Dreading Writing Your College Application Essay? Tips From The Pros

Dreading Writing Your College Application Essay? Tips From The Pros However, parents should not try to change the voice of the student, which can be difficult to refrain from. The essay needs to be a reflection of the student’s creativity, writing ability and personality; not the parent. A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything offâ€"color. Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application. A live online video course for counselors on guiding students through writing a great college personal statement. Teachers, guidance counselors, even friends are viable candidates when looking for a second opinion on your writing. Some of the best college application essays are written about small moments that are meaningful to the applicant. If you’re writing a “Why I want to be an engineer” essay, for example, what 3-5 common “engineering” values might other students have mentioned in connection with engineering? You can read books and blogs about how to get into competitive colleges, but the best source of advice comes from speaking with people who’ve already done it. Whether it’s alumni from your school, older delegates you’ve met at conferences, or chairs who are already in college, MUN provides a network of people you can reach out to for advice. While not everyone who does MUN makes it their main activity, many invest a considerable amount of their time and energy into it. While it is okay to have a parent proof an essay, they are not always the best option. Asking someone who is slightly more removed from the application process may be the wisest route to go. While parents mean well, any constructive feedback may be misinterpreted, creating conflict at what can already be a stressful time. You’re the only person with your exact combination of personal qualities, beliefs, values, and experiences, so you don’t need to lie or exaggerate to make your essay unique. In fact, it’s important to write in your authentic voice and avoid using “fancy” vocabulary just to impress admissions officers. I recommend that students try to find an adult other than their parents to help with essay editing. Parents are blinded by love and perhaps perfection. Each student needs to be able to claim authentic ownership of their essays. Mom and Dad may be great help during the brainstorming process of generating essay topics. Although we had already learned about Jerry’s enthusiasm for debate in other parts of his application, this essay gave so much more depth into why this activity is meaningful for him. Given what he shared in his essay, we can imagine Jerry being an active participant both in and out of the classroom. These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. His reluctance to do so showed that he already knew the answer. I hammered home the point that misrepresenting himself was wrong and an honor offense, and that colleges are interested in authenticity rather than heroism. I told him that any college admissions officer would detect instantly that the story was not genuine. Parents may know other details about the student that they should include in the essay. Parents are also a great second pair of eyes for grammar and spelling errors. I would still suggest that a English professional still read over the essay for expert editing purposes. Model United Nations is a large part of their personal growth as a high school student, and they can leverage their MUN experience to get into college. How can colleges be trusting without being naïve? The keys are making sure that a student's application has integrity and that decisions are made on information that hasn't necessarily been verified, but is verifiable. I have heard the arguments for committee-based evaluation, where readers work in teams, but I am unconvinced that it makes for a more thorough or better reading process. I responding by suggesting that he call the dean of admissions at his first-choice college and ask him the same question.