College Application Essays: Expectations for application essays vary widely. The answers below are meant to give some general guidelines, but may not be applicable to the particular program to which you are applying.

Is it all right to use the first person?	In most cases it's essential. The application essay is about you and what you think about yourself and the field you want to study.
How far back should I go in tracing my background?	For your essay, choose the details that you want to highlight in order to best answer the question at hand. The application itself may provide you with a chance to give detailed educational and job history. Stories about how one became interested in a particular field might reference things as far back as grade school. On one hand many admissions counselors will take note of academic successes you have achieved. That you set goals and met them is a sign of maturity. In some cases, mentioning academic accomplishments prior to college might be viewed as naive. It is best to evaluate the essay requirements of the college and construct your essay accordingly. Above all, list and describe your more recent honors.
How long should the essay or statement be?	Your essay should never exceed the limit given in the application instructions. If no limit is specified, make your essay no longer than two pages.
How much of the information already in my application should I repeat?	Admissions reviewers may not read every detail of your application carefully. Therefore, highlight information from your application that you definitely want noted. Do not merely list things, though. Be sure to explain the significance of the items you mention and make them relevant to the essay as a whole.
Should I include or explain negative experiences? Should I call attention to a low (or high) G.P.A.?	In some cases, yes. If something in your academic record is weak or questionable, a thoughtful explanation could help. Discussing a negative experience that taught you something valuable or helped you make important life or career decisions can sometimes be a good way to provide a reviewer with insight into your character and professional goals. However, if you don't want to draw attention to a particular situation (or have nothing positive to say about it), you might best avoid bringing it up at all.
How "personal" should I be?	By their nature, these essays are "personal" in that they ask you not only to tell things about you but to reflect on their significance to your past and future educational and career goals. Some applications specifically request that you provide a personal narrative, while others focus more on educational and professional experience. In either case, it's important to connect your experiences (personal, educational, or professional) to the goals and requirements of the program to which you are applying and to be guided by the essay instructions as to the main content of your essay.
How experimental should I be?	Sometimes doing something unusual with your essay can be a way to stand out from the crowd. It can be risky, however, and it requires a high degree of sophistication and skill. Whatever flashy or clever tactic you choose to use, you have to be able to use it to complete the task at hand, which is to demonstrate your preparation and suitability for the program to which you are applying. At the same time, readers of experimental essays have vastly different reactions to them. While some appreciate a break from the more standard essay, others may see it as a failure to follow instructions. A safer strategy is to use compelling details and a clear, artful writing style.
Should I format this as a standard essay (with an introduction, body, conclusion)?	To one degree or another, yes. You want to give your essay a discernable shape -- one that indicates a direction, takes your reader to a destination, and helps him or her understand the significance of what you've written about.

Writing the Effective College Essay

The main purpose of the college essay is simple: it allows the applicant “YOU” to jump out of the application folder (full of grades, test scores, and other statistical data) and become a person to the college admission staff. It demonstrates personality and character, and becomes an illustration of who you are as a person. Since the college essay represents you – see it as a positive experience, not as a chore! This is a chance to separate yourself from the rest of the crowd. You may even get to know yourself a bit better and learn something in the process!

The Right Type of Essay:

There are three different types of essays:

1. Elicited Response: This type of essay is easily identified, as colleges will ask you to respond to a statement or question which they have provided.

a. Example: “Why do you want to attend this college?” “Why should this college grant you admission?”

2. Open-ended: This essay will be open-ended and will prompt you to write about anything that is important to you. It provides you with the opportunity to share with the admissions people what you want them to know about you, what is unique and special about you.

3. Student Initiated: This essay is created by you when it is necessary to provide an explanation, history, or attitude. A student initiated essay is most commonly written when a student is applying to a college in which he/she does not meet or exceed the admission requirements. Often times, a student will discuss grade trends, course selection, or a significant event that had an impact on the student’s education. Also, students can use this type of essay to request that a decision be postponed until 7^th semester transcripts are available to show grade increase. Be careful with this essay that it does not turn into a list of excuses.

What should I write about? Brain Freeze?

When thinking of a topic, some students agonize over finding a meaningful, exciting moment in their lives to write about. Look inside yourself for your topic. Just be sensitive to the idea that what was a momentous or life-altering experience for you may not be as engaging for the essay reader.

There is no truth to “I don’t have anything to write about!” Do not sell yourself short! You have plenty of things you can write about. If you experience a brain freeze – then brain storm.

¨ Sit down with a paper and pencil or computer – Focus on idea generation!

¨ Write down what comes to mind when asking yourself “What is important to me?”

¨ After you have written down what you consider five to seven important things (events, characteristics, accomplishments, etc.), go back and look at why they are important to you.

o What are they?

o What is it about each item that you like?

o What do they have in common?

o Similarities?

o Attractions?

o Which ones would distinguish you from another applicant?

o Which ones are sources of satisfaction or pride for you?

From here, you can find adjectives that describe who you are, the personality and character demonstrated in your essay.

Who am I writing this essay for anyway?

Believe it or not, you are not writing this essay for the college admission office. You are writing it for YOU! Yes, an admission office will read the essay, but you are writing it so that YOU become the person YOU want them to learn about. Therefore, do not write what you think they want to hear. Write what you want them to hear. The best essays come from the heart! Your heart!

PERSONAL ESSAY: SOME DO’S and DON’TS

DO:

¨ Do use first person: This is a personal essay about you; using the first person “I” is expected.

¨ Do use your own words and voice: Do not try to be someone you are not. If you are not known to use humor, now is not the time to try.

¨ Do use experiences and examples to support what you are trying to illustrate:

o Example: don’t just tell them you “never give up.” Instead, describe how you lost the student council election freshman year, won a seat on the council sophomore year, and were class president junior year.

¨ Do plan ahead: Give yourself enough time to get the essay done, from thought to draft to final revision. The number of essays you will have to write can add up quickly.

¨ Do have someone proofread your essay! Your parent or teacher, a fellow student, the Writing Center staff are happy to read over your essays!

¨ Do write the optional essay: Make optional essays mandatory.

DON’T:

¨ Do not use phrases like I think…I believe… Make it a fact and be confident.

¨ Do not have someone write the essay for you. It is very obvious when someone “writes” the essay for you. Also, it defeats the purpose of the personal essay, which is to provide an opportunity for the college admission office to get to know you as a person!

¨ Do not regurgitate your transcripts or your extra-curricular activities. They have already seen them!

¨ Do not be wordy. Sometimes, less is best!

¨ Do not use words like never, always, every time, etc.