Writing the admission essay

1
Writing the admission essay
2
As you prepare to apply for college first relax.
No one is better qualified to do this than you.
3
Agenda

• What the admission essay is and isnt
• Organization
• Hints for writing your ideal essay
• Breaking down prompts

4
What your essay is and isnt
5
What the admission essay is

• A chance to show colleges who you are beyond test
  scores and grades.
• A chance to allow colleges to see how you think.
• Your chance to stand out against all other
  applicants.

6
What the admission essay isnt

• The only document that will be used to decide
  whether youre admitted or not.
• Something to be written the night before.
• A daunting English analysis paper.

7
Organization
8
Organization

• This is not a standard English essay.
• This essay should be organized around a theme or
  experience, not a thesis.
• Avoid writing the standard five paragraph essay.

9
Introduction

• Hook, get the reader interested in the first few
  sentences.
• In the first paragraph let the reader know your
  tone and the subject of your essay.

10
Middle

• In the middle of your essay something needs to
  happen.
• Use an anecdote to illustrate a point.
• This is where you want to bring the reader into
  your inner circle.

11
Ending

• This is where your essay is leading.
• Your conclusion can either be life altering, or
  it can simply be a shift in your outlook or
  awareness.

12
In an ideal essay youll

• Bring the reader into your inner circle. The
  reader will feel that they know you.
• Try to have the reader feel the same rush of
  emotions youre feeling.

13
In an ideal essay youll

• Be yourself.
• Stick with your strengths, if youre funny be
  witty in your essay. If youre not, dont try
  humor.
• Avoid clichés
• Wont be overly dramatic
• Dont write beyond your abilities

14
Remember

• Its ok to change your mind.
• If you dont like your theme or where your essay
  is going, be flexible.
• If your writing is shifting you to another theme,
  embrace change.

15
Hints for writing your ideal essay
16
Hints

• Stand out, be original
• Everyone is unique and colleges want to see this.
• Try to show who you are in your essay. There is
  no set formula for the admission essay.
• An essay that is unique will stand out against
  other essays (dont imitate what you have seen on
  the web or in books).

17
Hints

• Write about something other than success.
• When was a time when things didnt go as you
  planned, when was a time where you didnt succeed
  yet you still learned a lesson that you were able
  to learn from.

18
Hints

• Dont be over sentimental about your experience.

19
Hints

• Try to be creative, use vivid imagery. Dont
  simply create a running dialogue for the
  admission officer bring them into your scope of
  reality.

20
Hints

• Stick to the prompt and answer the question.
• Be sure not to go off on a tangent, answer the
  question with your limited space.

21
Hints

• Plan ahead!
• Give yourself weeks to write your essay.
• In class well create an essay that you can adapt
  for private schools and UCs

22
Hints

• Dont repeat information.
• The college will have a copy of your application.
• Dont repeat the information from your
  application in your essay.

23
Hints

• Use vocabulary you know.
• Dont rely on thesaurus, stick within the scope
  of language youre comfortable with.

24
Hints

• Avoid controversy
• Dont write about drugs, sexual experiences, or
  politics.
• You dont know whos reading your essay. You
  certainly dont know their political views.

25
Hints

• Try to avoid current events unless you are
  directly asked or unless they have a direct
  affect on you.

26
Hints

• Dont plagiarize
• Admission officers read thousands of essays.
• Theyll recognize if they start seeing the same
  or similar essays.

27
Hints

• If you have to cheat to get into a school, do you
  think you could really do well there?

28
Hints

• Avoid cliché
• Dont write about a boyfriend or girlfriend,
  divorce, job loss.
• Dont be overly cynical, maudlin, trite or
  pretentious.

29
Hints

• Proofread
• Write your essay and then leave it for a minimum
  of one hour.
• This is an important essay and you want to make
  sure its as error free as possible.

30
Hints

• If possible have someone look over your essay for
  you.

31
Breaking Down Prompts
32
Breaking down prompts

• Follow all directions.
• How do they want the paper formatted? Where
  should your name go?
• How many words? Is there a page requirement? Is
  there a space limit?

33
Breaking down prompts

• Look at the prompt and decide what exactly is
  being asked.

34
Breaking down prompts

• In Anne Rands The Fountainhead, the character of
  Howard Roark seeks to define success outside of
  the acceptable styles of the day. As a result he
  is scorned, but ultimately finds power in
  individualism. What is your unique definition of
  success and what do you plan to achieve to get
  that kind of success?

35
Breaking down prompts

• In Anne Rands The Fountainhead, the character of
  Howard Roark seeks to define success outside of
  the acceptable styles of the day. As a result he
  is scorned, but ultimately finds power in
  individualism.

What is your unique definition of success and
what do you plan to do to get that kind of
success?
36
Breaking down prompts
What is your unique definition of success and
what do you plan to do to get that kind of
success?
What is your unique definition of success and
what do you plan to do to get that kind of
success?
What is your unique definition of success and
what do you plan to do to get that kind of
success?
37
Breaking down prompts

• Two paragraph paper.
• Paragraph 1 What is your unique definition of
  success.
• Paragraph 2 What do you plan to do to get that
  kind of success.

38
Breaking down prompts

• What theyre looking for
• Individuality. The prompt stresses the concept
  of being unique
• Ambition, they want to see that you have an idea
  of how you will achieve your goals.

39
Breaking down prompts

• How have you taken advantage of the educational
  opportunities you have had to prepare for college?

• How have you taken advantage of the educational
  opportunities you have had to prepare for college?

• How have you taken advantage of the educational
  opportunities you have had to prepare for college?

• How have you taken advantage of the educational
  opportunities you have had to prepare for college?

40
Breaking down prompts

• The University wants to see that you have taken
  initiative in pursuing education.
• THHS prepares you for this.
• What clubs/classes have you taken that are of
  special interest?

41
Final thoughts

• Be original and unique
• What works for your friends may not work for you
• No one knows you better than you
• Relax!