Essay Writing TipsDianna Heise

Counselor

Dublin High School

Goals for Tonight’s

Presentation

• To discuss the types of essays students are required to write (i.e. UC, Common Application, Private Schools).

• Provide pointers on how to assist our students with their essays.

• Make the essay writing process a little easier.

Why is Writing the Essay so Hard?

• This style of writing is not what our students are use to in the K-12 setting.

• It’s challenging to write an essay with a limited amount of characters.

UC Essay: Freshman Applicants

• Answer any 4 of the following 8 questions:

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

UC Essay: Freshman Applicants

• Each response is allowed up to 350 words.

• There are no trick questions. All are evaluated equally.

• Questions are broad for a reason.

• When writing choose one topic and stick with it.

• Check out: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-

apply/personal-questions/freshman/index.html

UC Essay: Freshman Applicants

• Addition Comments Essay: 500 words or less (Optional)

• Essay is NOT to be used to continue your response(s) to one of your previous essays.

• DO:

• Write about an unusual circumstance (ex. Poor grades in one semester due to illness).

• If you had a nontraditional school environment (online school).

• Use this space to provide more detail in your application (honors, awards, and/or activities).

• Describe anything else that you HAVE NOT had the opportunity to include elsewhere in your application.

Common Application Essay: Freshman

Applicants

Answer any 1 of the following 7 questions in 250 – 650 words:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. [No change]

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? [Revised]

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised]

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma -anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. [No change]

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised]

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? [New]

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. [New]

Common Application Essay: Freshman

Applicants

• Supplemental Questions may apply (varies college to college).

• These questions are just as important as the standard questions for the

Common Application.

• Word count for these tend to be 150 – 250 words.

• Do not wait to write responses to these questions.

Key Points• Think of these questions as if you were in a conversation with

someone and they asked you…

Have a few people read your essay:

1. One should be an adult from your family.

2. Ask an English teacher.

3. Your counselor.

• Write essay in a Word Doc. and once essay is finalized, can cut

and paste it into appropriate application.

• Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!!

Key Points

• Swimming Pool technique – jump the reader right into your essay.

• Create memorable beginnings and endings to your essays.

• Stay away from the three D’s (Death, Disease, and Divorce).

• Admissions readers will read the essay 1st or last when evaluating an application. When two candidates are the same on paper, the essay can distinguish between the two.

• Do not use the same essay topic to answer all essay questions.

Common Mistakes

• Talking about one campus and sending the essay to all your college

applications (ex. UC/Common Application)

• Be mindful of using: humor, quotations, poems, clichés, and Acronyms in

your essay.

• Repetition: Give the reader new info. we can’t find in other sections of the

application

• Writing the essay the weekend/night before the essay is due.

Resources

Books: Online: The College Essay Guy