College Essay – Writing | Applying To College

March 17, 2017
by Sharon Epstein 7 Comments

How to Write 2017 Common Application Essay 1: Background, Identity, Interest or Talent

Do you know how to write your best Common Application essay?

Do you know which Common App essay prompt is right for you? Or even how to choose?

Some schools read tens of thousands of essays a year. So it’s important for your college essay to stand out.

In this series of posts, I’ll give you tips on how your Common Application essay can stand out.

You’ll learn:

What schools look for in Common Application essay answers
How to choose an essay prompt
How to avoid college essay pitfalls

I’ll give you essay examples, too.

First — let’s start with Common Application Essay basics:

The 2017 Common Application has seven prompts (up from five last year). You answer one of them.
The Common App essay must be between 250-650 words.
You can’t upload more than 650 words (or fewer than 250).
Not every school accepts the Common Application, so check every college on your list for its essay requirements.
Click here for the entire list of 2017 Common App essay prompts.

There are two new prompts this year. The Common Application wants to make sure every student finds a question that’s inspiring.

What do schools look for in a Common Application essay?

Your writing skills
Your ability to communicate your ideas
Your personality on the page. (What you care about, what makes you laugh, think, hope, dream, care, stay up at night. In other words, what’s meaningful to you and why.)
Often, a learning or growth experience

Common Application Essay Instructions

What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.

What should you know about these instructions? They’re open-ended on purpose. You can write about anything that’s important to you, that inspires you, that you care about—in other words, what helps makes you, you. Just make sure you know what your good qualities are, and what you want the schools to know about you.

Tip: If you’re not sure what your best qualities are, download my positive qualities worksheet, which will help you figure them out. Then you’re on your way.

Okay, ready? Here we go…

Common Application Essay Prompt #1:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Is this Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

Background — Identity — Interest — Talent — Meaningful — Incomplete without it.

Do these Keywords Apply to You?

“Background, identity, interest, talent.” These words are meant to spark your imagination. Think about what’s shaped your life: Is it who you are…where you’re from…what you love…how you think…a hobby you just learned? You can write about almost anything as long as it’s important to the person you’ve grown to be.

“Meaningful” means that this experience has shaped you in a fundamental way—It has influenced your choices, outlook, perspective and/or goals.

Your application would be “incomplete without it.” You need to tell this story in order for people to fully understand you. You also haven’t told it anywhere else in your application.

Choose this Prompt IF:

1. This experience helped shape you in a positive way.
2. If you didn’t tell this story, the admissions committee wouldn’t fully understand you.
3. Your topic doesn’t fit any of the other prompts.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

It has to mean something. Sure, you may like to swim or travel, but unless it’s a meaningful experience that helped define you in some way, it doesn’t qualify. You have to satisfy the keywords.

Don’t omit what you learned. Even though the prompt doesn’t specify it, make sure to include what you’ve learned or how you’ve grown from your experience. This is essential for a complete answer.

Don’t sound like anyone else. Choose an original topic. Definitely avoid writing about sports or mission trips—they’ve been written about so much most of them sound stale. It’s better to think about what else makes you stand out. If you’ve got the best recipe for sticky buns or like to hunt for fossils, and you can link that to who you are, that’s going to be a more original topic.

Examples of 2 Successful Essay Topics:

“Road Trip”

My student, Jeff, was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom were a lot older (one was in the Marine Corps and one was a teacher). Jeff was proud that the example his brothers set had helped him become responsible and mature, and he wanted to write about it. So he chose the summer they invited him on their cross-country trip, and the night they found themselves heading into a dangerous storm.

The two older brothers began arguing: One wanted to be safe and stop for the night and the other wanted to make it to their destination on time. Jeff recognized his brothers were at an impasse, so he checked the forecast and radar maps and figured out they could avoid the storm by taking a less direct route to their destination. When they stopped for gas, Jeff got out of the car and presented his solution. When they voiced their concerns, he calmly answered all of their questions. Eventually, his brothers agreed to continue to Denver using the longer route. When they got back in the car they asked Jeff to navigate.

By keeping a level head and finding the right way to communicate with his brothers, Jeff was able to facilitate a solution that satisfied everyone. He was proud that he helped lead them safely to their destination, and even more so that he lived up to the examples of responsibility and maturity that his brothers had taught him.

Why Does this College Essay Topic Succeed?

All the keywords are addressed. Jeff couldn’t talk about his identity without writing about his family. The example his brothers set for him made him expect a lot of himself and become a responsible leader in many of his daily activities. It was central to who he was.
He learned from his experience. By being mature and thoughtful he found that he could make a positive difference in a difficult situation.

“Ballet Dancer”

Marina was such an accomplished ballet dancer that she studied with the prestigious Bolshoi ballet in New York. Everyone, including her family, assumed that she’d turn professional. Instead, she decided to become a nutritionist. Marina wrote about her love of ballet and how it exposed her to a hidden world of young dancers with eating disorders. Ballet led her to a new goal: helping dancers stay healthy.

