The best advice I have for your college essay is to tell a story!
When a student writes about every last detail of a particularly challenging experience, want to know the Write Coach advice I give? Just write a story about what has brought you to this stage in life so that the college admissions readers learn how you’ve developed as a person, family member, or friend. And guess what? It does not need to have a happy ending or solution. Following are my 5 favorite tips for writing your college essay:
1. Tell a great story
Most admission counselors I know like reading a good story over anything else. So… your essay should tell a great story. Worry less about providing the details about your life and more about captivating the reader’s attention inside of a compelling narrative.
The most obvious things make great topics. What do I mean? Colleges want to learn about who you are and what you value so write what you care about. I read a terrific essay last year where a student walked me through the steps of making a sandwich and why the bread is the most important part. Loved it.
2. Tell a story that is uniquely YOURS
I believe everyone has a story worth telling. Don’t feel like you have to have had a huge, life-changing, drama-filled experience. Sometimes the seemingly smallest moments lead us to the biggest breakthroughs. You may use examples of your amazing qualities, hopes and dreams, but keep in mind that colleges are looking for students who will thrive on their campuses and build bridges to make our world a better place. Application essays are a unique way for applicants to share, reflect, and connect their values and goals with colleges. Admissions officers want students to share their secret powers like grit, initiative, and kindness—all through relatively recent stories.
3. Keep the story focused on a moment in time
By zeroing in on one particular aspect of what may be a long story, you may be better able to extract meaning from the story. So instead of talking generally about playing sax in the band, hone in on how you learned to improv on sax over the past two years through YouTube videos and Zoom lessons during the pandemic. Or instead of trying to condense that summer camp experience into a couple of paragraphs, tell your reader why that hike you took inspired you to always bring a compass. The specificity of the story not only helps focus the reader’s attention, but it also opens the door to deeper reflection on what that moment in time means to you.
When you sit down to start your essay, just dive right in. Don’t begin with “throat-clearing” What’s that, you ask?
“One of my many idols is my father, who was a very brilliant man with a great sense of humor. In the 1940’s, he was named “first in his class” in elementary school. He later received top honors, in both mathematics and science, at Central Catholic high school. In the yearbook, his picture sits over two superlative awards: “most likely to succeed” and “class clown.” So, it was no surprise that he went to Tufts Medical School and later became a well-liked Chief of Surgery at Lawrence General Hospital before creating his own medical device. His patients all commented about how smart and funny he was when I saw them at his funeral in June of 2018.
That’s simply too much detail about many different points in time for admission folks to handle. Instead, just make it clear and concise:
Dad was my hero for many reasons, not the least of which was that he could create a joke about any given word on the spot. It became his party trick for someone to point to a word in the Webster Dictionary and ask my dad for a joke. Presto – his intellect was so fluid, you were laughing at the punch line that included that random word within 60 seconds.
4. Tell a story about growth
Some students spend a lot of time summarizing or describing their work and the “in what way” part of the essay winds up being one sentence. The part that is about you is the most important part. Can your essay include your passions, your career goals, or the different paths you are interested in exploring? Sure. If you feel you need to include a description, make it one or two lines. Remember that admission offices have Google, too, so if they feel moved to hear that song or see that artwork, they’ll look it up. The majority of the essay should be about your response and reaction to the work. How did it affect or change you?
This advice includes avoiding moral-of-the-story conclusions. Don’t tell your reader “Now I know I can reach whatever goals I set.” If your essay says what it’s supposed to, they’ll figure it out.
5. Write like you speak
My favorite trick for writer’s block is to turn on the recording device of your phone and just start talking. Whether in your car or walking your dog, find your happy place and start recording. Inspiration seems to strike when you least expect it. Make notes where and when you can so that you can capture those organic thoughts for later.
This also means you should use words and phrases that you would actually use in everyday conversation. I know an author who set out to use all the biggest words he knew within his essay. Fortunately, his Mom insisted he scrap that plan to speak from his heart. He ended up at Yale and eventually won a Pulitzer Prize. The most meaningful essays are those where I feel like the student is sitting next to me, just talking to me.
Start preparing now
Summer break just began. However, most college application portals open on September 1. We can help you jumpstart the college essay process and formulate a plan to get it done so you can start your senior year without the worry of writing a life-defining essay. Instead, you can focus on visiting colleges or deciding what major you’re interested in. We got you. Connect with Write Coach any time over the summer to get started.
