Janine Robinson's Blog, page 10
February 19, 2016
How to Write a College Application Essay: In 3 Easy Steps
After working with thousands of students from all over the world on writing the dreaded college application essay for the last eight years, I’ve finally been able to boil down the process to three simple steps.
Yes, just three steps.
If you follow these steps, I believe you will be able to craft a college application essay that will give you an edge in the admissions game.
How?
Each step makes sure that you share information about yourself that will make your essay effective and help you stand out from the competition.
What makes an essay effective?
An outstanding college application essay needs to:
Be engaging at the start (hook reader)
Reveal something unique about who you are
Connect with your reader
Show your grit (raw determination)
Express intellectual vitality (how you think and what you value)
Have a sharp focus
Be memorable
Now, here are the three steps
to crafting your own
college application essay:
Share a personal story from your life
Explain what you learned
from that moment or experience
Explore why what you learned matters
Yup. Just those three steps.
If you can write several paragraphs on each of these topics, and present your essay in this general order, you will have a solid college application essay.
To learn how to develop each step–and flesh it out into cohesive ideas and paragraphs–click on the underscored links to find and read related posts on each topic.
Step One: Writing a College Application Essay
Share a personal story from your life:
Start by finding one of your defining qualities or characteristics, or a core value.
Then brainstorm a moment or incident from your recent past that illustrates the quality, characteristic or value.
Make sure that moment or incident involves some type of problem.
Craft that moment into an anecdote, which means you recreate that real-life mini-story using fiction-like language.
Include how that moment or incident made you feel.
Provide background to that moment or incident; give it context.
Step Two: Writing a College Application Essay
Explain how you handled that problem:
Share the steps you took to deal with, manage or solve it.
Reflect on what inspired you to deal with the problem.
Explain what you learned in the process of dealing with that problem.
Step Three: Writing a College Application Essay
Explore why it matters that you learned this lesson:
Weave in other examples from your life where you have applied what your learned.
Express how you envision applying what you learned in your future endeavors.
Red Flag:
Some students do a great job sharing a personal story, but spend too much of their essay on those details. Make sure at least half or more of your essay explores Steps Two and Step Three.
So that’s it. Easy peasy.
Now, you can either get cranking and learn how to crank out all these steps, or read on to see exactly how and why this approach works.
To review, here is how you will knock off all the requirements for writing an effective college application essay:
How STEP ONE Ensures Your College Application Essay Rocks
If you include Step One in your essay, you will give it a sharp focus by only showcasing one defining quality or core value (and you avoid one of the worse essay pitfalls: listing accomplishments and activities and writing a general, dull essay). And you will make sure your essay is engaging at the start by using an anecdote. You will ensure it’s personal by including a real-life story and sharing your feelings. As long as your anecdote or personal story includes some type of problem, you will show your grit.
Above all, your essay will be engaging and memorable!
How STEP TWO Ensures Your College Application Essay Rocks
If you include Step Two in your essay, you will make sure to reveal how you think and reason and what you value when you share what you thought about and how you handled your problem. When you go on to analyze and evaluate what you learned in the process, you will showcase what you care about and value, as well as your ability to learn and grow.
Above all, your essay will showcase your ability to think, reflect, question, learn and grow–also known as “intellectual vitality.”
How STEP THREE Ensures Your College Application Essay Rocks
If you include Step Three in your essay, you will reveal how you are able to take a life lesson beyond how it affected you, as well as your ability to think critically and reflectively. If you include other examples from your life where you applied this life lesson, you will naturally share other specific parts of your life. If you express how you intend to use what you learned in your future goals and dreams, you will present yourself as someone who is forward-thinking, ambitious and idealistic.
Above all, your essay will be meaningful and memorable!
See how all that works so perfectly, simply by following those three steps?
The best news is that you can develop each step by reading the related blog posts (the blue links), and within a couple hours of reading and writing, crank our your own killer college application essay.
Good luck!
The post How to Write a College Application Essay: In 3 Easy Steps appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 16, 2016
Warning: 5 Ways to Blow Your College Application Essay
How to Avoid
College Application Essay
Booby Traps
No matter where you are with writing your college application essay, you should double check that you are on the right track.
It’s way too easy to inadvertently torpedo your chances of writing an essay that gives you an edge in the admissions game.
Here are 7 potential college application essay
booby traps you can avoid if you know what to look for:
ONE: Your essay is dull.
I would say this is one of the most common reasons a college application essay lands in the reject pile.
Just think what it’s like to be an admissions officers and have to read mounds of these essays.
If you can’t even get past the first paragraph without a yawn, there’s little chance you are going to make a lasting impression with the rest of what you have to say.