Why Does this College Essay Topic Succeed?

All the keywords are addressed. Marina couldn’t tell her story without writing about dance. It was central to her identity and her application would be incomplete without it.
She learned from her experience. Her perspective as a dancer showed her what she wanted to do with her future.

Example of a Poor Essay Topic:

Alex enjoyed driving his car. He liked to ride for hours listening to his favorite music and taking twists and turns he didn’t know, just see where he would end up. Sometimes he drove so far that he had to use his GPS to get home.

Why Does this College Essay Topic Fail?

The keywords are not addressed. This is a nice story, and probably would be interesting to read. But the student doesn’t indicate anywhere how or why it’s central to who he is or what his talents are. If he didn’t write about this activity, no one would miss it.
There’s no learning or growing experience.

Is Common App essay prompt 1 a good choice for an original, memorable topic? Absolutely.

Everyone has a background, identity, talent or interest. Brainstorm. See if you can come up with one, two, or three answers to this question. Have fun! Be silly, serious, original, provocative. Make connections and see where they take you. You might just arrive at a wonderful, meaningful, and memorable Common Application essay personal statement.

Next time: How to write Common Application essay prompt #2.

Read the entire series:
How to Write Common App Prompt #1: Background, Talent, Identity, or Interest
How to Write Common App Prompt #2: The Lessons We Take From Obstacles
How to Write Common App Prompt #3: Challenged a Belief or Idea
How to Write Common App Prompt #4: A Problem You’ve Solved or Would Like to Solve
How to Write Common App Prompt #5: An Accomplishment, Event, or Realization
Coming Soon:
How to Write Common App Prompt #6: Topic, Idea or Concept that Makes You Lose Track of Time
How to Write Common App Prompt #7: Topic of Your Choice

For the entire list of 2017 Common App essay prompts click here.
If you’re not familiar with the Common Application, go to their website. They also have a very helpful Facebook page.

Sharon Epstein is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee, teaching students around the world how to master interview skills, write resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. She works with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, FaceTime, Skype and email. Visit my website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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March 11, 2017
by Sharon Epstein 1 Comment

Writing Term Papers—How to Turn a Messy First Draft into a Final Paper

Writing Term Papers—How to turn a messy draft into a final paper Guest blogger: Joanna Novins
Part 3 of the Series “Becoming Unstuck”

In my first two posts, Beating Term Paper Panic and Avoiding Verbal Gridlock, I promised I’d discuss how to develop an outline from a messy first draft and use it to transform your first draft into a finished paper.

There’s no law that says you must have an outline to write a draft. Indeed, you may find it easier to craft an outline after you’ve written your first draft

Like most students, you’ve probably had it drilled into you that before you sit down to write you must create an outline. But to return to my Legos metaphor, dumping and sorting often helps you build faster and more efficiently; dumping your ideas and sorting them afterwards can often help you write faster and more efficiently. It’s easier to see patterns and trends after you’ve gotten them all down on the page.

However, you do need an outline to write a paper. Your outline is the road map that will take your writing from draft to finished paper.

So, what’s the next step?

Group together the information that defines the topic of your paper. Papers, no matter what the topic, are a type of storytelling; think of this as your “scene setter” or your “once upon a time” paragraph. To use a simple example, if your paper was about Little Red Riding Hood, this would be the paragraph that explains who Red Riding Hood is.

Group together the information that explains the history, or background, affecting your topic. To continue the storytelling metaphor, think of this as the “back story” paragraph. Once Red Riding Hood is introduced, we need to understand what motivates her to go into the woods.

Group together the players, or elements, that are affected by, or have a stake in the topic. Who are the characters waiting in the woods, or the elements of the woods, that will affect Red Riding Hood’s journey?

Decide an “order of importance.” When you group together the elements of your topic or story, the amount and type of information in each group should give you a sense of what order to place them in. You may find organizing your paper by most influential to least influential element works best, or you might find a chronology works best. Either way, choose the method that makes your “storytelling” easiest and clearest. (Editor’s note: Don’t be afraid of easy. If you’re doing something right, it should feel easy.)

If you’re struggling to make an idea clear, try breaking it down into more detailed parts.

A good rule of thumb is that a well-constructed paragraph contains five sentences: Your first sentence introduces the idea or concept you’re going to address in the paragraph, your next three provide evidence/facts/quotes/or arguments that reinforce the idea or concept. Your final sentence wraps up the idea and/or draws a conclusion. It may also introduce the transition to the next paragraph’s idea.

If your paragraph is too long, chances are your outline needs more categories. The more you separate out and simplify your ideas, the easier it will be to express them, and the clearer your writing will be. The story of Red Riding Hood works better if the wolf, the grandmother, and the woodcutter are each introduced separately rather than all at the same time.

