Essay

How do I start my personal essay? What do I write about? I need help!!!

Come up with five words you would use to describe yourself. Have your parent and a friend do the same. See if the words are similar or different. Then write a short story that showcases each word as it relates to you. Nothing super grammatically correct or “like an essay” - just as though you were writing an email to a friend to tell a good story.

See which one really sticks out to you as interesting, engaging, tells who YOU are, and shows your personality through the story. Then work on editing it and making it into a great college admissions essay (which is NOT the same as a great English class essay, so don’t format it that way).

Once you have those stories written, it’s a lot easier to jump off and start a great essay that will showcase who you are!

Good luck!!

I recommend doing a couple things 1) looking on “essays that worked” on certain college websites they have example essays that admitted students write so you can get a general idea of how most essays are formatted. You’re basically telling a story about yourself which isn’t what most essays in school are like 2) I would look at all the essay topics and make a list of ideas of all the things you could write about 3) Chose some of these ideas from your list and just write, Don’t worry about writing a perfect essay from the start or what the word limit is. Write out the essay and then from their just edit edit edit

Read Harry Bauld’s book 2-3 times, “On writing the college application essay.” It’s golden.

Here’s what worked for my son:

  • Set a timer for 4 minutes. Copy the 1st Common App prompt to the top of a page, and brainstorm. Write down anything that you think might be remotely close to a story or idea that would answer the prompt. When the timer goes off, repeat for each of the remaining prompts.
  • A day or two later, look at what you have. Flesh out your ideas-- a sentence or two on each topic. Eliminate any that simply won't work.
  • A day or two later, come back. Outline the ones that work, eliminate the ones that won't.
  • A day or two later, write a first draft for any that remain, eliminating any that won't work.

The litmus test is this: your essay needs to “give them a reason to say yes.” It should leave the reader feeling that you are a person they would like to meet, someone they want on their campus.