<p>Hello, I'm new around here and need some help. I'm filling out the Common App and am now on the essay portion. I've searched through the internet and I have some idea of what the should be like but reinforcement won't hurt any. Also, I'd like to know how many sentences per paragraph and how many paragraphs is the norm for a Common App. I ask because my English teachers are very strict and say that a senior paper should contain 8-10 sentences with few to no use of weak linking verbs and also I'm one of the first people if not the first to do the Common App at my school so I need some guidance.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Just sound natural. Don’t stress about using the right amount of words per paragraph and stuff. Just explain what you want to explain in a way that truly expresses you, in whatever form that may take. Don’t try to impress with spelling (don’t murder any thesauruses). Just write as if you were having a conversation. Obviously use proper spelling and grammar, but loosen up and be yourself.</p>
<p>They don’t grade your essay like an English teacher would (not looking for 5 paragraph format, for example). Ideally you want to hook the reader with your first couple of sentences, and have some kind of concluding sentence or two at the end. The main idea is to SHOW your personality to the college – give them some reason to find you interesting and want you on campus. A lot of students take the prompts quite literally, and dump all the dirty laundry from their backgrounds into their essays. That is not the point of the essay, so don’t do that. Think of something unique about you and build on that. Give specific examples or situations that really happened that demonstrate the point you are trying to make. Best to proofread carefully, too. :)</p>