If your paragraph is too short, you probably need more evidence to make your argument. Look for quotes, events, or other specific details that will support the argument you’ve made in the paragraph’s introductory sentence. If you can’t find any, it may be an indication that the idea or argument isn’t significant enough, or persuasive enough to fit into your paper.

Your topic “groupings” become your outline. Write them down. Your outline will serve as visual map of the structure of your paper.

Don’t forget to refer back to your original assignment. Make sure your outline incorporates all the topics and actions you’ve been asked to include.

Use your outline, the assignment, and any rubric you’ve been given as a checklist before you turn your paper in. Don’t forget to run a spell check and to Google any terms, titles, or authors’ names to make sure you’ve got the correct spelling and punctuation. Finally, read your paper out loud. It will help you catch missing words and errors a spell check will miss.

A Final Note

You probably know your outline should include an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. But just because you list the introductory paragraph first, doesn’t mean you must write it first.

In my previous blog, I talked about “verbal gridlock.” Verbal gridlock is often caused by trying to get part of the paper “perfect.” Students are frequently told that a strong introductory paragraph is the most important part of a paper.

Strong introductions are important, but they’re often easier to write after you’ve completed the bulk of the paper. Unless you’re required to hand in a thesis statement in advance of your paper, you might find it easier not to write your introduction first.

Think of it this way; after you’ve recounted Red Riding Hood’s adventures, you’ll have a clearer sense of who she is and what impact her character and actions have had on the story. Not surprisingly, you’ll now have an easier time of writing a more in-depth introduction to her. And after you’ve written your introduction, you will probably find writing a conclusion comes more naturally.

Try writing your introduction and conclusion one after the other. Conclusions are essentially the companion piece to the introduction. For example, if the introduction discusses Red Riding Hood’s character and its impact on the story, the conclusion might discuss a moral, lesson learned from her character and behavior, or what might have happened had she behaved differently.

Now relax. You’ve got this.

Read the entire “Becoming Unstuck” series:
Writing Term Papers—6 Steps for Beating Term Paper Panic
Writing Term Papers–How to Avoid Verbal Gridlock

If you need help with your writing skills, First Impressions College Consulting can guide you through the writing process to make it easier and more effective. Gain confidence in your writing. Contact www.firstimpressionscollegeconsulting.com.

With over two decades of writing experience for the Central Intelligence Agency and the commercial fiction market, multi-published author and writing consultant Joanna Novins understands the importance of hooking the reader with the first line. She also understands the importance of telling a great story, whether it’s about manufacturing solid propellant missiles, happily-ever-after, or marketing yourself or your work. She has extensive experience working with writers of differing skill levels, from senior intelligence analysts and published authors to aspiring authors and high school students. Joanna is a writing consultant for First Impressions College Consulting. You can reach her at www.joannanovins.com or www.firstimpressionscollegeconsulting.com

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March 4, 2017
by Sharon Epstein 4 Comments

3 Ways to Start an Interesting College Essay

How do you start your college essay in an interesting way?

It’s important to know, because if you put your reader to sleep in the first few sentences, well…

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

So how do you make your first paragraph interesting?

Easy. Grab the reader’s attention. Entice him into wanting more. Create intrigue, excitement or suspense, so she’s excited to learn how your story turns out.

You’ll almost always find success.

Here’s the secret:

Just know three solid writing techniques and choose the one that’s best for you.

Here are 3 Great Ways to Start Your College Admissions Essay:

1. Start Where Your Action or Conflict Begins.

There are two kinds of action or conflict: 1. Physical and 2. Mental.
Physical action or conflict is fairly self explanatory—there’s some kind of action going on in your story. (You’re breaking through the starting gate, tearing apart your bedroom, discovering a fossil.) Mental action or conflict is similar—something interesting is happening, but it’s something you’re thinking about. (You’re making a decision, attempting something out of your comfort zone, taking a chance.)

Examples

“My body tenses, the anticipation prying doubts from my head, forcing me to tighten my grip and lock my jaw in preparation. It’s time.”

“I plant my Giant Slalom poles into the snow and push my shivering body through the starting gate.”

“We sit in the very back row of the dark auditorium, watching, waiting, as the curtain begins to rise.”

Starting with action works because:

It plunges the reader directly into your story
It builds excitement
It grabs the reader’s interest and makes him or her want to find out more

Don’t make this mistake: Some students start their stories at the very beginning chronologically—like the day they started school or came down the stairs on Christmas morning.

Yawn.

That’s like starting a fairy tale at “Once upon a time.” (“Once upon a time there were deep dark woods and all the creatures who lived there, and the woods were very scary…”) You’re forced to wade through tons of description before you get to the interesting stuff—like when Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf or the witch shoves Hansel into her oven.

Shove Hansel into the oven right away—start where the action begins.