The best way to avoid a dull essay is to spend the time to dig out an original topic.
Another great defense against boring writing is to inject some type of problem into your essay. (Then quickly explain how you handled it, what you learned and how you spun the incident into a positive experience.)
My favorite writing technique to electrify an essay is to start by a sharing a real-life story in the form of an anecdote.
Another antidote to a dull essay is to give it a sharp focus. Instead of trying to cover everything that makes you so special, narrow your topic down to one quality or characteristic. Then share a personal story to illustrate it.
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TWO: Your college application essay isn’t personal.
No matter how hard you try to cram in all your accomplishments and activities and deep ideas in your essay, if you don’t open up on some level and share something personal about yourself, it’s a guaranteed loser.
The whole point of these essays is to help the admissions officers get a sense of who your are–your personal-ity!
There are many ways to dig deeper about yourself in your essay, including finding a way to Show Your Grit or Share What Your Believe or Reveal Your Intellectual Vitality or Be Likable.
THREE: Your essay is mainly about someone else.
It’s perfectly natural to include other people in your life in your essay.
If you include some type of real-life story to share, it’s almost impossible not to include or at least mention others.
Many students write about people they care deeply about, or who have affected them somehow. Grandparents. Teachers. Bosses.
This is fine. However, you MUST make sure that most of the essay is about YOU.
The best trick to turning an essay about an experience that involves someone other than you is to quickly shift into how that made you feel, what you learned from it and why that mattered.
This type of reflection and analysis of what happened in your real-life story should take up at least half or more of your essay.
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FOUR: Your essay only repeats everything else in your admissions application.
Don’t do that!
How do you know you are wasting precious space in your essay?
If you are trying to cram in all your accomplishments, accolades, talents, and activities, you are guilty.
The college application essay must offer the admissions counselors information about you that they wouldn’t find out in any other part of your application.
Remember, you will have places to lists your extracurricular activities, your awards, AP classes you took, test scores, etc.
Think of this essay as a written replacement for an interview. Give the reader a snapshot of your personality by sharing something that happened to you, and then what you learned and what you care about.
FIVE: You come across as not having your act together.
I was going to say, you come across as dumb.
But it’s not really your intelligence level.
The point is you need to make sure that everything you do regarding your application and the college application essay makes it clear you understand the process and have the maturity to follow the rules to a tee.
So first, make sure you read and understand the prompts–and double check that your essay responds to them.
Many prompts, such as the 5 Common Application prompts and questions, are meant to inspire topic ideas, so you aren’t expected to literally answer them directly.
But make sure your essay lines up with at least one of them before pushing the button.
Most supplemental essays, however, ask more pointed questions in their prompts that need specific answers. Make sure to give them!
Also, don’t even think of going over or under the word limits.
If the word count is a maximum of 650 words (like the Common Application essay requirement), don’t go a word over. If nothing else, show that you know how to follow directions.
Also, proof your final draft like mad. Why would a smart, college-bound student spend so much time crafting a brilliant college application essay, and then let a simple misspelling or glaring grammatical error pop out and ruin it?
Use good sense when picking a topic. Your topic can be intense, personal and even funny or shocking in points. But if you think you have gone overboard or crossed a line that could make it offensive, get some feedback on whether it’s appropriate.
Some topics can be more tricky to write about. It’s often good to take a risk with your essay, but don’t let it backfire.
*****
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These warning tips aren’t intended to freak you out about your college application essay.
If you noticed, most of them were all about the steps you need to take to make sure your essay engages the reader, reveals what makes you tick and makes a lasting impression.
That’s how you will make a bit hit with your college application essay!
The post Warning: 5 Ways to Blow Your College Application Essay appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 15, 2016
College Application Essays and the Admissions Puzzle
College Application Essays:
One Piece
Of the Admissions Puzzle
This is the time of year many high school juniors start to get serious about their college admissions strategy–including their college application essays.
Some have been all over the admissions game for years. Most are just now shifting into high gear. And a few need to start tuning in.
My focus is on helping students learn to write effective college application essays. But these dreaded essays are only a part of the process.
Check Out the Whole College Application Puzzle First
I recently read a post by a college admissions counselor from Texas who put together what I thought was a complete yet simplified roadmap of what to expect, and where to focus your energy.
His name is Shane Bybee, of Bybee College Prep, and he not only helps guides students through the process, but is a former teacher with some writing experience. (His blog is loaded with more great advice and tips.)
The idea is that if you know what to anticipate through your application journey, you can see how all you need to do is take one step at a time.
Before you know it, you will land in a terrific college or university without all the anxiety and stress that this process is notorious for.
