Writing Your Admissions Essay - CFNC

Writing Your Admissions EssayThis publication provides guidelinesfor composing your college admissionsessay, including tips for getting started,following directions, engaging the reader,and avoiding pitfalls.Your college admissions essay is one of the mostimportant parts of your college application. Notall colleges require an admissions essay, but forthose that do, what you say about yourself canset you apart from other applicants. The personalinformation you include in your essay makes youmore than just a compilation of test scores andtranscripts. You become a unique individual withskills and talents to contribute to a college campus.

Writing Your Admissions EssayTypes of Admissions EssaysThere are two types of admissions essays. The firsttype is a personal statement. This essay is generalin nature and gives you the opportunity to tell anadmissions counselor more about yourself or aboutevents and people that have influenced you.The second type of admissions essay requiresyou to answer a specific question with a morestructured response. These questions cover a widerange of topics and can be creative, analytical, orphilosophical. Take a look at the following personalstatement questions and past essay prompts atcolleges across North Carolina.Personal StatementDescribe a character in fiction, a historical figure,or a creative work (as in art, music, or science,etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explainthat influence.Duke UniversityDiscuss an obstacle you have overcome in your life.What change did you make? What did you learn?Guilford CollegeStructured QuestionSome scientific advances are so counterintuitivethat they completely change the way we thinkabout the world. Examples are the ideas of IsaacNewton or Charles Darwin or Marie Curie. Whichscientific discovery made during your lifetime hasmost significantly affected the world around you?UNC Chapel HillGetting StartedIf you are applying to more than one school, youmight have to write several essays. The first stepis determining how many essays you need andmaking a schedule based on your writing speed andapplication deadlines. For example, you might allowyourself one week per essay, so plan on three weeksfor three essays.Begin the writing process by brainstorming. Askyourself what interests and excites you about thetopic. Write down anything that occurs to you,knowing you can always eliminate it later. When youbrainstorm, ideas build upon each other. Somethingthat may seem boring at first glance can become veryinteresting as you write it out.Don’t be afraid of less traditional topics such as failureor frustration. Sometimes writing about situationswhen you have overcome obstacles reveals your truecharacter and values. These topics can also revealvaluable qualities such as maturity and self-awareness.(A note of caution: be sure to be generally positive inorder to avoid sounding as if you are complaining orappealing for sympathy.) If you are stuck, considerreading some sample essays available in books andon the Internet. Other essays can provide inspirationor give you a jumpstart on your topic. Remember thatessay readers are trained to spot plagiarism, so don’ttry to imitate another essay. Use the samples only asa tool to help you find your own words.

Writing Your Admissions EssayFollowing DirectionsKeeping the Reader EngagedYour essay provides an abundance of information toan admissions counselor, including how well you canfollow directions.Think creatively. Because your essay is one ofhundreds to be read by admissions counselors, itneeds to make an impression. Focus on what you areexcited and passionate about. The best strategy is toreveal your genuine self, and it will make the writingprocess more fun. Your goal is to get the reader toremember you favorably. Be honest and sincere, andlet your individual voice and personality separate youfrom the crowd.Here are several questions to ask yourself: Have I fulfilled each part of writing assignment?It’s easy to get in a hurry and give only a partialresponse. Have I adhered to all formatting requirements? Have I kept the word count at or below themaximum allowed?Finally, don’t be tempted to write one general essayand send it with all your applications. If a college asksa specific question, be sure to answer THAT question.Try to grab the reader’s attention with a greatopening sentence. Be bold and colorful. If itsucceeds, the reader will be encouraged to continue.Don’t feel pressure, however, to have a brilliantopening line before you begin to compose thebody of your essay. Often it’s best to do a draftof the entire essay and then return to the openingsentence. It might be easier to write an attentiongrabbing first line when the following paragraphs arealready on the page.Show, don’t tell. Try to capture people, places, events,and feelings in words so a reader can visualize andrespond to them. Illustrate your points with examplesand specific descriptive details. For instance, don’t justsay that you’re a leader. Show your leadership with lifeexperiences and stories instead.To keep the reader engaged, use present tense,active verbs and other descriptive language; giveinteresting details and facts; and if possible, use allthe senses in your descriptions. How did somethinglook? How did it sound? How did it feel, smell, taste?Remember you are not writing an assignment fora grade; you are writing an essay for a reader toappreciate. Admissions officers want to read what youwant to write, not what you think they want to read.“Because we cannot meet each applicant personally, the essay plays a crucial role in helpingus learn more about you. When writing your essay, we encourage you to be as serious or ashumorous as you would like. Feel free also to write about something other than yourself if youfeel that, by doing so, you will help us gain a better understanding of who you are, how you think,and how you hope to contribute to the UNC Chapel Hill community.”Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions, UNC Chapel Hill

Writing Your Admissions EssayAvoiding PitfallsDo not use your essay to summarize activitiesand achievements you’ve already listed on theapplication. Although you may ultimately decideto write your essay on an activity, personalexperience, or achievement, avoid writing an essaythat’s merely a summary or retelling of informationpresented in other parts of your application.Be original, but not gimmicky. For example, donot write your essay in an unusual, “clever”format just to be different. Leave out language areader might not understand, such as jargon andtechnical terms.Stick with the truth. This advice may seem obvious,but it can be tempting to stretch the truth whenyou are trying to impress someone. Keep in mindthat the purpose of the essay is to tell a readerwhat sort of person you really are.Do not hire a professional writing coach or getexcessive help from your parents. Admissionscounselors are trained to spot plagiarism andwriting that does not sound like the applicant.Stick to vocabulary that is familiar to you. Ifyou rely too heavily on a thesaurus in searchof bigger and better-sounding words, you risksounding pretentious as well as unintentionallymisusing words.Write several drafts. Polish and proofread forpositive results. Read your writing repeatedly forerrors in spelling and grammar. Reading the essayaloud is helpful. Ask a few good proofreadersto check your writing for mistakes, since it’seasy to miss errors in your own writing. Also askthem to point out any passages that are vague orunclear. Do not underestimate the importance ofgrammatical correctness. Represent your ideas inthe best light by checking your essay thoroughlyfor correct usage, spelling, and punctuation.Sample Essay PromptsHow will the experiences of higher education assist youin becoming a leader in the 21st century?Brevard CollegeEvaluate a significant experience, achievement, or riskthat you have taken or ethical dilemma you have facedand its impact on you.Davidson CollegeDiscuss an issue you once thought you knew withcertainty that you have since re-evaluated. Whatprompted you to change your opinion?Elon University“Science and art belong to the whole world, and beforethem vanish the barriers of nationality.”Johann Wolfgang von GoetheProvide a specific example of either instance.Wake Forest University

Guidelines for Writing theCollege Admissions Essay1. Whether your topic is a structured question ora personal statement, take plenty of time tothink through what the writing prompt is askingyou to do. Think of many ways to approach thetopic and make a list. Take time to think throughyour list before you select one approach or acombination of several.2. When you have settled on an approach,make more lists of details, memories, andassociations. You might take time to read orreread parts of a book, story, poem, or articlethat the writing prompt suggests. Or you mightdiscuss the idea with your friends or parents.3. Make a plan for your essay. Whether you use aformal outline or not, a plan helps you connectideas effectively and gives you a sense ofbeginning, middle, and conclusion.4. Write a first draft.5. Revise your first draft. Remember that revisionmeans adding, deleting, and rearranging.6. Write another draft.7. Revise again.8. Have one of your friends read this draft aloudto you. Hearing what you have said will makeit clearer for you if you have written what youintended.866.866.CFNCCFNC Pathways Form AD9 (06/17) 2017 Pathways, College Foundation, Inc., and State Education Assistance Authority (CFNC)Servicios en español disponibles9. Revise a final time.10. Proofread for grammatical correctness andspelling errors. Remember: spell-check andgrammar-check are useful tools, but theywill not catch every error. Read the essaybackwards, a sentence at a time, to see if eachsentence is complete and makes good sense.Read each sentence backward word by word tocheck the spelling.

Writing Your Admissions Essay Types of Admissions Essays There are two types of admissions essays. The first type is a personal statement. This essay is general in nature and gives you the opportunity to tell an admissions counselor more about yourself or about events and people that ha