Hot Tip: If you’re not sure where your action begins, write your story from beginning to end and then find the place something interesting starts to happen. It’s often several paragraphs from the beginning.

Before and After Action Example

A few years ago one of my students interned in an E.R. This is what he wrote to start his essay:

Before: “I spent my summer vacation interning in the emergency room of a hospital in Seattle.”

Blah.

It was boring. There was no action. Nothing happened. I asked him, What can you show us? What were you thinking? When did something interesting start to happen? This is how he revised it:

After: “The bloody gurney wheeled past me. I closed my eyes and prayed for the strength not to pass out.”

Fantastic! This is a vivid, energetic snapshot of the E.R. There’s both physical action (the gurney being wheeled) and mental conflict (the student doesn’t want to pass out). The student transported us into his world.

Give Background Info Later in Your Essay

Did you notice the student’s new sentence doesn’t mention he’s an intern, in Seattle, or even that he’s in a hospital?

Explain your background information later in your essay. This writing technique works! (Think about it—would you want to see a movie after your friend just told you the whole story?) By revealing your story as you go along, you create suspense and excitement for the story to come. You’ll make you reader WANT to keep reading to find out more.

Here’s the second method for how to start your college essay:

2. Start With an Intriguing Statement.

Starting with an intriguing statement works well if your essay has less action and focuses more on your point of view or the way you think.

Here are three examples:

“I’m done giving up.”

“I hate taking showers.”

“I love strangers.”

An intriguing statement works because:

The statement itself is interesting
It tells the reader only part of the story
It creates anticipation for the story to come
It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out more

Try it. When you read the examples I gave you above, did you want to know why the student stopped giving up or why someone would hate to take showers? If you said yes, then you’ve been hooked by the power of an intriguing statement.

Here’s writing technique number three:

3. Ask a Question.

“Why did I quit the football team?”

A question works because:

The question itself is interesting
The writer hints at only part of his story
The writer builds anticipation for the story he’s about to tell

The technique here is simple: When you ask a question your reader will automatically keep reading to see how it all turns out. And that’s mission accomplished.

So…

Start with action, a question, or an intriguing statement. Grab your reader’s attention right away. You’ll be on your way to an interesting and memorable college application essay.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2015 and has been revamped and updated to include additional information and examples.

Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She’s a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee, teaching students around the world how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. I work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype, FaceTime and email. Visit my website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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February 21, 2017
by Sharon Epstein Leave a comment

Writing College Admissions Essays -Trying to Stand Out

I just ran across a blog I wrote and never posted. It’s about how to help your college application essay get noticed. When I discovered it yesterday, sitting in my files, patiently waiting for me to recall its existence, I realized it’s the perfect post for this time of year. The 2017 Common Application essay prompts have just been published, and while February’s too soon to start writing it is time to start thinking about how you can make your essay stand out.

After a bit of tweaking, this is the post:

A lot of students ask me this question:

How do I get colleges to notice me? There are so many qualified applicants, how do I stand out?

Here’s what I—and lots of my colleagues—say:

It’s got to be about you. Not just what you do, not necessarily what you’ve accomplished. You.

What does that mean?

In an Ivy Admissions article posted on College Confidential, Karl Furstenberg, former Dartmouth College Dean of Admissions, says that in order to separate well-qualified candidates he looks “at the intangibles.” Intangibles go beyond what you can quantify (measure), like grades, accomplishments, or even an activity list.

It’s like judging a music competition where all the competitors play the correct keys. In order to choose the best, the judges must look beyond the notes. They look for what moves them.

College applicants must display their “musicianship”—“those personal aspects that add nuance and passion to the application.” In pianistic terms, the article says, “they must perform the notes that lie between the keys.”

“Between the keys” is who you are: What are you values? What do you stand for? What do you care about? Where does your heart lie? These are the intangibles that schools look for in your college application essays. This is what will separate you from the crowd.

Do This!

If you want to stand out, start by figuring out “who am I?” and “what do I want the colleges to know about me?” Make a list of your positive qualities. Write down examples of how you’ve demonstrated them in your life. List what you love, from your rock collection to your family to your dream of flying in space. Everyone’s list will be different. That’s the point. It needs to be about you.

Make sure you take the time to think, brainstorm, and understand why you care about what you do. Take the time to find yourself between the keys.

Because the difference probably isn’t going to be your grades. It’s going to be you.

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Find your story. Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She’s a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee who teaches students how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. I work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype, Facetime and email. Visit my website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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February 9, 2017
by Sharon Epstein 8 Comments

2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts

Great news!

The Common Application personal statement essay prompts are out for 2017-2018. They’re new and improved: There are now 7 questions instead of 5. Best of all, there are more possibilities for writing an essay that has impact and lets your personality shine through.

