<p>Use the essay prompt as a way to show the committee something about who you are, what inspires you, what makes you tick. They are reading it to get to know you and see how you think. They don’t do in-person interviews at Amherst College, so they really spend all their time reading these, hoping to “meet” you this way. </p>
<p>Imagine that the reader is trying to get to know you a bit better by reading your essay. By the end of your essay, have you revealed something about yourself? Will they know you a bit better; what inspires you, challenges you, and how you solve problems that come your way in life? If not, keep working on the essay so it does that. </p>
<p>It’s your chance to show them who you are. Open up and don’t be afraid to be personal. Start by writing in your own voice and sound like yourself; then polish it for excellent grammar and spelling. </p>
<p>Bad: “My greatest challenge was when I broke my leg. It hurt a lot, but I toughed it out.”</p>
<p>Better: "Before I broke my leg, I believed that healing was only a physical process of tissues knitting back together. I am an avid student of biology, so I could imagine the healing at a cellular level. </p>
<p>A year later, following two surgeries and months of tedious physical therapy, I discovered the importance of human encouragement, psychology, and motivation to heal the human body. There was a particular physical therapist who…" </p>
<p>Some writers are not sure how to extend personal experiences into longer paragraphs. Some people just tell a story very simply, but if you reach inside and try to get the deeper meaning, human feelings, and your own thoughts that surround your personal incident, it will work and tell something about you to the committee.</p>
<p>Also remember that a good story has an “arc” in which you are not the same in the beginning as at the end of your story. The reader will follow that arc with you, but you have to make sure your perosnal story has a beginning, middle and end. If it’s about a challenge, you are not the same person by the end of the story. Make sure the reader can follow how you changed. Take them with you on the journey as you retell it.</p>
<p>Good luck to all. (Note: I’m not a professional college counselor, but a parent of an Amherst student from several years ago who has now graduated. These are my recollections from his essay process. It did not come easily to him, because he’s intellectual and found it very hard to write personally to strangers. After many drafts, he finally nailed it. It sounded like him, and was interesting and unique. Writing personal essays was his biggest challenge of the entire application process, to 8 colleges. So if you’re struggling now, it’s okay; keep struggling and writing many drafts. This is not a one-draft, throw-off assignment.)</p>
<p>Titles: I haven’t seen their most recent guidance on essays, but from my recollection: Write a title for the essay ONLY IF the title adds something to the essay (an idea, demonstrates wit, draws the reader in…) otherwise, not necessary. Your choice.</p>
<p>Bad, useless title for someone who worked at a resort gift shop: “My Summer Vacation”</p>
<p>Better: “Selling seashells by the seashore”, “A Rose by any other name,” “By the sea, buy the sea,” “How I Earned My First Paycheck”</p>