College Essay Consultant

College Essay Consultant colleges, so a question like “What do you want to major in and why? ” should be tailored to the college that is asking for the supplement. The Common Application also gives you the option of responding to one of 7 different essay prompts. If you will be using the Common App, you’ll be able to choose, and write about, one of these prompts. Admissions officers can easily spot essays that simply swap out one college for anotherâ€"they’ll come off as generic, preventing you from standing out in the admissions pool. Test scores, grades, and AP classes are all important data points, but they don’t allow the real “you” to come through in the college admissions process. If you don't plan on using the Common App, these prompts can still offer insight into a topic you'll likely be writing on for your school of choice. So whether you’re seeking flexibility in your college admission essay or you’re just doing a little preliminary research on likely essay prompts, the Common App is a good place to start. If you fall into the excited category, consider this a complimentary resource. We’ll spotlight some of the essay prompts you’re likely to see, and we provide a few examples of essays that have actually earned students passage into the colleges and universities of their choice. Consider this a good set of references as you hammer out your ideas, and work through your essay drafts. If you succeed, they will look up from reading your essay, and be surprised you aren’t in the room; indeed, they will swear the chair next to them is warm from your having sat in it since Tuesday. If you are applying to 8-10 schools, and will thus be composing 8-10 of these essays, your inclination to take shortcuts is completely understandable. For more expert advice on college essay writing, check out our Application Essay Writing program. My fellow coaches and I will guide you step-by-step through the writing process and help you craft impressive, polished essays. The best way to move forward is to see a college essay as a conversation. If they could, colleges would welcome you to campus and ask you questions for hoursâ€"but if they did that, no one would be admitted to college until they were 43. To accelerate the process, they want you to talk on paper; let them get to know you by giving them a guided tour of your heart, your brain, and your life. Statistical websites like College Factual are tremendously helpful here as well, as are blogs from current and former students, Vlogs, Instagram feeds â€" anything and everything is fair game. Cite a wide range of sources in your essay to show the depth of your research. Visit our Writing Lab for more writing tips, pertaining both to your college essay, and to the array of other writing challenges you’ll face in college or graduate school. This advice applies to most creative writing situations. For instance, if you write about wanting to study biology in college, don’t simply discuss you passion for biology and your past experiences in the subject. Instead, tie it directly to professors, curriculum, and research resources at the college in question. We assume some well-meaning English teacher shared this advice with you in high school. Admissions officers aren’t interested in a timeline of events or a bullet-list of accomplishments. What they’re really seeking is a story, a personal narrative, a reflection that carries subtext. That story shows your hard work, dedication, and generosity without ever referring explicitly to these fantastic qualities. Just make sure that these timesavers don’t turn into admissions-killers. To put it another way, in a world where everything else is equal between the applicants, a good essay can make a difference. There are, however, different ways to write college essays that can increase your chance for an admission offer and things you can do that may hurt your chances. Reading the school’s website is not a bad start, as it will give you a basic overview of what’s on offer. Keep an eye peeled for course listings, recent news events, maps and descriptions of important campus buildings, student run organizations, and other key terms. Then take those terms and plug them right into Google, Youtube and Linkedin! After reading links on the things that interest you, you’ll understand it almost as well as someone at the school!