Juniors: This absolutely doesn’t mean you have to amp up the stress and start writing in February. But do read the Common App prompts and give yourself time to think. Write stuff down. Take photos. Brainstorm ideas. Then, when it’s time to start writing, you’ll have you’ll have exciting places to begin.

Common App essay requirements:

You answer one of seven prompts.
The maximum essay length is 650 words.

Here are the 2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts:

Instructions: What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

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.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Tip: Check out this article on the Common Application prompts by Scott Anderson, Senior Director at The Common Application. He provides excellent insight into how to think about these questions.

Interesting Stats from 2015-2016 Applications:

More than 800,000 applicants submitted a Common Application
47 percent chose to write about their background, identity, interest, or talent – making it the most frequently selected prompt
22 percent wrote about an accomplishment
10 percent wrote about a problem solved

For more information, go to the Common Application website or The Common App’s Facebook page.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing insights, question by question, to help students understand, think about, and write outstanding college application essays.

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June 28, 2016
by Sharon Epstein Leave a comment

College Essay Time Management for LD Students

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities just published an article in their newsletter about time management for kids with LD.

While it’s not specifically about writing college application essays, a lot of the same advice applies—such as breaking down tasks down into manageable pieces, making tasks achievable and keeping track of time. I’ve also found that if students are taking medication for a condition that affects learning (such as ADHD), that it’s helpful if they’re on the medication when they sit down to write—it can make the process more successful.

Enjoy the article.

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Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee. First Impressions tutors are award-winning writers and authors who teach students how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. We work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype, FaceTime and email. Visit our website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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June 11, 2016
by Sharon Epstein 11 Comments

College Essay Help: How To Start Writing Your College Essay

how to start writing your college essay Not long ago a student called me. His guidance counselor asked him to write his college application essay and he wanted to brainstorm ideas. But then he confessed:

“I don’t even know where to start.”

That’s when I realized I needed to write this post. Because by the time you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to start writing your college application essay personal statement—and have lots of ideas as well.

How Start Writing Your College Application Essay

1. Read Other College Application Essays. Get a feel for college essays by reading samples you can find online and in books. Some schools post their best essays online, including Hamilton College, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins. I especially like Johns Hopkins because you can read comments from their admissions officers, who tell you what they like about each essay.

Tip: Google the schools on your college list and see if they post college admissions essays. A good search term is “Essays that Worked.”

2. Use What You Read as Inspiration, Not Competition. This comment is for all the students who read sample essays and think they can “never write anything as good.” What makes an essay good is that the author has dug deep and put a part of him or herself directly on the page—it’s honest and written from the heart. That’s exactly what you need to do with your story—be honest and write from your heart. So get inspired, not intimidated.

3. Here Are Three More Things You Can Learn From Reading Essays:

Structure.

There are lots of ways to structure an essay. An essay can be one story or a series of events; it can take place in one moment or over a longer period of time; it can be told chronologically or out-of-order; it can take place in the past or present tense (Or, if you want to get fancy, both.)

Find an essay or two you like and take a look at how they’re structured. If you find one that inspires you, that may be the structure for you.

Writing Techniques.

Good essays use good writing techniques. Pay special attention to how the writer grabs your attention from the beginning. (Read 3 Ways to Start an Interesting College Essay.) Focus on how the writer uses detail to illustrate the story’s look, feel, sound, taste and smell. Then read it out loud. (Yes, really!) I want you to notice that when sentences are different lengths the essay flows better. These are all super writing techniques you can use.

Personality.

Everybody has a personality. (Okay, almost everybody.) But if your personality’s not in the essay, how’s the college going to get to know you? More important, how will they separate you from the next student, or the next 50 students?

Take this essay personality quiz: When you’re finished reading a sample essay ask yourself these questions: Did you get a sense of the writer’s personality and values? Could you strike up an interesting conversation with this person? Do you think he or she has told you one of the most important things about him or herself? Would the writer make a good college student? You should be able to answer yes to all of those questions. That’s what your essay should do, too.

Now, Make It Work for You!

4. Identify Your Positive Qualities. Are you kind? Compassionate? Determined? One of the best ways to create a unique essay is to showcase your positive qualities. Identifying your positive qualities can often help you find a topic, too.

Get started! Download my worksheet on Finding Your Positive Qualities. You’ll be on your way.

5. Brainstorm Every Possibility. Get creative! Never set limits on your ideas until you’ve thought of everything.

6. Display Your Passion. What do you love? What do you care about? What motivates you to learn and be curious outside the classroom? Get excited to write about what puts a fire under your feet and you’ll make your college reader excited, too. Passion is contagious!

7. You Don’t Need a Unique Topic, Just a Personal Approach. If you have an original topic, go for it. But the truth is, lots of students are passionate about similar events like travel, family and sports. If that’s the case, you must, must, must find an approach that’s unique to you. How do you do that? Show us the world from your point of view. If you want to write about sports, for instance, don’t write about winning “the big game”—think about why that sport matters to you. One of my students wrote about her love-hate relationship with her workout routine and used it to show her passion for rowing. Your essay should reflect your personality—no one else should be able to write it but you.

