In writing a college application, keep in mind your audience. In most cases, your readers have the job of sifting through hundreds of essays, most of them idetical in content and style.
Generally, they quickly judge as inadequate essays that contain typos, misspellings, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and other mechanical errors of punctuation or grammar.
Here are some quick guidelines:
€ Don't write your achievements in list form -- it's dull and doesn't reveal anything about who you are.
€ Don't stray too far from the topic the school gives you. Don't turn it into a "Why I'm Wonderful" essay if they ask you to write about the homeless.
€ Don't puff up yourself too much. That turns people off.
€ Don't put yourself down (unless you plan on showing how you got better through some experience).
€ Stick to the length. Imagine having to read 500 essays. Do you really want to turn to the four stapled pages on the back of the application sheet?
€ Keep your style direct. Don't try to be too fancy. Don't show them you know how to use a thesaurus. But keep in mind the qualities of good writing -- vary your vocabulary and sentence patterns. Avoid informal useage.
€ If at all possible, use narrative. People remember stories.
If you use a narrative, you might stick to this pattern:
paragraphs 1&2: narrative (show how some experience changed you or taught you something valuable)
paragraphs 3&4: reflect on that experience; relate it to other parts of your life.
paragraph 5: conclusion &emdash; show how this applies to college/major/career choice and circle back to your story.
After you write the essay, have someone read it and go through this exercise:
After reading paragraph 1:
What qualities does this person have?
Does paragraph 1 make me want to continue reading?
What are three key words that I see in paragraph 1?
Can these words be made stronger, more clear, more concrete, more active? If so, rewrite them for the author.
After reading paragraph 2:
Does this paragraph seem redundant? Does it offer new information about the author? Does it jump too far in place or subject?
Does the story have a clear point? What is it?
Does the main character grow or come to some new realization? What is it?
Is this change or realization too much or not enough based on the experience related?
Did you like the story?
After reading paragraphs 3 and 4:
Is the reflection appropriate? Are the conclusions unrelated to the story?
Are the reflections mature, complex, detailed, and logical? If not, what should be changed, deleted, or added?
Does the conclusion refer back to the story and show again a connection to the reflection?
Does it relate to the idea of college, academic, or career choice?
After reading the entire essay:
Write three adjectives that describe the individual. Explain why you would accept or reject this person if you were a college admissions counselor.