I’m a parent of an incoming junior in California, and my daughter seems to have trouble with her personal essays, particularly of the: why this university X variety, meaningful background that shaped you or a problem that she’d like to solve and how to go about it.
I’d like to know: how did you other parents help with this? Did you find someone to read/edit your kid’s statements? How far in advance? anything I can tell her that can offer up a solution? She’d like to be pre-med in college and go to a UC.
I bought a book on how to write a college essay end of sophomore year… Several good ones if you look at reviews or search this site. We also had a great guidance counselor. I know not everyone has that.
You are early if daughter is rising junior. Here are other ideas - the why x question is best answered with visits rather than websites. Youtube can be quite helpful depending on the school if a visit is not doable.
On common app questions, our GC had students outline several questions (3?) and then drafts of at least two. I may be off on numbers but you get the idea.
if she’s an incoming Junior, it’s too early to aim for final drafts of personal essays. There is a lot of emotional growth that takes place from junior to senior year.
Incoming junior. I just want to get thinking early about how to help her so that when she does start to write first drafts, then I’ll have some immediate answers for her.
My kids kept word documents with ideas starting their junior years in HS. If they thoightnif something they thought might be helpful, they wrote a paragraph or two about it…and just saved it.
But first drafts of essays weren’t done until the summer AFTER junior year. And really…they did several first drafts.
If you haven’t been to visit colleges…or she hasn’t seen anything that piques her interest…she would,not be in the position to write a “why x college” essay.
The personal essays my kids wrote were BOTH based on things that happened the summer before senior year of HS.
What did we do to help? We proofread for spelling and grammar errors…and that was it.
Thanks for the replies. For those who have bought books, or had their kids write/outline drafts at the behest of GCs/teachers, how were you able to gauge if these were good resources/good advice?