8. Be Someone Colleges Want to Accept. Colleges want students they feel will succeed now and far into the future. So show them you’re the person they’re looking for. Have you been through a tough situation? Show you’re resilient. Have you had to make decisions? Show you’re responsible. Write about your curiosity, your courage, your problem-solving skills—whatever is special to you. Get colleges excited in what you care about, and give them a great reason to accept you.

So…put your passion and heart on the page. Present it from your point of view. Show the colleges you’re ready to head into your future.

Now that you know how to start, you’re on your way.

Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee, teaching students around the world how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. I work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype, FaceTime and email. Visit my website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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May 23, 2016
by Sharon Epstein 1 Comment

How to Write Common Application Essay Prompt #5: Transition from Childhood to Adulthood

The Common Application essay prompts are out.

How do you choose which essay to write?

In this 5 part series I help you figure out which question on the 2016 Common Application essay is right for you.

For the complete list of 2016 Common App essay questions click here .

We’re down to the last one. Whew!

Ready for #5? Let’s do it!

Common Application Essay Prompt #5:

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Is this Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

“Accomplishment or Event” … “Transition from Childhood to Adulthood” … “Culture, Community or Family”

What the Keywords Mean:

“Accomplishment or event” is a very broad phrase. That’s good! It means you can choose almost anything you’ve done, experienced or accomplished.
“Transition from childhood to adulthood.” Don’t feel quite like an adult yet? That’s okay—you can still answer the question. The Common App really wants to know how you’ve become more mature or responsible over time.
- Ask yourself these questions: Have you taken on more responsibility? Do you make decisions in a more mature way? Are you more dependable? Do you teach younger students what you’ve been taught? Does your family or community ask you for advice on an issue you’ve become knowledgeable about? Have you been through a religious or cultural rite of passage that was meaningful to you? There are many ways we grow into adulthood.

Still Looking for a Topic?

Here are a few more questions you can ask yourself: Did you set a goal for yourself that you achieved? Did you work hard at a task, hobby, or skill that you eventually were able to master? Did you have a relationship with an important person that helped shape you? Did you have a life event that forced you to take on more responsibility? Did you have an experience that helped you become more compassionate or understanding? Did you experience a traumatic event that made you see the world in a different way? Did you need to find a way to get yourself out of a difficult situation? Did you start your own business? Did you learn how to allocate your own money? These are just a few ideas—make sure to keep thinking!

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Don’t forget to include a learning experience. Although the prompt doesn’t specifically ask for it, colleges want to know how you grew or what you learned from your experience. How did your experience shape your attitude, outlook or actions? How did it help you become the person you are today? Make sure to tell them.

Essay Topic Example

“Dance Studio”

A young woman began dancing before she could tie her shoes. The tradition at her dance studio was that the older dancers mentored the younger ones. As she grew older and became more accomplished, she started teaching the younger students. Now she helps them in the studio and outside of dance. As she has matured, the student has learned what it takes to be a friend and mentor, and is helping continue her dance studio’s tradition.

Is this Example Successful? Yes.

All the keywords are addressed.
- The student writes about an accomplishment in her community.
- Her transition from child to young adult is marked by taking on more responsibility and becoming a teacher and mentor to the younger dancers.
She learned from her experience.
- The student has matured and become more responsible.

What Can Colleges Learn About You From This Question?

Your level of maturity.
- Schools can get a feeling for how well you will interact with your peers and instructors, your decision-making abilities, and even your possible leadership skills.
Your ability to develop important relationships within your family, culture, or community.
- Schools can learn what kind of community member you will be at college.
The kind of idea or experience that’s truly meaningful to you.
- Your essay topic tells the school a great deal about what’s important to you. Make sure you choose a topic that is meaningful to you and says good things about you.

We’re done! We’ve covered all the prompts. If you’ve read the blog posts I’ve written on how to answer each question, you should be able to choose the right topic and write an essay that makes you shine. If you have any questions, drop me a line and let me know.

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Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee. First Impressions tutors teach students how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. We work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype and email. Visit our website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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May 9, 2016
by Sharon Epstein 1 Comment

How to Write 2016 Common Application Essay #3: Reflect On a Time When You Challenged a Belief or Idea

Hooray! You’re applying to college!

How do you choose which Common Application essay to write?

In this 5-part series I help you figure out which 2016 Common Application question is right for you.

For the entire list of 2016 Common Application essay prompts click here.

Ready for number 3? Let’s do it!

Common Application Essay Prompt #3:

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

Is This Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

“Challenged a belief or idea” …“Prompted you to act”…”Would you make the same decision again?”

When Should You Choose This Essay?

