My entire GW application is finished… except for the essay. I finished my Honors essays first, as those seemed to be harder - I thought this last question would be the easiest to do, however I am overthinking it a lot. The prompt is:
George Washington University encourages students to extend learning beyond the traditional classroom by taking advantage of hands-on learning through service, research, internships, and studying abroad. Describe an experience that transformed the way you view the world and how this perspective prepares you for GW.
I already partially wrote two different essays, but I didn’t like either of them. The first one was about spending my childhood summers in DC, visiting every museum and really getting the perspective that the whole world is available for me to learn from. The second was about NYC, same perspective, just sort of a realization rather than an experience.
I am sort of having trouble getting what I want to say out, and I think it is bad every time I write it. Does anyone have any tips on how to get over this sort of writer’s block? How to knock out an essay in an hour or so? My stats are above GW’s averages, so I am not too worried about it, but I know I still need to have a good essay to submit.
I am now turning in my essays too. For me, I decided to focus my 250-word essay on International Affairs because IA is my attended major. I could send it to you if you like? If you need more inspiration?
@Icanmakeit1 Sure, that might help. I know exactly what I want to write about it just isn’t coming out eyeroll
Hi there,
Great questions about your personal essays. I remember writing my essays for GW, and I gave the same kind of attention that you have. It’s very difficult to come up with something original and eye opening. The best advice that I can give you is write something that helps the admissions officers understand who you are. Don’t bother trying to write something you think they would like to hear, or that you think will impress them.
In the prompt they gave you, what they really want to know is that you are prepared for and ready to embrace opportunities that will challenge your world view. They want you to be a successful student that will embrace opportunities, so they want to get a sense of how you respond to those types of situations.
Would you guys recommend that I stray away from talking about a club that I created? I know it’s kind of “classroom” related but I think it’s one of the more genuine ideas that I have. Based on the prompt, I could discuss my internship but it’s pretty bland and kind of formulaic as nothing really pulled at my heart strings lol
It doesn’t matter what you talk about. It matters more how you talk about it. They want you to answer the question in the prompt.
Whatever you write about make sure your essay answers the question and is streamlined. I would look up some top admissions essays for Yale and Harvard. That’s what I did and I ended up getting to get an essay course at Yale University as well as receiving a letter of recommendation. Also read this book called 50 Harvard essays…you never know one day your essay could make it into a book like that.
As an addendum- the admissions committee can have a good or bad day with your essay. For example, it’s not unlikely to write what’s an essay that Georgetown considers genius but U.C Berkeley considers atrocious and vague…or vice-versa.