Inspired Essays

I've been counseling a bunch of rising seniors who are working on their college essays. Even after they have settled on a topic they remain confused; they don't know where to start or what to say.
The solution: CREATE AN OUTLINE. It will help you enormously if you take the time to map out your essay. The common app essay has a limit of 650 words. That's about 5-6 paragraphs.
Before you begin writing, figure out the topic of each paragraph. Armed with an outline you can start that dreaded first draft. Let's go!

Tip of the day: Take as much care of the "supplemental" essays as you did for the main essay. Many colleges include one or more extra essays in their application. They are there for a reason. Give them as much consideration as your personal statement. Don't just bang them out at the last minute and throw them in. Everything matters! 😀

TIP OF THE DAY: "That" is frequently overused and unnecessary. Yet it creeps into almost everyone's essay. Once you've written your essay, reread it and see if you can eliminate some of those that's. For example: "I was excited to find out THAT my parents were taking me zip lining." Remove "that" and you get: "I was excited to find out my parents were taking me zip lining." It's stronger writing and won't slow down the reader.

This article makes some good points. I agree that the "essay is your megaphone ... It needs to tell a story with passion using personal, entertaining anecdotes." However, I don't believe that the personal statement essay is "the place to explain why you want to attend a particular college and not others." Save that for the supplemental essays. Still overall, it's worth a read.

How to Write a Good College Application Essay A strong essay might mean the difference between getting accepted — or rejected — by the school of your choice.