Does your college essay stand out?

The college essay is one of the most important parts of your application. While it is important for you to have good grades, rigorous curriculum, and strong standardized test scores, the essay is the part where you get to make yourself stand out as more than just some numbers. You are more than your scores, aren't you?

Your essay is the moment when you get to be YOU on your application. Are you going to write a stuffy essay that sounds like you're doing an English assignment that you didn't want to do in the first place? Or are you going to do your essay as if your future depends on it? Because - get this - your future DOES depend on it.

Imagine the job of an admissions officer: tens of thousands of applications; some great grades, some average ones; some extraordinary SAT scores, some okay scores; recommendation letters; and then ESSAYS. Can you imagine reading thousands of essays and remembering every single one? I can't! But which ones do you think they'll remember? The ones that stand out! And what makes an admission essay stand out? Let's see...

Because the college essay is not the same kind of essay that you write for your high school English teacher, it does not have to have the typical essay introduction, which provides a thesis statement.

1. Your first paragraph has to grab the reader.
You want to grab the admissions officers attention right away. You can't wait for the good stuff to come in the second and third paragraphs; you want them to be EXCITED to get to the second and third paragraphs because the first one is so good.

• Start with a question or bold statement
• Use an interesting quote
• Put the reader in the middle of the story
• Challenge the reader by speaking directly to him/her
• Sometimes even a single word can stand alone as an opening paragraph that will make the reader interested to read on

2. Be a real person
Your voice needs to come across in your essay. You're doing more than just collecting information and putting it together nicely; you're painting a picture of yourself for someone who has no idea who you are. Be honest, be funny, be real.

3. Don't be boring
This is the most important to me, personally. I will help you make sure the grammar and punctuation is right but I won't try to make you sound different than the type of writer you are. But it's up to you to fill the meat of your essay with more than just what you think the college wants to hear. Don't say, "I'm hardworking and outgoing and I've won all these awards." Snooze! How did you get there? How did it feel to get those awards? Or just talk about something completely unrelated to your hardworking-ness and awards and honors and give something more exciting. Pretend your essay is your first date with a college - write it so that you get a second date!

4. Make your essay correct and beautiful
Okay - so for the most part you will be copying and pasting your essay from Word into a box on the online applications. Once upon a time, you could give your essay a little more beautification on paper but using solely online apps takes away from that a little. If you are required to send in a paper essay, or have to upload the word doc, make sure it looks nice! Make sure everything is formatted correctly, and your name is on it. And use a nice font. DON'T USE COMIC SANS. SAY NO TO COMIC SANS.  Also - no spelling errors. Please, for the love of the gods of college essays - no spelling errors.

5. Approach the essay from a different angle
Answer the question a little differently. Maybe answer a question about your hopes by writing about what you do not hope for you in your life. Bury your answer in a story somehow. Save the big reveal of your major choice for the ending. Just something a little different!

6. Be clear and logical
Don't try so hard to make your essay sound so smart and fluffy that nothing you say actually makes sense. Make sure your sentences string together nicely and the story of your essay flows well. When writing your essay, always pretend the person that's reading it has NO IDEA what you're reading about. For example, if you're focusing on football, don't use lingo that you'd only know if you played football. I barely know what a touchdown is; pretend you're writing for me.

7. Leave your reader with a lasting impression
In cross country, you run long distance at a comfortable pace and then you sprint it in at the end; it's your last chance to make all your hard work leave an impression that will be remembered. Do that with your essay. Usually the last part is remembered best, so make your closing strong!

See more info at http://www.collegebasics.com/applying-to-college/admissions-essays/26-seven-ways-to-make-your-college-essay-stand-out.html

-Ms. Miller-Pecora