College Essay Dos & Donts

College Essay Dos & Don’ts Okay, maybe I’m overreacting â€" but I cannot for the life of me understand that award. “Most Original” always let me down, and as a result, I hated to be original in any context. In my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, where normality was…well, the norm, I tried to be a typical student â€" absolutely, perfectly normal. I blended into crowds, the definition of typical. Verbally reading your essay will help you catch errors. Start early and be prepared to write several drafts. Write in the first person, craft an interesting narrative, check the tone and strength of your voice, and sharpen your grammar skills. As I read, it is as if the tempest of my thoughts is spelled out on paper. The overflowing sense of hyper-reality in Tim O’Brien’s words of warfare spills into my world. By the end of the research and planning process, you’ll feel energized and ready to write about all this interesting stuff your research has uncovered. Do not lift up your pen or take your fingers off the keys until you are done (you can use a voice recorder, too, and freevoice!). Do not take more than about three seconds between words! You’re not looking for the perfect word, rather you’re looking to be in the perfect FLOW of WHATEVER YOUR MIND COMES UP WITH. “The essay does not have to be about something huge, some life-changing event,” says Calvin Wise, director of recruitment at Johns Hopkins University. Summaries can be useful for bridging the gap between in-scene moments, or reflecting back on an experience and what it meant to you. However, an essay consisting entirely of summary is going to be dry and boring to read. When you’re writing, open up and let your voice come through loud and clear. Be your wonderful, amazing self â€" idiosyncrasies, quirks, and all. Narrow your list, focus on a small event and expand with details. Your thesis statement should reveal your message, one that encompasses both personal reflection and analysis. Use anecdotes, interpretations, and observations that are unique to your life and demonstrate how you think and write. In your conclusion, you wrap everything up in a neat package. I became a person who refused to surprise people. Unsettled, I turn to my ever-present book for comfort. Today it is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, already worn and slightly crumpled. They say the best books tell you what you already know, resonating with your own thoughts and emotions. The more real you are, the more intriguing you will be…and the more the admissions officers will love you. Cabrini University is a Catholic, liberal-arts university dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice. Here’s the conclusion of the Skyline College essay sample. Your intro tells your reader what to expect from your essay. Think of it as a brief roadmap that begins with an intriguing opening line, includes a quick summary of the topic and ideas you’ll present, and concludes with a thesis statement. Restate your thesis in a clear way without repeating it word for word. Leave your reader with a takeaway or something to think about.