Transcript
Page 1: Writing College Application Essays

Writing College Application EssaysRevised 8/2013

Page 2: Writing College Application Essays

Agenda

Role of the Essay

What Admissions Officers Look For

DOs & DON’Ts

The Writing Process

Get Started

Page 3: Writing College Application Essays

Role of the Essay

School A

Grades/Tests

Personal

School B

Grades/Tests

Personal

•Essay•Letter of Rec•Extra Curricular•Diversity•Leadership

•GPA•Class Choice•Entrance/Placement Exams

Page 4: Writing College Application Essays

Role of the Essay

BE

creative

personal

unique

SHARE

your story (past)

your passions & beliefs (present)

your goals (future)

DEMONSTRATE

your writing ability

your ability to reflect and learn from life

SHOW

your best work

you belong at the school

what you can bring to the

school

The essay lets you…

Page 5: Writing College Application Essays

Role of the Essay

Interview with Gonzaga Law AdmissionsJune 21, 2010U.S. News & Work Report

What can applicants do to set themselves apart from their peers?

Successful applicants distinguish themselves via the personal statement. They use it as a means of expressing their values and to connect those values with their desire to attend law school.

Page 6: Writing College Application Essays

Role of the Essay

$Approach scholarship essays as college application essays

Participate in NELA’s Scholarship Strategies workshop

Page 7: Writing College Application Essays

Agenda

Role of the Essay

What Admissions Officers Look For

DOs & DON’Ts

The Writing Process

Get Started

Page 8: Writing College Application Essays

What Admissions Officers Look For

FIT•diversity•interest•community involvement•evidence of past

performance•evidence of future

performance

REFLECTION•ability to grow and learn

from challenges•evidence of critical

thinking

WRITING•tone•appropriate examples•organization•focus•grammar conventions•ability to follow directions

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What Admissions Officers Look For

What do you look for in application essays? What do the essays tell you about a candidate?

We look for well-written essays that reflect the applicant's capacity for critical thought and self reflection. The essays reveal an applicant's ability to construct a cohesive statement and a coherent argument. Disjointed statements and those that leave the reader feeling a disconnect between values and actions reflect poorly on the candidate. We'd rather read about an event that triggered the candidate's desire to attend law school, or to learn about her or his passion for justice, than to read they want to be a lawyer because their father is a lawyer.

Interview with Gonzaga Law AdmissionsJune 21, 2010U.S. News & Work Report

Page 10: Writing College Application Essays

Agenda

Role of the Essay

What Admissions Officers Look For

DOs & DON’Ts

The Writing Process

Get Started

Page 11: Writing College Application Essays

DOs & DON’Ts

DO DON’T

•Use “I” Statements •“I believe” or “I think”

•Use active voice: “I did this” •Use passive voice: “It happened to me”

•Recycle your work •Cut and paste without modification

•Use specific and real examples (show) •Use vague or hypothetical examples (tell)

•Use authentic language •Abuse the thesaurus

•Write about yourself •Brag about yourself•Write about someone else•Feel pressured to compare your experiences to others

•Express your wisdom •Write about cliché takeaways

•Explain lessons from challenges •Complain about challenges

•Focus on the change/lesson learned •Focus on the story

•Answer all essay prompts •Miss an opportunity to show who you are

Page 12: Writing College Application Essays

DOs & DON’Ts: Topics

CAUTION

relationships

sports injuriesmission trip

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DOs & DON’Ts: Topics

DIVERSITY

race & ethnicity

income

learning style

ability

sexuality

genderreligion/ values/ beliefs

age

position/ rank

“the other”

life experience

DIVERSITY

race & ethnicity

income

learning style

ability

sexuality

genderreligion/ values/ beliefs

age

position/ rank

“the other”

life experience

race & ethnicity

DIVERSITY

Page 14: Writing College Application Essays

DOs & DON’Ts

DO DON’T

•Use “I” Statements •“I believe” or “I think”

•Use active voice: “I did this” •Use passive voice: “It happened to me”

•Recycle your work •Cut and paste without modification

•Use specific and real examples (show) •Use vague or hypothetical examples (tell)

•Use authentic language •Abuse the thesaurus

•Write about yourself •Brag about yourself•Write about someone else•Feel pressured to compare your experiences to others

