<p>I am reading a book my mother got me for my birthday about writing college essays, "Write Your College Essay in Less Than a Day." It seemed to have generally good advice, and the overall philosophy behind the book agrees with mine about writing essays. One issue though--shortly into the first chapter I come to this gem of a section, part of an example of a good essay, about shoveling a neighbor's walk:</p>
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I figured I could finish her driveway and my own in time to still have several hours to finish Emma in time for the next day's Jane Austin Book Club meeting before getting to my homework. I shoveled quickly, reminding myself of the muscles I was building and calories I was losing by doing this deed.
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<p>I guess the author could have been trying to be ridiculous, but for some reason I doubt it. Am I missing something? Do people actually write college essays like this, and are they considered to be good?</p>
<p>It may be taken out of context, but that sounds terrible to me.</p>
<p>Edit: I have a book named “50 successful Harvard application essays”. You may want to check that out.</p>
<p>^^ lol that sounds lame</p>
<p>I have that book as well. I think I will only use this book (if at all) for process tips. The 50 Harvard ones are all good from what I’ve read, though only a few are mind-blowingly-I-could-never-write-this awesome, which is encouraging. And I assure you, that quote is in context. Apparently the setting is a snow-day or saturday morning, and she sets down her copy of Emma to shovel her neighbors walk, that section happens, the infirm old women invites her inside for cookies and introduces her to the Bronte sisters. It’s terrible.</p>
<p>Yea, there are a lot of terrible books written to squeeze our money out, hoping we’ll take their words as gospel in college admissions (of course, good books to the same thing, but hey!).</p>
<p>Yea, I think we both agree, don’t write like that.</p>
<p>Your mom got that for your birthday? HAAHAHAHAHAHAHA</p>
<p>These books are useless, there is no formula to writing a good essay. If you try to mimic someone elses essay it will ruin the very reason that they ask you to write an essay: to hear your voice. Plus, if you try to apply to harvard and copy one of the essays from “50 successful harvard essays” or whatever, there’s no way every single adcom hasn’t read that book…</p>
<p>^I’m not saying copy. I’m saying be yourself, and try to read it for stylistic purposes.</p>
<p>why do you need stylistic help? they want to see YOUR style</p>
<p>The book in question is not a style book. And just reading application essays gives you an idea of what a good one is, and then you can write one based on your own experience in your own voice. Basically the number one rule for essays is if someone else could have written it, it’s not good.</p>