Here’s Shane’s guest post on
What Goes Into Your College Application Portfolio:
As students work through preparing their college applications, one of the things they miss is looking at the portfolio as a whole. The entire process is a little like working on a jigsaw puzzle. You can solve the puzzle by focusing on how each piece fits with the one right beside it, but if you back out a little bit and focus on the whole thing, you see an entirely different picture.
In terms of applying to college, an applicant’s portfolio is going to be made several key pieces of information that every college asks for. In order of importance, they are:
Transcript
Test scores
Essays
Recommendations
The college resume
Interviews
The application itself
Each of these are a component of what you might think of as “the application.” K
eep in mind that admissions boards, especially at selective schools, are looking more for reasons to say “no” than they are to say “yes.”
An organized and planned college portfolio can keep you out of the “no” pile.
The individual parts are discussed briefly below. You can click the subtitle for a more thorough analysis of each one of the items.
Transcript
The transcript is probably the single most important part of the application. S
ince grades are an excellent predictor of college 
success, the transcript provides the university with a narrative your academic performance over the years.
While grade point average and class rank can be important, they’re also interested in the difficulty of the classes you took as well as the general trajectory of your grades.
Test scores
The prominence of test scores gives the misperception that they’re the magic ingredient themselves.
They’re a great shorthand. Students with high scores are generally pretty smart, but the scores don’t tell much of a story after that. Instead, they give admissions boards a view into what the transcript means.
The story they will say “no” to is the student with high test scores and low grades, especially if the grades are in regular classes.
The same study that demonstrated how well grades predict college success pointed out that this is the scenario where test scores are the most helpful. About 80% of these students will fail to finish college.
Essays
Every school is going to require at least one essay.
Most schools will require two or three, and some will go crazy with 15 or so (I’m talking to you, USC). The essays will range in length from extremely short (100 words like the “Why Yale” essay) to the longer 650-word Common App essay.
Some will define the length by the number of characters they’ll allow. The ApplyTexas essays are typically around 500 words.
The instructions say you have 120 lines of 80 characters each, but a 9600-character essay is extremely long. For comparison’s sake, this post is about 1100 words and 6500 characters. 9600 characters is more space than just about any student will use.
Letters of recommendation
Most schools are going to ask for letters of recommendation from 2 teachers and your counselor.
In some cases, you might be able to replace one of the teachers with a boss or job supervisor. No matter who you choose, you want to make sure they are able to speak specifically about your abilities.
This is more than a letter of reference talking about your reliability or congeniality. The best letters specifically reference work your did or projects you completed.
The teacher usually needs to be in a core subject and often one you worked with your junior year. You can go back to sophomore year, but beyond that is too far.
It’s also great if you can ask teachers from subjects related to your planned major. If you want to study engineering, math and physics teachers will be great options.
English teachers can often speak to your creative ability and work ethic.
The college resume
The college resume serves two purposes.
Some schools do ask for it, and it’s a great place to record activities that aren’t going to
show up on the transcript like community service or extra-curricular organizations.
It can also highlight awards you’ve received. The other purpose is a point of reference for the people providing you letters of recommendation.
It’s a great way to give them ideas of things they can talk about specifically in their letters, so you should always offer a copy of your resume when asking someone to write a recommendation.
Interviews
While they’ve become less frequent, many schools do still use interviews to evaluate applicants.
The reality is that the interview probably isn’t going to be the thing that puts you over the top or tank your chances, although it could. Most schools actually use the interviews as a way to stay in contact with their alumni.
The person sitting across from you or talking to you on the phone is likely a successful professional with experience evaluate applicants in some way or another.
They might have experience hiring people in their own professions, but they don’t really have the insight into what the university is looking for in this particular freshman class.
The interview is more likely to affirm what the other items in the portfolio have indicated about you.
The application
The application itself isn’t going to hurt or help your chances beyond the demographic information it provides.
I won’t go into the murky waters of universities trying to diversify the ethnicity of their student bodies. Sure, they’re going to find that information here and use it if they have a policy that requires them to.
You don’t have any control over that. It’s a lot more difficult to polish up your heritage than it is to edit your essays.
The thing about the applications is that they can be tediously time consuming.
About 600 schools use The Common App, which allows you to enter the demographic information once and saves it for all the schools. Texas has ApplyTexas which allows you to apply to just about every university in the state, but you have to reenter all of the demographic information every time.
The University of California system has it’s own online application, and some schools, like Baylor, have their individual process.
The information is usually pretty repetitive, but it still requires navigating a number of pages. You’ll need to allow more time than you think to this part of the process.
Putting it all together
Taking some time to put all of the parts of the portfolio together provides you with an advantage over many of the other applicants.
