The College Essay

and the Application Process

When you app ly to a selective college or universi ty the admissions olilce collecls a fi le of Informalton about you thal will be used to make the admission decision

Just the Facts - Much of the information collected on the application form is factual you r name high school and contact Infor shymation for example Themiddotapplrcalron file also will incl ude details of your academic experience including your high school transcripts (wh ich include all courses taken and t he grades earned in each) and co llege entrance exam scores (SAT ACT TOEFL etc) Many applications also ask for details about extracurricular activ ities you enjoy Th ese could include clubs sports commushyni ly service or part-time jobs

The Big Picture - The tacts and figures of you r high school experience can provide lhe admissions offi ce with an indication of your read iness fo r college But how can you show the admiss ions office your personality How can you explain what makes you lick How can you express why you are interested in studying at a particular college Or univerSity The answer is the co llege essay

The college essay allows the adm issions office not only to lea rn more about you as a person bUl also t ~ep how wel l you th ink and write about y) Ir eperiences This brochure Includes helpful hints on cratt ing college essays that capture your persona lity and express your abilities

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Tips on Writing a College Essay

(-llege Escay 11lIows You to

bull Give the admissions staff a better undershystanding - beyond yOUI transcript test scores and list of actiVities - of who you are as an individual and how you may contribute to the campus community

bull Show the depth of interest and passion you have in an area

bull Expla in someth ing significant about yoursel f the admissions office wouldnt otherwise know

bull Show your reader tha t you can think logical ly and analytically

bull Set yourself apart from the many other applican ts who will apply With equally good academiC histories scores and recommenda tions

Its Jus Common Sense to

bull Answer the question

bull Comply with the requests of the applicat ion (essay length format etc) If you donl understand ask l

bull Do your own work

bull Type your essay double-spaced Make it tasy lor lhE reader

bull Se nd the correct essay with the correct application

Rememb

bull This IS the portion of your appl icat ion that IS lot ally under your immediate control

bull You r personality and charader should be I-eflected

Essay rt-gtecknst

Getti ng Started

U Gather the appropriate forms and read the instructions If you are unclear abou t the essay questions or instruct ions contact the school for clarification

G Begin the process well before deadlines to allow time for several drafts and proofshyreading You wan t to have Lime to do your best work

IJ Take some time to think Identity your interests and passions Think about your strengths and goa ls

l Spend some time journa llng or writing spontaneously on a va riety of topics This exerc ise will help you think about the aspects of your life that are important to you and tha t make you the person you are See Brainstorming Ideas for Your College Essay for several journaling topics

Writing the Essay

l Choose an appropriate topic Choose something real to write about shysometh ing you fee l strongly about and some thing you know well

J Remember your aud ience

lJ Focus on the ch osen tOpiC Reflect on whal you have to say so you exhib it depth

lJ Feel free to be provocative or funny if that IS who you t rulv are

J If fOCUSing on another person be sure to indicate in deta il and In a reflective way how that person has influenced your life

u If you choose to focus on an event in your past make sure it has relevance to who you are now Make the connection for your Ieader ae to how and why this past event may haVE bNn a turning point

After t he Essay Is Written

Cl Proofread Do not rely on a spell-checker to catch errors of syntax and homonyms Be sure your essay makes sense answers the question and provides the admisshysions office with a better understanding of who you are

ll Read your essay aloud Does it sound like you

J Make sure your essay is your own work

J Submit the essay and appli cation on time

IJ Keep a copy of all submitted materia ls for your files

Brainstorming Ideas

for Yur College Essay

bull Spend three minutes finishing the following sentence My best fr iend always says I

bull List four adjectives to describe yourself Now pick one and spend three minutes writing aboul thiS aspect of yourself

bull Introduce yourself to yo ur Ilew co ll ege roommate Think about the most meaningful ways 10 describe yo urself

GiWashingtonUniversity inStlDuis BRAINSTORMING IDEAS FOR YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY

Spend three minutes fmishing the following sentence

My best friend always says 1

List four adjectives to describe yourself 1________________________________________________________________

2________________________________________________________________

3________________________________________________________________

4________________________________________________________________

Now pick one of the above and spend three minutes writing about this aspect of

yourself

Introduce yourself to your new college roommate Think about the most meaningful

ways to describe yourself

For more information contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Washington University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Loui MO 63130-4899 _~~O_O) _38_-gggJ~J~~ ~35~~Oqq_~dJ~i_s~~o_n_S(i~~t~~~~ ~ctmJ~s5ons vu_s_tl ~ct~ ____ _

~WashingtonUniversity inStlouis

NOTES ON WRITING A COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY

I F~~ ~~~i~i~~ti~~~-~~-tt-th~- Oifrc-e-r-u~d~~g~~ci~~te A~s~i~s-w~s-hi~gto-n- University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Louis MO 63130-4 99 s~OL6_3_8__ Q0_C3J~J ~~~O~C _~d_ni_s~~o_n_s~~~edu admi~~lltI2~middot~_s~l~~c~ _ _

Tips on Writing a College Essay

(-llege Escay 11lIows You to

bull Give the admissions staff a better undershystanding - beyond yOUI transcript test scores and list of actiVities - of who you are as an individual and how you may contribute to the campus community

bull Show the depth of interest and passion you have in an area

bull Expla in someth ing significant about yoursel f the admissions office wouldnt otherwise know

bull Show your reader tha t you can think logical ly and analytically

bull Set yourself apart from the many other applican ts who will apply With equally good academiC histories scores and recommenda tions