Answer this question ONLY IF:

You were confronted with a belief or idea which you felt compelled to challenge or change.

What are Colleges Looking For?

Colleges are looking for your critical thinking skills. Show them your thought process (the steps you took to make your decision) and then reflect on your experience (which will show them maturity and insight).

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Understand the keywords. “Challenged a belief or idea” means that you took some kind of action either on your own behalf or on the behalf of someone or something else.
This question has THREE parts—don’t leave one out. Discuss what prompted you to act, then reflect on your decision and say whether you’d do it again.
Don’t forget to include a learning experience. What did you learn? How did you grow?
Caution: You never want to offend your reader. Remember that a belief or idea you disagree with could be one that your reader accepts, so always watch your tone and be respectful when needed.

Not Sure this Question Relates to You?
Here are 3 ways you might answer this question:

Were you told by an adult that you wouldn’t be successful in an activity, but you chose to pursue it anyway?
Did you challenge what a group of friends told you to do because you thought they were wrong?
Did you see someone being treated unfairly (perhaps even yourself) and attempt to rectify it?

What Other Kinds of Beliefs or Ideas Can You Consider?

It can be a belief or idea held by others (including friends, schoolmates and family).
It can be a belief or idea you’ve been taught (including your attitude or action toward others, or how something should or shouldn’t be done).
It can also be your own belief—something that’s unique to you. What if you thought your sister came from Mars? (Okay, that’s silly.) But sometimes we have our own ideas: Consider the student who thinks being loudest is the best way to gain attention, or the girl who thinks she’s happiest being alone. What if the student realized he’d rather have friends than negative attention, or the girl pushed herself out of her comfort zone to find out she enjoyed being a leader at school? Think about what you believed when you were younger, and if your ideas changed, why. If your experience is meaningful and says positive things about you (and answers the question), this prompt could be for you.

Which brings me to:

Should you write about religion? You can. I’ve had students who’ve written about different aspects of their spiritual journey, whether it was trying to conform to their parents’ religion or searching for their own truth. But remember the caution: You don’t want to offend your reader. So along with topic choice, consider the tone of your writing. For instance, it’s a lot different to say you felt a need to find your own spiritual path than to say you hated a specific religion and couldn’t wait to get out of there.

Tip from College Admissions Officers: Some admissions officers tell me that many essays about spiritual journeys are starting to sound very similar to them. So if you want to write about your spiritual journey, find an original approach that makes your essay stands out. If it starts to feel generic, dig deeper into who you are and how this topic reflects your values, your ability to problem solve, or your goals. (Give the colleges good reasons to want to admit you.) If you’re not sure it will stand out, switch topics.

Example of a Successful Essay Topic:

A student’s elementary school teacher wasn’t a kind woman and picked on many of the children in her class. As a result, the student’s self-esteem suffered and her grades dropped. It took a long time for the student to learn to stand up for herself, but when she finally did she started to excel. In high school, she became a leader and mentor and spoke to teens about how to combat bullying. She taught them the harmful power of words, and how to use words in a positive way. In her essay she explained why she would make the same decision again: “My passion for making a difference stems from my own experiences where negative criticism created a lasting effect on me…Becoming emotionally and physically independent and having the confidence to challenge social norms have become the most powerful tools in my possession.”

Is This Topic Successful? Yes.

All the keywords are addressed. The student told her story, described what prompted her to act, and explained why she would make the same decision again.
She included a learning experience. Once she learned to stand up for herself, the student took on the role of a mentor and leader, and worked to combat bullying.
She conveyed positive qualities. This student exhibited personal strength and moral character. She was able to pull herself out of a difficult situation to personally excel and to help others.
She gave colleges excellent reasons to admit her: She was a leader, a compassionate human being, and someone with high standards who wanted to make a difference.

Reasons Essay Prompt #3 Can Work for You:

You can communicate your level of maturity.
You can highlight your critical thinking skills.
You can demonstrate that you’re open-minded and have respect for the beliefs and ideas of others.
You can show that your choices or ideas had an impact.
Interesting Fact: Last year, this was the least-answered Common App essay prompt. Since admissions officers won’t read as many of these essay answers, your topic could have a better chance of standing out.

Tip: It’s okay to say you wouldn’t make the same decision again. Colleges want to see that you have the maturity and perspective to understand your actions. Just remember—by the end of the essay you should be saying positive things about yourself.

For more information on the Common Application visit their website. They also have a very helpful Facebook page.

Next time: How to Write Common App prompt #4.

Also in this series:
For the entire list of 2016 Common App essay prompts click here.

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Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee. First Impressions teaches students how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. We work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, video and email. Visit our website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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May 2, 2016
by Sharon Epstein 1 Comment

How to Write 2016 Common Application Essay #2: The Lessons We Take From Failure

Have you ever failed at something? I mean really tanked.

And when you look back on that experience, did you learn from it? Or know what you’d do differently the next time around?