•Express your wisdom •Write about cliché takeaways

•Explain lessons from challenges •Complain about challenges

•Focus on the change/lesson learned •Focus on the story

•Answer all essay prompts •Miss an opportunity to show who you are

Page 15: Writing College Application Essays

DOs & DON’Ts: The Right Ratio

STORYEXAMPLENARRATIVE

REFLECTION

Page 16: Writing College Application Essays

DOs & DON’Ts

DO DON’T

•Use “I” Statements •“I believe” or “I think”

•Use active voice: “I did this” •Use passive voice: “It happened to me”

•Recycle your work •Cut and paste without modification

•Use specific and real examples (show) •Use vague or hypothetical examples (tell)

•Use authentic language •Abuse the thesaurus

•Write about yourself •Brag about yourself•Write about someone else•Feel pressured to compare your experiences to others

•Express your wisdom •Write about cliché takeaways

•Explain lessons from challenges •Complain about challenges

•Focus on the change/lesson learned •Focus on the story

•Answer all essay prompts •Miss an opportunity to show who you are

Page 17: Writing College Application Essays

Agenda

Role of the Essay

What Admissions Officers Look For

DOs & DON’Ts

The Writing Process

Get Started

Page 18: Writing College Application Essays

The Writing Process

adapted from: Carson Dellosa

Prewriting: think

What do I want to say?

How do I want to say it?

What examples will I use?

Who will read my writing?

What do I need to know to begin?

Who can I talk to about my ideas?

Drafting: write

Are my thoughts organized?

Which ideas do I want do develop?

In what order do I want do say them?

Who can read this and offer

suggestions?

Revising: improve

Have I read what I have written?

Should I add or take out parts?

Have I used the best ideas and words?

Does my writing make sense?

Does it say what I want it to say?

What suggestions have others made?

Which of those suggestions am I going to apply?

Editing: correct

Have I used complete sentences?

Are my spelling, capitalization and

punctuation correct?

Has someone checked my work?

Publishing: share

Page 19: Writing College Application Essays

Agenda

Role of the Essay

What Admissions Officers Look For

DOs & DON’Ts

The Writing Process

Get Started

Page 20: Writing College Application Essays

Get Started

The Common Application-FreshmanPlease write an essay of 250 – 500 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the

options listed below. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical

dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its

importance to you. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that

influence. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music,

science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds

much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

Topic of your choice.

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Get Started

The Common Application-Transfer StudentPlease provide a statement of 250 – 500 words that

addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.

Personal Essay This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as

a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

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University of Washington

Personal Statement Format Content as well as form, spelling, grammar, and punctuation, will be

considered. Suggested length is 750-1000 words. Academic Elements (required)

Academic History Tell us about your college career to date, describing your performance,

educational path and choices. Explain any situations that may have had a significant positive or

negative impact on your academic progress and/or curricular choices. If you transferred multiple times, had a significant break in your education, or changed career paths, explain.

What are the specific reasons you wish to leave your most recent college/university and/or program of study?

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University of Washington

Your Major and/or Career Goals Tell us about your intended major and career aspirations. Are you prepared to enter your intended major at this time? If

not, describe your plans for preparing for the major. What led you to choose this major? If you are still undecided, why? What type of career are you most likely to pursue after finishing your education?

How will the UW help you attain your academic, career, and/or personal goals?

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University of Washington

Personal Elements (required) Cultural Understanding

Thoughtfully describe the ways in which culture had an impact on your life and what you have learned about yourself and society as a result. How has your own cultural history enriched and/or challenged you?

NOTE: Culture may be defined broadly. Cultural understanding is often drawn from the ethnic background, customs, values, and ideas of a person’s immediate family, community, and/or social environment in which they live.

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University of Washington

Educational Challenges / Personal Hardships (if applicable) Describe any personal or imposed challenges or hardships you

have overcome in pursuing your education. Examples: a serious illness, a disability, first generation in your

family to attend college, significant financial hardship or responsibilities associated with balancing work, family and school.

Community, Military, or Volunteer Service (if applicable) Describe your community, Military, or volunteer service, including

leadership, awards, or increased levels of responsibility.

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University of Washington

Experiential Learning (if applicable) Describe your involvement in research, artistic endeavors, and

work (paid or volunteer), as they have contributed to your academic, career or personal goals.

Additional Comments (optional) Do you have a compelling academic or personal need to attend

the University of Washington-Seattle at this time? Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Page 27: Writing College Application Essays

Get Started

challenges

triumphs

influential people

significant events

dreams/goals

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Resources

Public Library/College Writing Center scholarshipjunkies.com THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU!

– counselor– friends– peers– teachers– family– professionals

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