Its Jus Common Sense to

bull Answer the question

bull Comply with the requests of the applicat ion (essay length format etc) If you donl understand ask l

bull Do your own work

bull Type your essay double-spaced Make it tasy lor lhE reader

bull Se nd the correct essay with the correct application

Rememb

bull This IS the portion of your appl icat ion that IS lot ally under your immediate control

bull You r personality and charader should be I-eflected

Essay rt-gtecknst

Getti ng Started

U Gather the appropriate forms and read the instructions If you are unclear abou t the essay questions or instruct ions contact the school for clarification

G Begin the process well before deadlines to allow time for several drafts and proofshyreading You wan t to have Lime to do your best work

IJ Take some time to think Identity your interests and passions Think about your strengths and goa ls

l Spend some time journa llng or writing spontaneously on a va riety of topics This exerc ise will help you think about the aspects of your life that are important to you and tha t make you the person you are See Brainstorming Ideas for Your College Essay for several journaling topics

Writing the Essay

l Choose an appropriate topic Choose something real to write about shysometh ing you fee l strongly about and some thing you know well

J Remember your aud ience

lJ Focus on the ch osen tOpiC Reflect on whal you have to say so you exhib it depth

lJ Feel free to be provocative or funny if that IS who you t rulv are

J If fOCUSing on another person be sure to indicate in deta il and In a reflective way how that person has influenced your life

u If you choose to focus on an event in your past make sure it has relevance to who you are now Make the connection for your Ieader ae to how and why this past event may haVE bNn a turning point

After t he Essay Is Written

Cl Proofread Do not rely on a spell-checker to catch errors of syntax and homonyms Be sure your essay makes sense answers the question and provides the admisshysions office with a better understanding of who you are

ll Read your essay aloud Does it sound like you

J Make sure your essay is your own work

J Submit the essay and appli cation on time

IJ Keep a copy of all submitted materia ls for your files

Brainstorming Ideas

for Yur College Essay

bull Spend three minutes finishing the following sentence My best fr iend always says I

bull List four adjectives to describe yourself Now pick one and spend three minutes writing aboul thiS aspect of yourself

bull Introduce yourself to yo ur Ilew co ll ege roommate Think about the most meaningful ways 10 describe yo urself

GiWashingtonUniversity inStlDuis BRAINSTORMING IDEAS FOR YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY

Spend three minutes fmishing the following sentence

My best friend always says 1

List four adjectives to describe yourself 1________________________________________________________________

2________________________________________________________________

3________________________________________________________________

4________________________________________________________________

Now pick one of the above and spend three minutes writing about this aspect of

yourself

Introduce yourself to your new college roommate Think about the most meaningful

ways to describe yourself

For more information contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Washington University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Loui MO 63130-4899 _~~O_O) _38_-gggJ~J~~ ~35~~Oqq_~dJ~i_s~~o_n_S(i~~t~~~~ ~ctmJ~s5ons vu_s_tl ~ct~ ____ _

~WashingtonUniversity inStlouis

NOTES ON WRITING A COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY

I F~~ ~~~i~i~~ti~~~-~~-tt-th~- Oifrc-e-r-u~d~~g~~ci~~te A~s~i~s-w~s-hi~gto-n- University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Louis MO 63130-4 99 s~OL6_3_8__ Q0_C3J~J ~~~O~C _~d_ni_s~~o_n_s~~~edu admi~~lltI2~middot~_s~l~~c~ _ _

GiWashingtonUniversity inStlDuis BRAINSTORMING IDEAS FOR YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY

Spend three minutes fmishing the following sentence

My best friend always says 1

List four adjectives to describe yourself 1________________________________________________________________

2________________________________________________________________

3________________________________________________________________

4________________________________________________________________

Now pick one of the above and spend three minutes writing about this aspect of

yourself

Introduce yourself to your new college roommate Think about the most meaningful

ways to describe yourself

For more information contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Washington University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Loui MO 63130-4899 _~~O_O) _38_-gggJ~J~~ ~35~~Oqq_~dJ~i_s~~o_n_S(i~~t~~~~ ~ctmJ~s5ons vu_s_tl ~ct~ ____ _

~WashingtonUniversity inStlouis

NOTES ON WRITING A COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY

I F~~ ~~~i~i~~ti~~~-~~-tt-th~- Oifrc-e-r-u~d~~g~~ci~~te A~s~i~s-w~s-hi~gto-n- University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Louis MO 63130-4 99 s~OL6_3_8__ Q0_C3J~J ~~~O~C _~d_ni_s~~o_n_s~~~edu admi~~lltI2~middot~_s~l~~c~ _ _

~WashingtonUniversity inStlouis

NOTES ON WRITING A COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY

I F~~ ~~~i~i~~ti~~~-~~-tt-th~- Oifrc-e-r-u~d~~g~~ci~~te A~s~i~s-w~s-hi~gto-n- University Campus Box 1089 One Brookings Drive St Louis MO 63130-4 99 s~OL6_3_8__ Q0_C3J~J ~~~O~C _~d_ni_s~~o_n_s~~~edu admi~~lltI2~middot~_s~l~~c~ _ _