I’m beginning to start my essay for colleges and am not sure what to write about, or which prompt to choose. (common app). Which one is the most common one? Best one? My grades and scores aren’t the best but I clearly have lots of of other internships and eagle scout and other excellent traits that show on my app.
Also if I send my application like a week or two before the november 1st deadline, will they even bother reading it? Or should I just wait and send it regular decision? Thanks!!
Your goal for your common app essay is to show the colleges something that makes you more “3D”, and ideally like someone they want on campus. Something unusual or unique about you can be a good starting point. It isn’t really about answering the prompts (the colleges you are applying to didn’t write the prompts for the common app, so aren’t super invested in having you “answer the question”). They want to get to know you.
There are some essay tips pinned at the top of the College Essay forum you might want to look at if you haven’t yet.
One of my kids wrote about having tried to imitate a literary figure from middle school through HS, with some funny and serious results. Another wrote about what she loved about one of her ECs that was kind of unusual (at least for a kid her age to be passionate about), and how it changed how she viewed a certain aspect of the world. I read one once that stuck with me by a kid who had invented a kind of goofy game he played with his friends all the way through high school. You want the admissions officers to remember you (in a good way) from what they read when it comes time to decide between you and other applicants.
Is there something about, say, scouting that is particularly “your thing” that maybe doesn’t appeal to everyone, but is important to you?
I don’t know what school you are referring to as far as the deadlines. But if you can make early deadlines, that is generally good. You get an answer sooner, they like that you showed interest and were organized to get your app in, at some colleges it is easier to get in if you apply earlier, and sometimes they use that deadline to decide who gets merit aid. Another tip is to not wait until Nov 1 if that is one of the deadlines. The system for applying sometimes goes down under a heavy load, or there can be surprising and unexpected issues with the payment process. My rule for my kids was to get their app in at least 2 days before any deadline, and on a Thursday if the app was due on the weekend (in case there was a payment issue or technical snafu that required a phone call on Friday, a working day). If you are really ready, you can send it even earlier. Don’t forget to get your test scores, transcripts, and recommendations sent as well – those can take quite a bit of lead time.
@intparent thanks! You seem to know what you are talking about! You seem to know a lot about what you are talking about haha. Yeah I would say scouting is “my thing” and I have learned a LOT that a lot of kids don’t experience. One thing I’m sort of confused about: is the essay more of like a formal or informal essay? Do I need headers/titles/name etc? Or is it just explaining myself to make myself 3D? I have a pretty good idea but I’m not sure if it’s going to go over well.
I would like to just straight up explain myself, my traits and some things about me. I don’t know if that will work though. I’m not sure if they want a “good essay” with the thesis, hook, introduction which states summaries of the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs, the actual 2nd and 3rd paragraphs that go more into detail of what was brought up in the intro, then the conclusion…
My intro is literally: "My name is namity name. I want to go to your college because I have the talent, maturity and determination to succeed, and to carry on your values and traditions after I graduate. This essay highlights several life experiences which have shaped me to be the person I am today.
then I go into my experiences
Boy Scouts:
Self Taught Skills:
Perseverance:
There are a few types of essays and I’m not sure which type I should be writing. I know a few of the questions some colleges had on the common app weren’t really essays, more of like short response questions. I don’t know if this is more of a response, or if it is a full out essay. I mean what you are telling me about your children and what they wrote is totally different from what I was considering.
I get they want to know about me, but I’m not sure if it should be in just a straight up “explaining myself” essay, or if I need to describe a scene or scenario or something.
Yes sorry for no clarification, lots of colleges have their early action deadline November 1st. I can get my app in the week before Nov 1st but I’m not sure if that’s the best idea, because what if they get a ton of applicants right before the deadline then they don’t get to read mine?
It is informal. You don’t need to lead with your name or say their college name (remember that you will use this same essay for multiple colleges, and it is attached electronically to your app, so no need to put any special header on it). It isn’t really an explaining type of essay – and giving a few specific examples is best, instead of just telling them about your qualities. It is best to “show”, not tell. Here is just an off the cuff example of something I might have said in a similar essay (because I loved to camp in HS, so this is really true for me):
"The rain was dripping down my neck, and I couldn’t get the knot untied to pull down the tarp on the sixth day of our wilderness camping trip. It was the fourth day straight of rain, and I hadn’t had a shower in a week, but this wasn’t what I had in mind when I thought about that. Some other group members were holed up in the tents eating candy and complaining, but I was actually giddy – because even when it is raining and we are out of fresh food and I’m getting wet, these wilderness trips are my favorite thing in the world.
