<p>I seem to have a new question every day! Thanks for everyone's patience.</p>
<p>D is writing her Common App essay. She picked a good topic, but when I read her first draft this morning, I didn't think it was about HER enough.</p>
<p>It dawned on me that with some revision, her essay could fit prompt No. 2: "Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you."</p>
<p>My question is, if someone picks this prompt, it seems to me that it will be not as personal as essays written to answer the other prompts. For instance, D will talk about her experience, then seque into the issue (environmentalism), and then wind up with how the issue has affected her. Does this seem to be in the ballpark?</p>
<p>Yes--that sounds like a good approach. The essay need not be about yourself but it should reflect yourself--it should show what matters to you , how you make decisions, how you respond to challenge.--this could certainly be accomplished in an essay on environmentalism--much more interesting to read than "All About Me."</p>
<p>It's kind of hard to comment without reading the essay, but if you feel it's not personal enough, you are probably right. I think showing the colleges who you are is what's important, no matter which prompt you use. If you're tempted to suggest she leave it as it is, but use prompt #2 because it doesn't require such a personal answer, I'd say that's the wrong approach. A very good essay for prompt#2 would show just as much about the student as any other essay topic.
Essays that are too "academic" are rarely that effective. Talking about the various environmental issues would probably fall in that catagory.(not that she did so) Is there is some way she could let the reader know why this issue has special meaning for her without coming right out and saying so? Is there a story from her past or from an experience she had that made her aware of the importance of caring for the earth? </p>
<p>There are a few very good books out there on writing college essays.
Harry Bauld's book, Writing the College Application Essay, comes to mind. Have her read through some of the examples to see how the writers were able to reveal themselves by showing who they are in the writing. Whatever topic she chooses, the important topic is actually "This is who I am.." or, at least, one side of who I am. Good luck. My kids both found that their first essays went into the trash. It took a few tries to really nail it.</p>
<p>The writing prompt contains the word "personal." It's important that the writer not be tempted to write about wanting to cure cancer, eliminate global warming, poverty, ethnic strife, etc... Even issues of national or global importance need to be brought down to the highly personal level and showcase the student, not the issue.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the suggestions! I will make sure that the essay is personal (I'm her editor). And yes, that Harry Baud book is a gem. I enjoyed reading it for my own writing, which is pretty much confined to College Confidential!</p>