It can also allow you to tell your story to the admissions board the way you want it told.
Bringing all of these pieces into one application and submitting it effectively can be the key to presenting yourself as the sort of student that fits that university.
*****
The post College Application Essays and the Admissions Puzzle appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 13, 2016
Common Application Essay Prompts and Strategies for 2016-17
Stand Out in Your
Common Application Essay
So you are ready to start writing your Common Application Essay?
Congratulations! You have found the best source of specific tips and strategies on exactly how to brainstorm topics for each of the 5 prompts–and learn to craft a powerful college application essay using a narrative (story-telling) style.
Start by reading through the 5 prompts, which I shared below.
(The folks from the Common Application just officially announced their essay writing prompts for this coming college admissions season of 2016-17, and it’s anticlimactic news, but they will be the same as last year. The idea is you know the prompts well before they start accepting applications in August, so you can get a head start on your essays.)
You just need to write a personal statement essay that addresses one of these prompts. The prompts are mainly to inspire you to write a personal essay about yourself that helps you stand out from the crowd.
The essays that are the most effective are what are called “slice-of-life” essays, because you share a real-life story that shows the reader what makes you unique and interesting. (As opposed to simply telling about yourself and all your accomplishments and activities. Trust me. Don’t do that!)
The secret of an effective essay is to make it personal.
This is why I think the first, second and fourth prompts are the best ones to write about since they ask for stories about your background, and even better, about problems you have faced or dealt with.
Students have written strong essays about the second and fifth prompts, but I think you will stay more on target if you stick with 1, 2, and 4. Your call!
Ready to Brainstorm Ideas for your Common Application Essay?
Click on each of the following prompts, and you can learn all my best ideas and strategies for brainstorming topic ideas and ways to structure your essays.
Remember, your essay should end up around 500 to 650 words. It must be at least 250 words and no more than 650.
When writing a rough draft for your common application essay, let yourself write over the word count, and then go back and trim it down. Your essay will only improve with editing.
So what are you waiting for? The sooner you get this essay moving forward, and finished before you know it, you will feel so much better.
You don’t want to send in your application just before the deadline, but have it ready so you can be FIRST IN LINE when the Common Application starts accepting them!
Here are the Common Application Essay prompts for 2016-17:
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
RELATED: I love this prompt so much I made a video tutorial on How to Answer Common App Prompt 4. It’s free!
Another way to get an edge with your common application essay, is learn What Makes a Great College Application Essay. Reading this one post on what makes a great college application essay could quite easily change your entire thinking about what you need to write.
Good luck!
The post Common Application Essay Prompts and Strategies for 2016-17 appeared first on Essay Hell.
10 Insider Tips for Your University of Texas Essays
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Former Admissions Counselor
at University of Texas
Shares Insider Advice
Are you planning on applying to any of the 14 University of Texas institutions, including the most popular in Austin, Texas?
I’m excited to share some tips from a former college admissions officer at UT-Austin with you. His name is Kevin Martin, founder of TexAdmissions, and he focused these tips on the one of the 3 required essays he believes is by far the most important, based on his experience.
Kevin Martin of TexAdmissions
The University of Texas essay is called Topic C, and the prompts asks:
“Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra-curricular activities might help you achieve your goals.”
Here is what Kevin has to say about writing your college application essay for this prompt for the University of Texas essays:
Top 10 Tips for Writing University of Texas Essays
1.
It’s all about Essay C – For universities like UT-Austin, which requires essay C, this is where you should spend the most effort. Here, they are looking to see if you are a good “fit” for your intended area of study. This means that you should focus on why they should invest in offering you a space in their program.
2.
Only your first choice matters – When applying to UT, you are given options for a first and a second choice major.
This is an illusion; they only consider your first choice. One hundred percent of your essay should reflect on your past experiences and skills that show how you would contribute in the classroom and the overall university community.
3.
Treat your essays like an argument – Provide proof! The biggest problem I saw when I reviewed files for UT were vague or cliché statements.
Instead of, “A strong foundation in math is important for success in engineering,” transform this statement into a “me-focused” sentence: “Because of my internship at Texas Instruments and my strong performance in calculus, I am well suited for studies in electrical engineering.”
4.
Each sentence should tie back to the idea of “fit” – With each sentence in your essay, ask yourself: “Does this sentence contribute to my argument that I deserve a space in their program?
Does this sentence help continue the thought from the ones before and set up my argument in later sentences?
Is this sentence absolutely necessary?
If not, can I take it out and not hurt my argument?”
5.
This is your chance to interview – UT and other Apply Texas universities do not conduct interviews as part of their admissions process. Instead, this is your only opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee.
