How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#14 of 25)
As both teacher and college application essay tutor, I have found that while nearly all students are familiar with the writing axiom “show, don’t tell,” many of them still don’t employ it. I thought it would be worthwhile, therefore, to include this concept in my twenty five ways to make your college application essay the […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#13 of 25)
Editing is a specific, hard to master skill that students are rarely taught, but are still expected to know. Self-editing can be even harder, as writers of every level can struggle with objectivity. Add the built-in stress of trying to get accepted to your first choice college, and editing your college application essays can be nothing […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#12 0f 25)
Here’s another of my twenty five ways to make your college application essay the best writing you’ve ever done. #12. Include Personal Details and Specifics Of course, this is a basic of good writing but it does bear repeating here. When writing your application essays, don’t speak in generalities. Make your descriptions – whether they […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#9 of 25)
This method for making your college application essay the best writing you’ve ever done is technical, yet easy to execute. #9: Keep paragraphs short There are a couple of reasons for this. First, shorter paragraphs make for a faster paced read. And it is better for the reader to reach the end of your essay […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#8 of 25)
Have you ever noticed that today’s popular movies almost always begin with a compelling event, whether it’s based on action or a highly emotional moment? This is a calculated technique by filmmakers to instantly engage viewers and get them to start wondering, “What’s going to happen next?” It’s a highly effective tool, just like the […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#7 of 25)
Here’s the seventh of my twenty five ways to make your college admissions essay the best writing you’ve ever done. #7. Be Bold Your application essay is a chance to distinguish yourself from other applicants and walking away from that, by writing a “nice,” predictable essay, will be an opportunity missed. It might not hurt […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#6 of 25)
Building on #5 of the twenty five ways to make your college application essay the best writing you’ve ever done, here’s #6. #6: Follow the Basic Rules of Good Writing BUT… As long as it’s purposeful and you do it with flair, you can break some of the traditional rules of good writing in your […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#4 of 25)
Here’s the fourth of my twenty five ways to make your college application essay the best writing you’ve ever done. #4. Answer the Prompt While this may seem obvious, many students veer away from fully answering the essay prompt, and wind up hurting their chances for acceptance. Admissions Directors are expecting all aspects of an […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#2 of 25)
Here’s #2 of the twenty five ways to make your college application essay the finest writing you’ve ever done. #2: Write Something Only You Can Write With the number of college applications increasing each year, there is, unavoidably, a great deal of repetition when it comes to the subject matter of essays. That’s why students […]
How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done (#1 of 25)
This is the first in a series of twenty five blogs I will be posting in the months ahead, all under the title, “How to Make Your College Application Essay the Best Writing You’ve Ever Done.” The blogs are based on a workshop I developed for high school and community presentations and represent a synthesis […]