Then Common Application Essay prompt #2 may be for you.

In this post, I’ll teach you what you need to know to write Common Application Essay prompt #2 (The lessons we take from failure).

Are you ready for Common Application Prompt #2? Here we go…

Common Application Essay Prompt #2:

The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Is This Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

“Lessons”…”Failure”…“Affect you“...”Learn”

Do the Keywords Apply to You?

Answer yes IF

You tried something and failed, took a risk that didn’t pay off, or made a decision that turned out to be faulty.
AND you learned from your experience.
AND you can examine (analyze) your failure objectively.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Don’t wallow in your failure. This answer isn’t really about failure; it’s about how the failure affected you and what you learned from it. Mention the failure and move on.
This question has three parts—make sure you answer ALL of them: Your experience, how it affected you, and what positive lessons you learned.
Academic failures don’t often make the best essays. Many students end up with a bad grade or marking period, but is the Common App essay the place to write about it? The pitfall here is that if you’re not careful, your essay can sound like a lot of other students’ essays. (“I worked hard and learned that I could persevere.”) Remember: always look for an original approach to your essay—fully explore why this topic is meaningful to you and show how you pushed through this challenge. If your gut says it’s a common topic, sounds boring, or doesn’t differentiate you from other applicants, then choose another topic. If you need to explain a bad grade or marking period and decide not to do it in your Common App essay, you can use the additional information section of your application instead.

Essay Topic Example:

A student started a snowplow business using his ATV. But the ATV couldn’t plow deep snow, and one night, when eight inches of snow fell, the plow got stuck in his driveway. The student knew his customers were counting on him, so he worked all night to shovel out the ATV. After that, he realized he needed to better serve his customers by upgrading his equipment. Eventually, the student traded his ATV for a truck with a plow, which in turn made his business more successful. He also decided that he wanted to pursue a business career.

Is this Topic Successful? Yes.

• All the keywords are addressed. The student told his story, examined how his failure affected him, and then wrote about the positive lessons he learned.
• It also showed that he had good character (see the next paragraph).

Are You Uncomfortable Discussing Failure?

DON’T BE. Colleges look for character-building stories and problem solving skills.

In fact, Christine Hamilton, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Sacred Heart University, says she sees a lot of failure essays, and that’s okay with her. She learns a lot about the character of incoming students when they write about failure. As the prompt says, the lessons we learn from failure can be “fundamental to later success.“

Seeing How You’ve Weathered Adversity Can Give Schools a Good Reason to Want to Accept You.

Think about it—when you get to college you’ll probably face some bumps in the road. You might have a tough class, want to change your major, or even have a roommate that’s not exactly what you expected. And since schools don’t have a crystal ball to see how you’ll handle challenges, they’ll look to see how you’ve dealt with them in the past.

So consider this—if your college essay compares your personality to the types of shoes in your closet (please don’t), schools won’t have a clue about how you’ll manage when the going gets tough. But! If you write about the lessons you learned from failure, you’ll be demonstrating your ability to handle unexpected obstacles. And bingo—the schools will be able to envision how you could successfully handle college and beyond.

CAUTION: Never write about failures that include very risky behavior or anything illegal (such as drugs and underage drinking).

Next time: How to write Common Application essay prompt #3.

For the entire list of 2016 Common Application essay prompts click here.
If you’re not familiar with the Common Application, click here for more info.

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Sharon Epstein is owner of First Impressions College Consulting in Redding, Connecticut. She is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee. First Impressions College Consulting teaches students how to master interview skills, write killer resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. Our tutors are award-winning writers and published authors who work with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, video and email. Visit our website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.

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Common Application Essay Instructions

Common Application Essay Prompt #1:

Is this Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

Do these Keywords Apply to You?

Choose this Prompt IF:

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Examples of 2 Successful Essay Topics:

Example of a Poor Essay Topic:

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Common Application Essay Prompt #5:

Is this Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

What the Keywords Mean:

Still Looking for a Topic?

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Essay Topic Example

Is this Example Successful? Yes.

What Can Colleges Learn About You From This Question?

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Common Application Essay Prompt #3:

Is This Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

When Should You Choose This Essay?

What are Colleges Looking For?

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Not Sure this Question Relates to You? Here are 3 ways you might answer this question:

What Other Kinds of Beliefs or Ideas Can You Consider?

Example of a Successful Essay Topic:

Reasons Essay Prompt #3 Can Work for You:

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Common Application Essay Prompt #2:

Is This Prompt for You? Look at the Keywords:

“Lessons”…”Failure”…“Affect you“...”Learn”

Do the Keywords Apply to You?

Pitfalls to Avoid:

Essay Topic Example:

Is this Topic Successful? Yes.

Are You Uncomfortable Discussing Failure?

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Not Sure this Question Relates to You?
Here are 3 ways you might answer this question: