Here are three short but informative pieces that appeared on The New York Times website about writing college essays, and you'll notice a common theme:
Juniors: In the Quiet of Summer, Start Your Essays. Six suggestions to keep in mind, including: Everyone loves a good story — particularly the overburdened college admissions counselor who has to read hundreds of student essays, too many of which view this assignment as an opening for self-promotion. It is far better to think of the college admissions essay as your chance to tell a good story.
The College Admissions Essay: Finding a Topic. Three tips, with this final thought: Everyone has a story to tell. It’s just a matter of discovering that story.
Advice on Whittling Your College Essay. A few tips on keeping the essay short (500 words!) but full of meaning and impact, including: Your first decision is where to pick up the narrative. Keeping in mind that a 500-word essay is a limited piece of real estate, don’t start your story about building houses in Haiti in your bedroom in Philadelphia, packing your bags. Skip the plane ride. Just plunge right into the action that matters most. That said, the work of telling a good story is understanding what matters most.
The Times also has a great blog about college admissions and aid that's updated a couple of times a week, The Choice. I recommend you skim through past posts and check in weekly to see if anything applies to you. The summer before senior year is no time to rest -- actively start the college search process.
Juniors: In the Quiet of Summer, Start Your Essays. Six suggestions to keep in mind, including: Everyone loves a good story — particularly the overburdened college admissions counselor who has to read hundreds of student essays, too many of which view this assignment as an opening for self-promotion. It is far better to think of the college admissions essay as your chance to tell a good story.
The College Admissions Essay: Finding a Topic. Three tips, with this final thought: Everyone has a story to tell. It’s just a matter of discovering that story.
Advice on Whittling Your College Essay. A few tips on keeping the essay short (500 words!) but full of meaning and impact, including: Your first decision is where to pick up the narrative. Keeping in mind that a 500-word essay is a limited piece of real estate, don’t start your story about building houses in Haiti in your bedroom in Philadelphia, packing your bags. Skip the plane ride. Just plunge right into the action that matters most. That said, the work of telling a good story is understanding what matters most.
The Times also has a great blog about college admissions and aid that's updated a couple of times a week, The Choice. I recommend you skim through past posts and check in weekly to see if anything applies to you. The summer before senior year is no time to rest -- actively start the college search process.