One reason I love them is because they really strip away the veneer of civilization. You find out who is really hardworking, can stay positive when there is adversity, and has your back when things are tough. Who cooks or goes for water in the rain, and who hides out from the chores. Who still has a sense of humor, and who gets surly. Who goes back after reaching our destination and helps someone with their heavier pack. When I went on my first trips, I didn’t really realize that if I slacked on a chore, someone else had to do it. But happened, and I learned from that how pulling my weight and then some helps the whole group, and feels really good.>
Another thing I like is . Once <blah, blah,="" blah="">, and I realized .</blah,>
See the difference between a straight description and something more “showing”? (No one should use this example, the plagiarism checkers will get you). 
But I’m just trying to help show a little bit about how to approach it.
Don’t worry about when they read your app. Worry about putting together the best app you can, getting your pieces in on time, and getting the requests for those other components made as soon as possible. The college admissions office won’t read it until they get all the pieces, but you will get a fair reading whether you turn it in a few weeks ahead or right before the deadline.
One thought I have is making the entire essay about my Eagle Project (the Boy Scout’s final and ultimate requirement they must fulfill to receive Eagle Rank). I want to make Scouting the main (or one of the main) topic(s) of the essay but I’m not sure if 1. I can make an essay that long (650 words) about my project and 2. If it’s better to just write it and highlight myself as a person.
I think the point is that it isn’t about “the project”. It is about “the human”. It isn’t a brag sheet – you get to do that elsewhere in the application. (If you want, you can put a couple of bullets about your Eagle project in additional information, because the activities and awards spaces are super small – just say, “See Additional Information”, and put it there – not an extra essay, just some bulleted facts). You CAN write about your Eagle project, but they are much more interested in how you think, what motivates you, etc. Tell them a story. They read hundreds of essays weekly. Describing your PROJECT isn’t describing YOU.
@intparent Oh yeah my bad when I meant I wanted to describe the project I wanted to talk about WHY I did it, which does reflect me. (I chose the project because I live in Chicagoland and see lots and lots of homeless people in poverty). I want it to reflect me but I am just bad at showing and not telling. And about what you wrote, it was excellent. Obviously I wouldn’t copy it.
Some people tell me to just lay it out, get right to the point and not tell a story. You are telling me to TELL a story. It’s kinda confusing! I have so many people telling me different things and I really just want my essay to be excellent. Here is some of what I am working on now. I would type it but I don’t want to risk it and have the plagiarism checkers check it and say “Hey, this kid stole this” or something haha.
Again. Not sure if I should be doing Show and not tell, or doing tell and not show.
Basically, telling a story or just being straight up and explaining yourself. Thanks
They don’t want the 5 paragraph “good essay”. They want you to try to select one unique thing and talk about it in a way that fits your personality.
So you don’t want to include several life experiences in your essay - you need to pick one that stands out.
I haven’t read the prompts for this years common app, but I don’t think your draft intro/outline really addresses any one particular prompt. As for the best one to choose - find the one that fits one of your most interesting life experiences, interests, or aspect of your personality, etc. best. And no offense, but don’t make it sound like a job application. Pretend someone just asked you "What is the best/most interesting story you could tell me about you or something that happened to you? And then start writing as if you were answering the question - for example:
When I was ten years old, my grandfather took me on my first fishing trip …, or
I looked at the map, then at the trail in front of me, and realized I was lost…
I just made up those intro sentences, but I hope you get the picture - just start telling a story and then spend some time crafting it into something that shows your interests and personality in an interesting way. Google “writing college essay” and you’ll find plenty of examples of good and bad ones.
Hope that helps.
If you read this, it says
http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/uploads/1/0/9/5/109505679/hack_the_college_essay_2017.pdf
Chapter 1: Write the Essay No One Else Could Write
It boils down to this: the essay that gets you in is the essay that no other applicant could write.
Is this a trick? The rest of this guide gives you the best strategies to accomplish this single
most important thing: write the essay no one else could write.
If someone reading your essay gets the feeling some other applicant could have written it,
then you’re in trouble.
Why is this so important? Because most essays sound like they could have been written by
anyone. Remember that most essays fail to do what they should: replace numbers with the real you.
Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. She’s got limited time and a stack of
applications. Each application is mostly numbers and other stuff that looks the same. Then she picks
up your essay. Sixty seconds later, what is her impression of you? Will she know something specifically
about you? Or will you still be indistinguishable from the
I think they brought back the “whatever you want to tell us” prompt this year, didn’t they?
I just want to add to what LeastComplicated said: In college, you will probably never write a five-paragraph essay. Oftentimes professors don’t even set a maximum limit on length, and they have no specific format they want you to write in. If anything, professors will think you’re a bit of a hack if you give them an overly formulaic essay.
Don’t know if this is relevant to application essays, but it kind of shows the difference in thinking.
They did. Thank you guys so much for opening my eyes on how to write the essay. You just saved me from a ton of stress and flipping out because I personally don’t think I write well.
@intparent Ok I will start with the prompt where I explain about an event, (my eagle project) and tell the story of my project and how it changed me. Is it ok to break the “fourth wall”? Like say “My name is john, and I am going to tell you the story about my eagle project” or something along those lines?
I’d really start with a hook that has you carrying out some piece of your project that sets the stage. They know your name because it is your application the essay is attached to. Give them something to keep reading – “I hesitated before knocking on the office door of the director of the non-profit. I was there to ask permission to carry out a component of my Eagle Scout award project, but wasn’t sure how she would respond. It turns out I didn’t need to worry – she thought the idea of blah, blah was great, and added the suggestion of the xx component as well. My next stop was , where I encountered an unexpected obstacle. <go on=”" to="" talk="" about="" the="" obstacle,="" but="" how="" you="" overcame="" it=""> etc, etc.
Don’t start with a boring first sentence. Make them want to read more. Don’t tell them who you are and how it changed you – show them with actions, internal dialogue that show your doubts but pushing through to success, when new ideas or thoughts dawned on you, mistakes you made – how that felt and how you overcame them. It is not about the PROJECT. It is about you – how did you feel, what did you learn, how did you react to obstacles, what made your proud, what made you sad? Show, don’t tell – keep that in mind all the way through.
Ok thanks. I’ll make it more of an “action” hook so they really want to read it. I just need to explain the importance of the project and some background to it so they understand why I chose what I chose to do for the project.
You can weave that in. It doesn’t all have to be in the first paragraph. Remember, the essay isn’t really about the project – it is about YOU in relation to the project. Why was it important to you? What changed in your thinking as you executed it? How did you react when there were problems? Are there things you wished had gone better? Are there things that delighted you as you went along?
@intparent I just can’t figure out how to START it now, like what should I start it off with to really grab the reader in.
@cooledwhip Do a google search “good college essays” to get a feel of what we’re talking about with intro sentences and telling an interesting story, rather than listing your qualifications. I’d also put some more thought into your topic - I know being an Eagle Scout is a great accomplishment, but it is a very common accomplishment. You might find that if you think really hard, you might come up with a better or more interesting story that you could tell - maybe about some specific incident that happened while you were scouting, or some other story about something that you experienced that someone would find really interesting or have an emotional reaction to, whether it would be to laugh, or say “Wow!”, etc.
I’m an older parent, and I have met very few people who haven’t had an interesting story to tell, and usually it’s not about something they’ve accomplished or something they’re good at - it was just something that they did or that happened to them. For example: I knew one guy that got struck by lightening twice and once had a pet rat that ate part of his family’s thanksgiving turkey - and his Mom served it anyway because they were poor and didn’t have anything else to eat. I knew another guy who, when he was about 12, got talked into going on an out of town over night camp out with a busload of scouts at the last minute, without telling his parents. He didn’t even bring clothes or a sleeping bag or anything. Then there was one guy that I worked with that had a car crash (other guy’s fault) and when they got out of their cars to assess the damage, the other guy said “You probably need to call the police, I just killed my wife.” My husband’s interesting stories are that he has 7 siblings, his Dad was a WWII POW, he grew up on the US/Mexican border, and was a suspect in a murder investigation (no, he wasn’t involved - it was a “growing up on the Mexican border kind of thing” where he happened to be in the general vicinity of a crime that was committed).
Aside from the car crash with the murderer, all those things happened to those people before they had graduated from high school and were learning experiences or had some sort of significant impact on their lives. And they would be great topics for an essay IMO.
I don’t want to make this more complicated, so take my suggestion with a grain of salt, but I thought I’d throw this out there.
@leastcomplicated I am for sure doing eagle scout. and no it’s not common, there is only 50,000 people that make eagle every year. that’s less than 1 percent of people who are in boy scouts. Big difference.