of supplements, gathering transcripts (many schools use a service like parchment.com — i have found this service provides an easy and high-quality way to expedite transcripts).  include all the deadlines and note which schools you are applying for early decision, early action or regular decision.

2. use the summer to complete the more tedious parts of the common application.it will reopen the summer before you begin your senior year. this is also a the time to narrow down your school choices if you haven’t done so already.

3. schedule time to apply to the uc system schools, if those schools are on your short list.the university of california application will open on october 1, and they give you a very small application window — november 1 – november 30 — but you can apply to many schools with just the one application. each school also has its own supplements, so build in the time you need to complete the applications.

4. prepare and budget time to apply to schools outside the uc system and schools that do not use the common app. note the schools that don’t use the common app, and be sure you are prepared to apply to these schools directly.

5. plan three to four hours a week to work on your applications. most of my clients begin with their common application essay. remember that this essay will be read by all the common app schools to which you apply, and you won’t be able to reuse its contents in your supplemental essays.

6. brainstorm essay concepts with someone whose judgment you trust:a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a consultant, or a family friend whose writing you admire.  i don’t suggest using your peers for this exercise.  if you pushed your boundaries in prior years, you will have good material to write about.  you need to believe that you are an interesting person and that the admissions director would want to have a 5-course meal with you, not just a 5-minute conversation.

7. outline your essays and begin to write. ask for feedback.  have someone look at your application and essays for editing, typos, grammar and sentence structure.  when you are satisfied with the outcome, make sure you upload clean copies of your essays into the application.  continue this process until you have completed all your applications.  early applications are due in september or october, and regular decisions are due in january.  don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application.

8. check and recheck with your recommendersto make certain they have submitted their reference. retake the sat or act, if necessary, before you submit your application.

9. make certain everything on the application is complete before you submit.

10. continue your good study habits and your leadership at school.  universities will ask for a mid-term report before rendering a final decision.

your decisions will begin to roll in, and you will be on your way to a new journey that will likely be the best four years of your life.

good luck!

author bio: natalie grinblatt epstein is an accomplished accepted.com consultant/editor (since 2008) and entrepreneur, and former mba admissions dean and director at ross, johnson, and carey. natalie will be happy to assist you with your college applications.

this article was originally published on the accepted admissions blog. 

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or are you?

let’s think about it: would a letter of recommendation from president barack obama, potus himself, ensure your acceptance?

i’m sure a letter from president obama would get passed around the admissions office. that presidential seal and signature (even if from a machine) would be an eye catcher, but is it equivalent to “i’m in!”?

how about from a past president? maybe a senator? or governor? the president of a fortune 500 company? maybe mark zuckerberg? would he do it?

actually, the title after the author’s name doesn’t matter nearly as much as the substance above the signature. can the author, whatever his or her title, talk from personal experience about your character when answering the questions posed in a recommendation form or in writing the typical letter of recommendation? if the recommender doesn’t have that personal perspective, can’t bring detail and example to the letter, the title may be a curiosity, but no more. that vip letter could be less effective than a detail-filled letter from your twenty-something team lead who writes with specific examples and persuasive substance about your contribution to her organization.

now if president obama were to write about:

• the difference you made to his campaign or your contribution to nabbing osama bin laden,
• your ability to organize his brilliant social media campaign,
• an example of integrity, or
• your initiative during the budget ceiling crisis.

then you would have an extraordinarily powerful letter of recommendation. however if he (or his third secretary twice removed) just wrote a general, flowery ode to how wonderful you are with no specifics, it would be no value. it would just be a shiny seal and sig.

of course if your team lead wrote about:

• your contribution to the team and the difference you have made to the bottom line.
• your ability to organize a social media campaign or just about anything else of significance.
• an example of integrity.
• your initiative and cool during a crisis.

you would also have a compelling letter of recommendation.

a powerful letter of recommendation is much more about substance than station, personal insight than position, examples than eminence.

by linda abraham, president and founder of accepted.com and author of mba admission for smarties: the no-nonsense guide to acceptance at top business schools.

this article was originally published on the accepted admissions blog.
 

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the preparation for successful college application does not happen overnight. in fact, it is the culmination of years of work throughout high school. the most successful college applicants take a number of components into consideration as they approach the application process. here are three mistakes they don’t make:

1. blow off essay responses. they know a strong gpa and test scores are not enough. they invest time and thought in their essay responses and they don’t wait until the last minute to submit their applications. they keep deadlines in mind. they request letters of recommendation in a timely manner to allow a teacher/counselor time to reflect before writing a recommendation. they use their essays as an opportunity to demonstrate their specific interests, life experience, and aspirations not just to repeat information found elsewhere in their application. they share something that helps fill in the overall picture of who they are and how they can contribute to the overall college environment.

2. neglect to consider appropriate college fit. their initial list might begin with colleges that family members or friends recommend but it doesn’t stop there. they apply to a range of schools that are a good fit for them- they include fallback and dream school options. they invest time to research which schools are the best fits for them on many levels (consider: size of student population, distance from home, financial obligations, academic interests, special programs, alumni ties). they use on-line resources to provide information and insight into the sorts of programs and activities available at a college. they schedule campus tours and reach out to college counselors whenever possible. they speak with current students and recent graduates. they ask their tour guides/hosts questions about how they selected a specific college and about experiences at the college that matched their expectations, as well as, what they might do anything differently in hindsight. successful applicants can articulate why each school they apply to is a good fit for them.

3. take it easy in senior year. they take a rigorous curriculum throughout high school, demonstrate an upward trend in academic demands, and maintain extracurricular involvement with increasing leadership responsibility. they don’t blow off senior year. yes, of course they have fun but they keep future goals in mind as well. they make sure to stay on top of assignments and prepare well for exams.

although this discussion seems logical, nonetheless, these are common oversights. successful college applicants don’t make these mistakes.
 

by marie todd, an accepted consultant who has worked in college admissions for over twenty years.