What Is A Personal Statement? Everything You Need To Know About The College Essay

What Is A Personal Statement? Everything You Need To Know About The College Essay If you’ve just finished your junior year of high school, then these may very well be in your near future. When it comes to college essays, you want to maximize the opportunity to delight, intrigue or amuse your reader….immediately. College admissions committees are looking to build a student body that will contribute to and sustain the community. They want to attract students and eventual alumni who are innovators and creators, and they want to have a hand in shaping those minds. When you’re responding to the “Why Us” prompt, you’re telling them exactly how an education there will shape your intellectual and professional journey. Use your uniqueness to your advantage, not as a hindrance. I hope that after reading this post you feel a bit more confident in your ability to write your college admissions essay. It may feel scary and impossible, but with right approach , you can write an essay that showcases your unique personality and impresses admissions officers. Colleges and universities have their own personalities and priorities. You should find out more about the college or university of your interest and write an essay specific to that audience. Getting started can be the hardest part of writing. There is information to share and college admissions officers like to read a good essay. Vagueness isn’t a problem unique to admissions essays. It’s something all writers struggle with â€" including myself; I struggled with it while writing this very article. It’s impossible to write an article covering every possible essay prompt you could encounter in the college application process. Ah, college application essays â€" the necessary evil of college-bound high school seniors everywhere. However, once you get started, writing becomes easier. Follow these simple tips to get a strong start on your essay. Remember, your disability is part of who you are but not all of who you are. Over the years, students who tell me they absolutely love to write have said they struggle with the application essay. So if you’ve been biting your nails or tearing your hair out even a little, you’re not alone. College essays can seem overwhelming, but you are sharing who you are as an individual. Disclosing your disability may be important, but explaining every aspect of it and how it affects your life might be more than what the college admissions expect from you. You could describe a situation from your unique point of view , mention it in passing, or tell a specific story about a situation in which your disability affected the outcome. Your goal in a college application is to stand out. Ask people to read your drafts to provide you corrections and advice on your essay. Your teachers, family, friends, school counselors, and community members are all people you might ask to help you create your essay. There are several tutoring services available across the nation; with a little research you should be able to locate an agency near you that may be able to assist you with writing. You should also feel free to use any assistive technology that you are using in school to help write your essay. Good writers always keep their audience in mind and a college essay is no exception. Do not fall into the trap of describing your disability in great detail. Do not write a textbook explanation of your disability. Don’t just write what you think the admissions office wants to hear. Very often they are inundated with essays that cater to “what they want to hear,” making such essays exactly what they don’t want to hear. Do not get overwhelmed and stressed by the essay. Use this module as an opportunity to develop your essay step by step. Always ask for help and stay focused on your topic. Remember that the college application is important, but not as important as your grades. Your essay may be your own ideas, words, and writing.