{"id":863,"date":"2015-07-13t09:00:29","date_gmt":"2015-07-13t16:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/act\/?p=863"},"modified":"2015-08-06t12:19:10","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06t19:19:10","slug":"college-admissions-essay-top-tips-for-making-a-statement-colleges-will-remember-in-a-good-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/college-admissions-essay-top-tips-for-making-a-statement-colleges-will-remember-in-a-good-way\/","title":{"rendered":"college admissions essay: top tips for making a statement colleges will remember (in a good way)"},"content":{"rendered":"
the college admissions essay is a daunting task for most students. many students have never been asked to do this type of writing before or have never engaged in the deep introspection such an essay requires. it\u2019s a lot of pressure. i hear you. so how can you make the job easier? check out my top tips below!<\/p>\n
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how are you supposed to sum yourself up in 500 words<\/a>? the answer is, you can\u2019t. so don\u2019t even try. the first trick to writing a successful college admissions essay is to let go of the belief that this is even a possibility. instead, focus on one<\/em> aspect<\/em> of who you are and choose a narrow enough topic that you can fully develop it in the space allowed. this always makes for a more powerful statement than a generalized essay that attempts to address your entire life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n as college admissions has gotten increasingly competitive, applicants do all sorts of crazy things to stand out, such as sending in love letters<\/a>, a plate of cookies, or a shoe to get their \u201cfoot in the door.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n most students don\u2019t go to these extremes, but, in the face of such a momentous and stressful task as writing a personal statement, they do things they otherwise wouldn\u2019t, such as affect an air of maturity they don\u2019t actually possess (or worse, their parents jump in with their red pens and affect this air for them). or they exaggerate their involvement in a community service project or go waaaay<\/em> overboard professing their love for a school.<\/p>\n what i\u2019ve seen as a trend in recent years amongst admissions offices is a real appreciation for the \u201cgood old days\u201d of the genuine<\/em> college essay written in a genuine<\/em> teenage voice. this doesn\u2019t mean that you shouldn\u2019t carefully choose your words and refine your presentation, but it does mean that you should write about a topic that you truly care about and write from the heart. you don\u2019t need to have saved the world or use dozens of sat vocab words to impress an admissions officer. in my years of advising students on college essays, it took me about ten seconds to determine which ones were genuine and which ones were not. and this was true regardless of how strong a writer the student was.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n in general, you should avoid talking about death, divorce, pets, controversial subjects, or illegal activities. there is occasionally a time and a place for one of these topics (such as explaining a dip in grades due to a death in the family), but you should consult with a college counselor before proceeding. and if you have another topic you could write about, this is often for the best.<\/p>\nbe genuine<\/h2>\n
avoid no-no topics and overused topics<\/h2>\n