<p>I am going to apply ED to Columbia, but I have no idea how I should tackle the essay.</p>
<p>Are there any websites that give you tips, examples, advice, etc.? I've never even read a personal statement/essay before :/</p>
<p>Is the essay the same thing as the personal statement?</p>
<p>Websites and books that give advice on writing the college essay usually say things like, “Make sure you get your point across clearly,” or, “Don’t write about death,” or things like that, but not much advice about how to actually tackle it, which is what you seem stuck on. It might help if you looked through some personal essays (and yes, the essay is the same as the personal statement, but sometimes you have to write more than one essay). You might want to start by looking at 100 Successful College Essays, or any other books on the college essay that are at your local library or bookstore. That will give you some idea of what’s expected. </p>
<p>I had trouble answering the prompts on the Common App (I don’t know if Columbia uses the Common App.), so I made up my own prompt, which is to describe something of importance to me. I found that much easier. It also helps to come up with a story. It can be real or fictional. Just write down some story, or your thoughts about something, and see where that takes you. That means, focus less on what colleges will think of what you’re writing, and focus more on getting your personal reflection and thoughts on paper.</p>
<p>I think that I wrote a very good college essay, and it helped me get into some selective schools, including Swarthmore and the University of Chicago. Good luck.</p>
<p>Here’s the GENERAL template for a college essay:
-hook/introduction. Generally, something that will get the attention of the reader and is somewhat to really connected to the subject matter. Sometimes a narrative. Other times a bold proclamation.
-relate the above to your thesis. By thesis I don’t necessarily mean a one line statement coming at the end of your intro, but rather the crux of your essay.<br>
-From here, it gets more open. Some go into some high flung rhetoric. Others continue with a narrative. Even others give some examples that prove their point. It really depends on what you’re writing about.<br>
-Conclusion generally has some wrap-up summary and some concluding, inspirational statements (I can’t wait for life ahead of me; whenever I fear something now, I tackle the challenge head on; I know that X college will profoundly influence me; etc.)</p>
<p>In all of this, you probably will have some goals, whether intentional or not: show yourself in a positive light (even if the subject is quite dark) which reflects your personality, make the college yearn to have you on campus next fall, produce an interesting and well-written essay, etc. Some of these depend on the subject you choose, others do not and depend more on your writing ability and voice.</p>
<p>a personal statement is an articulation of who you are and what you would like to accomplish. it doesn’t need to be so direct, “as in writing my goal in life is this and that”, but the personal statement should give the reader a sense of who you are. and should whet their appetite to get to know you more. think of the personal statement as a really long classified ad. swf 32 non-smoking has tabby seeks tall dark gentleman who enjoys long walks by the boardwalk. you want to pepper your personal statement with a description of you but give it some artistic flow not just a rattled off spitfire outpouring of facts. swf32 would read, i’m a midwestern girl who grew up on a farm. although i know there are some stereotypes about “farmer’s girl” that are either positive which that play up the wholesomeness of living on a farm or may emphasize negative in highlighting the backwardnessness, i’ve learned that sometimes i too make stereotypesl. for example i have stereotypes of college in the big city – the grime, the crime, and callousness, but at the same time the cosmopolitanness where clark kent meets metropolis. i think going to urban college from a rural background is what defines an education. to me an college education is where you learn about the precepts and assumptions that undergird a philosophy and you challenge them in a crucible and at the end end and although i think i’m ready to explore another part of the country for college…and then next part of the personal statement is an articulation of your goals of what you are trying to seek whether it is a tall dark gentleman for long walks or to learn architecture and design principles because when i return to the farm, i plan to do x, y, and z.</p>
<p>i hope that analogy helps. best of luck. james</p>
<p>There are books with successful essays. I does not matter what you write or how you write it, when you are done the reader should be able to say–this is a fascinating kid, we want him/her on this campus.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the insight!</p>
<p>Can someone recommend the best book with the best examples? My library doesn’t have any, so I am going to have to buy one at the bookstore.</p>
<p>hey, all of the advices given here are all wonderful, but for me, i preferred to not look at the examples from the books. i think one way or the other i may lose my personal voice from reading the examples. only my opinion, but thought i would share that!</p>
<p>try this, and i’m being completely serious: think of the absolutely worst idea to write about, for example, something ridiculously embarrassing that happened to you at some point in your life, and put a spin on it to make it interesting and enjoyable. Personally, I would write about something humorous, something to just make the reader more than chuckle, almost burst out laughing. Use a few advanced vocabulary here and there, and use some fancy sentence structures to show you’re intelligent at the same time.</p>
<p>@nooob You think so? I actually did think of something totally ridiculous that I meant as a joke while brainstorming with my sister. I don’t want to come off as non serious, though…that’s the part that worries me, especially when applying to Columbia, lol.</p>
<p>^Ideally, your grades, ECs, and teacher recs would portray your serious side. If this is the case, I think it could be a good idea to have a lighthearted type essay. Great idea nooob. I kinda wish I did that last year.</p>
<p>But just to comment on nooob’s suggestion: I would not add “advanced vocabulary” and “some fancy sentence structures” to “show you’re intelligent.” Your essay should sound natural, almost as if you’re having a conversation with someone. Write the way you’d speak, except with correct English.</p>