College Essays

Many seniors are in the middle of working on writing their college application essays. As each student who has gone before you can attest, it is not an easy process. Most of the times high school students are used to writing essays about someone or something else. Focusing on you and what makes you unique can be daunting. I have to be honest, I also find it fascinating. I love seeing what you come up with and how you introduce yourself to the admissions committee through your essay. As I have mentioned before, you need to be sure that you are answering the question, that you are showing (and not just telling), and above everything else, that the reader will learn something about you!

For those of you who might be struggling to come up with essay ideas, the first step is definitely self reflection. You want to tell the college what makes you special and stand out from all the rest of the applicants. The more specific you can get in your essay the better off you will be. Generalized claims are simply not as effective. A stronger essay would focus on introducing who you are – what you think, believe, feel, and how you act – through a specific detailed experience. As you work to brainstorm potential topic ideas while also narrowing your topic to something detailed and specific, perhaps these questions will help give you ideas to get you thinking…

- How has this experience changed you?
- Why was this experience meaningful to you?
- How have your experiences shaped your character?
- What is significant to you about being involved in the activities or receiving the honors or awards?
- How have your activities or experiences impacted you personally?
- List 5 key personality traits and how they have helped you in various situations
- What is your personal motto in life? How did you come to this?
- Traits/ Stories/ Examples of “That is so you” moments
- Has any experience changed your perspective or challenged your beliefs?

Once again, remember, it is important to get specific as it is often the small things or experiences in our lives that have a big impact on how we feel, think or act.