You want the reviewer to walk away thinking, “This is a pretty neat student. We want them here!”
6.
How many essays should I write? – UT has a somewhat confusing system where they require two essays.
You must submit the Essay Topic C, and then your choice among Essays Topic A on diversity, Essay Topic B on overcoming an obstacle, or a special circumstances essay.
Sometimes students write all four thinking it will help them.
Don’t do this!
Unless you have a very compelling reason, only submit Essay C and your choice of one of the remaining three.
7.
Should my second essay also focus on fit? – If you can relate your second essay to why you are a good fit for your major, then I would go for it.
I worked with a student who selected electrical engineering.
His essay C was a strong piece arguing why he had the skills and experience to contribute, but his essay B told an entertaining and insightful story of how him and his friend accidentally broke some computers they were repairing and managed to fix them just in time.
8.
What if I am undecided? – That’s okay! Most students are undecided, even those who swear they know they are going to medical school before they enroll in freshman biology.
You can still demonstrate curiosity and passion by reflecting on one or two things that capture your interest and creative energies.
9.
How am I evaluated? – In short, you are scored on a scale of 1-6 – whether to recommend you for admission or not.
Most students receive a 3 or a 4 with only the most exceptional students scoring a 6.
The admissions reviewer looks at everything you have submitted (resume, essays, recommendation letters, coursework, etc.). If the reviewer is on the fence about giving you a 4 or a 5, you want your essay to argue decisively that you are a good fit and an interesting person.
Essays, more so than recommendation letters, are often what tips the scale where the admissions reviewer can reward you with a higher score and improve your admissions chances.
10.
Relax! – There comes a point where your essays are “done.”
Over-editing can cause a lot of unneeded stress and be counterproductive for the quality of your essays.
Once you submit your application, it is best just to forget about it until you receive your decision in the spring.
Excessive refreshing of your My Status page never does any good. ; )
Here’s a video that Kevin put together
with more great insider advice and tips
on writing essays for the University of Texas:
The post 10 Insider Tips for Your University of Texas Essays appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 10, 2016
Sample Essays: “Fast Doesn’t Always Win”
Sample Essays Can Inspire Topic Ideas!
In a previous post, I shared a sample essay from my college application essay writing guide, The Writing Survival Kit. Here’s another original sample essay from the same collection.
I believe reading sample essays is not only a great way to learn how to craft a personal, narrative style essay for your college application, but a wonderful source of topic ideas.
I love how the writer, Sophie Funck, started her slice-of-life essay with a simple real-life moment, and then went on to explain what she learned from that experience.
You, too, have real-life stories and experiences that you can spin into engaging and effective college application essays!
Sophie Funck
Chicago, Illinois
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Fast Doesn’t Always Win
As I walked into class, I spotted the two dreadful words on the white board before I even slid into my desk. They could have been in flashing neon lights: “Pop Quiz.” Even though I had completed the reading homework, I knew I was sunk. My cheeks grew hot as I tried to ignore my classmates’ pencils furiously writing down answers.
“Think, just think,” I told myself over and over, trying to conjure the relevant facts and information. Even though I read the exact words in the same book as everyone else, nothing stuck.
Ever since I was old enough to try to memorize facts or read out of textbooks, the information seemed to float right out of my head. I could spend hours reading and re-reading every page of an assignment, but the next morning it was all a vague memory.
Looking back, I have always taken the longest to learn anything. I could not read until the second grade. While my friends advanced to chapter books, I was reviewing sight words, over and over again.
Even though my brain insisted on taking its sweet time, I always knew I was smart. I just learned differently. My parents figured that out early on and supported and taught me through my strengths. “Different isn’t a bad thing,” they would often say.
Finally, I was tested and discovered that I have an auditory processing and visual memory disability, which means I take longer to absorb information. Despite the diagnosis, I forced myself to think I was a stellar student because I knew if I worked twice as hard and twice as long as my classmates, I could compete at the highest level.
In grade school and junior high, teachers set homework time limits for me so I wouldn’t spend too much time on assignments, but I insisted on finishing the work to prove to myself that I was as capable as my classmates. I was given an assignment and I completed it, no matter what. Even though I was pleased with my grades, the feeling of being “less than” continued to linger in the back of my mind.
Over time, things started to come together. I began to use different tricks and strategies to help me learn more efficiently. In history, one of my most challenging subjects, I would picture facts as stories and print out maps and pictures to help me understand the content.
Creating acronyms and singsong rhymes with mnemonic devices and doing multiplication tables with my fingers were still favorite strategies. I also was a master at time management and organization.
When I stressed about school, I told myself, “I will get it done,” and that “Everything will be ok.” These creative learning tools not only helped my approach with school, but with other obstacles in my life.
Ironically, having been a competitive swimmer for 12 years, the focus was about being fast. Fortunately, I learned there was always something more valuable than being fast when it comes to swimming and learning.
As I began my senior year, I started to realize that the feelings I had and the pressure I felt were not unusual. I understand now that being fast and mainstream aren’t always better; the ability to retain a lot of facts is not the crucial part of learning; and that smart is a highly subjective adjective.
I am at peace with my way of learning. I know that I can compete in a “fast” world because I’ve done that in high school. But it’s more important for me to follow a pace and path that allow for spontaneity, reflection, creative learning and deep thought. My passion for art is a vehicle for this path. I am excited to enjoy the ride and experience a journey that supports and encourages the integration of who I am and how I learn.
#
If you are inspired by sample essays and are ready to learn more about how to write your own college application essay, check out this Jumpstart Guide.
The post Sample Essays: “Fast Doesn’t Always Win” appeared first on Essay Hell.
College Application Essay Writing Podcast: How to Stand Out
to Write Your
College Application Essay!
Are you the type of student who would like to learn how to write your college application essay by listening to your headphones rather than reading a book?
If so, you might want to check out the first of a two-part podcast, “How to Stand Out in Your College Essays with Janine Robinson,” where I share all my best advice and tips on how to craft a powerful college application essay during an interview with Steve Schwartz, a professional college admissions counselor.
Steve, who writes the helpful blog GetIntoCollege, has put together a terrific library of podcasts in his College Admissions Toolbox.
So far, he has dozens of informative podcasts where he interviews top college admissions experts on a variety of key topics.
And they are all FREE!
Insider Advice from Top College Admissions Officers!
The most popular podcasts feature current and former college admissions counselors from some of the most competitive universities and colleges, including Cornell, University of California (Berkeley), University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Talk about getting the inside scoop!
There are podcasts about every imaginable college admissions topic, including how to pay for college, score scholarships and nail your interviews, to “How to Get Into An American College from China.”
Check out his Podcast Episode List.
Kwasi Enin
He even has a podcast interview with Kwasi Enin, the wonderboy who got accepted into all 9 ivies, and is currently attending Yale.
Steve just shared the first part of his interview with me on his web site, and will release the second part on Monday, February 8. It will be Episode #44.
So pop on those ear buds or sound-blocking headset, kick back in a cozy chair or your bed and soak up some excellent information about getting into college, and how to write your own college application essay.
The post College Application Essay Writing Podcast: How to Stand Out appeared first on Essay Hell.
Sample Essays for College Applications
The Best Way to Learn to Write Your Own
In my writing guide, The Writing Survival Kit, I share some excellent sample essays for college applications. In this post and future ones, I’m sharing some of them with you.
Whether you are just starting to brainstorm a topic for your own essay, or already are working on a draft, reading what other students have written can spark ideas and provide inspiration for your own pieces.
Here’s one of my favorites:
Sarah Mandi
Voorhess, New Jersey
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Donut Domination
It was only my second day on the job. Decked out in my generic khakis and white polo shirt, oversized apron, visor, and bulky headset, I leaned out the window of the drive-through.
“Thank you. Have a nice day,” I said for probably the hundredth time that day; it was only 7 a.m.
The line at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Atco, New Jersey, continued endlessly out the door; and the drive-through line, even longer. The aroma of sugary donuts and hearty breakfast sandwiches engulfed me as I navigated through the obstacle course of employees, display cases, coffee machines, and ovens. The never-ending line of hungry, impatient customers was starting to fluster me, and I could feel a growing sense of irritation at my poor cash register skills.
Suddenly, in walked my biggest nightmare: a middle-aged man; tall and brooding, his shirt drenched with coffee.
“My coffee lid broke!” shrieked the man, angrily. “You gave me a broken cup! Look what you did!”
I managed to stutter, “I’m sorry,” a few times, but I knew that would not cut it. I grabbed a wad of napkins as well as a new cup of coffee, apologizing profusely. A moment later, another customer started to voice her irritation for getting a Boston Creme Donut instead of a Bavarian Creme Donut.
If anyone should know the difference between those two donuts, it should be me. Looking back, donuts have dominated my life for as long as I can remember. But I had no idea that this business was so complicated—and about more than just people indulging in these fried doughballs.
My dad worked his way through engineering school at Dunkin Donuts, eventually switching careers to invest in the Dunkin Donuts’ franchise. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have brought in donuts to school for my birthday instead of bringing cake, like everybody else. What other family has discussions about the new seasonal, “Brownie Batter” donut, or “Arnold Palmer” Coolata? By the time I was in ninth grade, it was already decided where my first real job would be.
As days went by, I worked tirelessly to get the hang of the job. I could not help but think what was wrong with me; taking simple coffee and donut orders could not be this hard. But eventually, it became routine. I would greet the regulars as they walked through the door asking about their weeks while preparing the order I had memorized.
“Good morning Mr. Edwards, how’s your summer going? Medium Coffee, cream and sugar today?”
I grew accustomed to the fast-paced environment. I started to recognize instances where throwing in a few extra munchkins to make the customer happy was appropriate. I began to hear the snarky comment from customers, “Oh, you must be new,” less and less. The satisfaction from finally being able to complete seemingly trivial tasks was just as great as any sense of accomplishment I had felt before.
I came to the realization that angry customers were not a sign of poor job performance but a part of human nature that I would have to accept and manage. There would always be a mother who got mad when her daughter’s donut was missing sprinkles; but such things would always be out of my control. I learned not to be ashamed of making mistakes. Even though I still confused the Bavarian Creme and Boston Creme Donut, I continued to work the counter until I got it right.
I finally understood why my dad had poured his heart and soul into this business. It wasn’t just about providing the best food or making the largest profits; it was about providing an experience, taking part in a community, and putting yourself out there. I may never work at a Dunkin Donuts again, but I now understand how it makes people happy—and why that matters.
END
BACKGROUND ABOUT THIS
SAMPLE COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY
Last year, I wrote my fourth guide on writing college application essays, called The Writing Survival Kit.
This guide is a little different from my most popular essay-writing guide, Escape Essay Hell, which walks students through 10 steps toward writing their essays using a narrative (story-telling) style.
The Writing Survival Kit also guides them through this process, but it teaches students through a series of creative writing tips and techniques. (It’s great for students who are serious about improving their writing chops.)
It also include some excellent sample college application essays at the end.
In my next few posts, I’m sharing some of these sample essays, and believe they will help you understand the type of narrative-style essay that you need to write to engage your readers, and showcase who you are, how you learn and what you care most about.
Here’s an excerpt from The Writing Survival Kit from the last chapter on Sample Essays, which introduces the sample essays (including the one above about donuts) that follow:
Chapter Eleven
SAMPLE ESSAYS
Here are sample narrative-style college application essays from some of my former tutoring students. Most were written in response to one of The Common Application essay prompts. All are personal statements written in a narrative style.
I believe reading what others have written is one of the best ways to understand the style of narrative essays, as well as to find topic ideas.
See if you can see when the writer uses an “anecdote” or real-life story from his or her own experience. Notice what writing techniques they used to craft their anecdote, to engage your interest and get you to care about what they had to say.
Do they set the scene with a few simple phrases that help you see where it took place? Are there any “sensory details” that shape the scene they are describing: What you would see, hear, smell, taste or feel? Check out how they used a little dialogue to bring the moment to life.
Also, go through these essays and try to spot when the writer is showing with an anecdote, concrete details, specific examples, and when they are telling with analysis, reflection or explanation.
Pay attention to those moments in reading these college application essays when you start to feel something, either a flash of recognition or a moment you really get what they are trying to say. Re-read those parts and try to figure out what exactly caused your reaction.
Did they share something unexpected or something vulnerable about themselves? Did one short sentence help move you through the piece? Was there a kicker at the end that left you satisfied with the essay?
Copy those techniques in your own college application essay!
If you can tell when the writer is using a certain writing technique, you will be that much closer to learning how to use it yourself.
END OF EXCERPT
In upcoming days, I will be sharing
other sample college application essays
in future posts.
Stay tuned!
If you are inspired by sample essays and ready to start you own essay, check out my Jumpstart Guide.
Find more Sample Essays by going to the Find Help By Topic listing on the right sidebar.
The post Sample Essays for College Applications appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 9, 2016
Scholarship Essays: How to Win Big Bucks
Prove You Deserve to Win in Your Scholarship Essays
Scholarship essays are critical if you want to go to college, but can’t afford it. To win them, you usually need to write powerful and personal scholarship essays.
(Yes, QuestBridge applicants, this includes you!)
Scholarship essays are similar to the personal essays you write for college applications. They need to give schools (or sponsors) a sense of who you are, what makes you tick and what you value.
Scholarship essays, however, usually need to go one step further. Applicants need to also show and explain why they deserve to win the scholarship.
Start By Finding Your Problems
The best way to show your readers why you deserve scholarship funds is to help them see what obstacles/problems you have faced in your life so far, and how you handled them, and what you learned in the process.
Here’s a Quick Sample Outline for Writing Your Scholarship Essays:
Describe a real-life example (in the form of a mini-story, moment or incident) of your main problem (These are called anecdotes).
Explain how that made you feel, and the steps you took to deal with that obstacle, and others that relate to it
Share how you thought about that problem, and what you learned by handling it
This blog has many posts filled with ideas on how to write about a problem and turn that into a compelling and meaningful essay.
Start here by reading my Jumpstart Guide or When Your Problem is a Good Thing or How to Show Your Grit.
If you have faced problems in your life, chances are you can qualify for scholarship money.
Is your family considered “low income,” or would you be the first in your family to attend college, or are you somehow “underprivileged” or “at-risk” or a minority?
If you have managed to rise above difficulties in your life despite any of these obstacles (problems), many colleges are looking for you, and want to find ways to help you attend their school. (See below for list of scholarship opportunities.)
Types of “Problems” to Write About in your Scholarship Essays
You have had to take on an unusual amount of responsibility in your home (care for brothers or sisters; grandparent, ill parent, etc.)
You have had to work part-time during high school to help support yourself and family
You have a large family and live with people other than your family
English is your second language
You have been homeless or in foster care
One or both of your parents have been absent in your life for whatever reason (illness, abandonment, alcoholism, death, divorce, etc.)
You have had to commute a long way to attend a special school
Of course, many scholarships have different type of prompts they want you to write about–and read them carefully. But typically, they will ask about your background and these type of issues.
The trick is to pick one of the main problems you have had to deal with, instead of trying to list all of them or showcasing only your good qualities or accomplishments.
Share problems first; then go into what a good job you did at dealing with them!
HIT TIP: To give your essay a sharp focus, look for your personal, real-life stories of moments or times that would illustrate a larger problem you faced.
Example: The time you had to eat tortillas and beans for two weeks in a row–because your dad left and your mom was working two jobs.
Don’t Hold Back in Your Scholarship Essays!
These schools need to hear exactly how hard it has been for you. Including how you felt at your lowest point.
That is the only way they can appreciate what you have gone through, and then learned and grown through the experience.
If you only talk about how strong, independent or determined you are, it won’t have the same impact. They have to understand WHY you had to be that way. And to do that, you need to share your problems.
Don’t worry. No one will think you are whining or complaining or weak because you write about how you had to care for three younger sisters because your mom was addicted to drugs, or how you struggled to learn English because you moved from Mexico during the middle of high school, or how you sometimes didn’t know where your next meal was coming from because your dad left when you were young and your mom struggled cleaning houses just to pay rent.
Invest in Your Future: Research Scholarship Opportunities
It is worth spending time learning how to tell your story. There are literally millions of dollars out there just waiting to help you.
Also, start collecting scholarships you could apply to.
Here are just a few of the scholarships that are out there:
8 Awesome Organizations that Help Low-Income Students
You can also continue searching by Googling “college scholarships,” and ask your teachers or counselors for ideas. Help is out there! You just need to ask.
The post Scholarship Essays: How to Win Big Bucks appeared first on Essay Hell.
February 1, 2016
College Application Essay Writing Podcast: How to Stand Out
Your College Application Essay!
Are you the type of student who would like to learn how to write your college application essay by listening to your headphones rather than reading a book?
If so, you might want to check out the first of a two-part podcast, “How to Stand Out in Your College Essays with Janine Robinson,” where I share all my best advice and tips on how to craft a powerful college application essay during an interview with Steve Schwartz, a professional college admissions counselor.
Steve, who writes the helpful blog GetIntoCollege, has put together a terrific library of podcasts in his College Admissions Toolbox.
So far, he has dozens of informative podcasts where he interviews top college admissions experts on a variety of key topics.
And they are all FREE!
Insider Advice from Top College Admissions Officers!
The most popular podcasts feature current and former college admissions counselors from some of the most competitive universities and colleges, including Cornell, University of California (Berkeley), University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Talk about getting the inside scoop!
There are podcasts about every imaginable college admissions topic, including how to pay for college, score scholarships and nail your interviews, to “How to Get Into An American College from China.”
Check out his Podcast Episode List.
Kwasi Enin
He even has a podcast interview with Kwasi Enin, the wonderboy who got accepted into all 9 ivies, and is currently attending Yale.
Steve just shared the first part of his interview with me on his web site, and will release the second part on Monday, February 8. It will be Episode #44.
So pop on those ear buds or sound-blocking headset, kick back in a cozy chair or your bed and soak up some excellent information about getting into college, and how to write your own college application essay.
The post College Application Essay Writing Podcast: How to Stand Out appeared first on Essay Hell.
