With college application deadlines looming, high school seniors are
confronting what to many is the most dreaded component – the college essay or
personal statement. “There’s an expectation among students that this piece
of writing is so crucial to the process,” says Cathy Ganley, a college
coach and owner of ForWord Consulting LLC in Northern Virginia. “They see
it as so important that they are afraid of getting it wrong.”
Because students see the essay as inextricably tied to their prospects,
“There’s a lot of pressure attached to it,” says Emmet Rosenfeld, a
teacher, published writer and college essay writing tutor in Northern
Virginia. In 650 words or less, they are expected to “reveal their soul, be
original and wow people who read many thousands of essays,” he says.
“Many students are intimidated because they feel ill equipped to tackle the
essay,” says Amy Brecount White, a writer and essay coach in Arlington,
Virginia. “Given the push, particularly in this area, for students to take
AP [Advanced Placement] and IB [International Baccalaureate] classes,
they’ve become adept at writing using the typical five-paragraph format.
What they don’t know is how to write personal essays and be introspective.
That is challenging and puts them out of their comfort zone.”
Its Relative Importance
“At most colleges, the essay is an important aspect of the decision-making
process but does not supersede academics,” says Sharon Gundy, director of
undergraduate admissions at the University of Maryland in College Park.
“What the essay does is round out that flat picture provided by the high
school transcript, grade point average and standardized test scores,” she
says.
What Schools Look for
“The essay gives admissions a sense of who the student is, if he’s a good
fit and why he is pursuing that institution,” says Andrea Felder, assistant
vice provost for undergraduate admissions at American University in
Washington, D.C. “It’s important that the student’s voice comes through.”
“The essays that impact me the most are those in which I get to know the
student, regardless of who he is or what his story is. They make me like
him more.” says Gundy. “I want to know who the student is and what he will
bring to the University of Maryland.”
“A voice that is appealing to the essay reader is essential,” says
Rosenfeld. “It must be honest, thoughtful and have integrity. Readers are
looking for some sense of emotional digestion and maturity. They are
looking for a trait in the student – open-mindedness, willing to be
challenged, willing to struggle – that they want at the school. The essay
should be expressive, thoughtful, reflective, clear and show that you can
write a little.”
Uncovering a Student’s Story
“A strong personal essay starts with self-discovery, developing voice and
fluency and capturing thoughts,” says Rosenfeld. Students should be
disabused of the notion that they must get it right the first time. “They
need the opportunity to explore ideas and thoughts to arrive at a good
topic,” he says.
A questionnaire and brainstorming are the tools Brecount White employs
during her initial meeting with students. “Students often believe they
don’t have anything interesting to write about,” she says, “but from the
brainstorming, patterns emerge and students get excited.”
“Reading sample essays can open a student’s eyes to the type of writing
required and jump start the process,” says Ganley. “Check out books or look
online,” she says. forwordconsulting.com, Ganley’s website, links to essays by
successful applicants to Tufts University, Connecticut College, Johns
Hopkins University and Hamilton College.
“Some of the essays that work best highlight something more mundane than
grandiose,” says Ganley. She points to essays addressing a Common
Application prompt asking students to discuss an event that marked their
transition from childhood to adulthood. “One wrote about retiring her
American Girl doll. Another wrote about painting her room from pink to blue
and covering over the growth chart on her door,” says Ganley. “The success
of both,” she says, “lay in their introspection and conveyance of who the
student was and what she valued.”
Steering Clear of Troubling Topics
No matter how introspective, there are certain topics that should be
avoided. “The mission trip has become cliché,” says Brecount White.
Also inappropriate may be stories of personal tragedy. “They can be tough
to handle well,” says Rosenfeld.
“Stories of pity, such as the death of a parent, can be difficult to tell,”
says Ganley, “but work well when you can share how the event changed your
life.”
“Be careful not to set off alarms,” says Brecount White. “Colleges don’t
want to worry about you.” If students opt to write about issues such as
anxiety, she suggests they show how they overcame the problem. “Describe
how you have things under control and are ready to thrive in a college
environment,” she says.
“Don’t write about break ups, sexual activity or illegal activity, even a
misdemeanor such as speeding – even if it is the best story ever,” says
Ganley.
Telling a Student’s Story
“Write about something that shows your initiative, not something you did
for a grade or for pay,” says Brecount White. “Write what you’re geeky
about because colleges are a collection of geeks.”
Brecount White suggests sharing a vivid story from childhood, dropping the
reader into a scene from the student’s life. “It’s an effective way of
starting an essay.”
“Look at the front page of The Washington Post. Every single
article starts with a vignette or snapshot that captures a larger issue,”
says Rosenfeld.
“Storytelling is crucial and there are elements that make for a successful
story,” says Howard Reichman, president and cofounder of EssayDog, an
online tool that helps students craft college application essays. “We don’t
believe there are bad stories, just bad ways of telling them.”
The website guides students through brainstorming and essay development. It
begins with the student creating four sentences revolving around an initial
plan, anticipated outcome, setback and discovery. “It asks you questions
that help you build out ideas that are reflective of who you are and what
you stand for,” says Reichman. The $49 program purportedly helps alleviate
anxiety and overcome what Reichman calls “the blank page syndrome.”
Asked to evaluate the website, Bradford Clarkson, a high school senior at
Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland was positive. “It was
helpful in organizing the essay. The online videos and prompts let me
create an essay that was relevant. I had to beef it up, but at least I had
a framework.”
No matter how a student chooses to write his essay – on his own, under the
guidance of a counselor or with the help of an online tutorial – a second
set of eyes is imperative. “We don’t want to see misspellings or
grammatical errors,” says Gundy. Nor do schools want the voice of the
editor to supplant that of the student. “It’s easy to tell if a student has
invested his own time and energy. The best essays are conversational and
don’t use words found in a thesaurus,” says Gundy.
“Word choice is important,” says Felder. “Students need to understand that
their audience is professional people. In the age of social media, some
choose language that is inappropriate.”
Putting in the Time
The time it takes to write a college application essay varies by student.
“Most kids working independently will take five or six hours if they’re
reasonably competent writers,” says Rosenfeld. “Some kids blast it out in
about an hour, but it’s often not well done.”
EssayDog’s Reichman says that students using his online platform can expect
to write their essay in just a few hours. He notes that one student who
participated in the software’s initial trials produced a stellar essay in
about an hour.
Students should build in time for proofreading by a trusted friend, family
member or advisor. “Just don’t let others do a substantive edit or you risk
losing your voice,” says Ganley. When proofreading their own essay, she
suggests students read it aloud. “You will always pick up on tense issues
that way,” Ganley says.
Adapting the Essay
“A strong personal essay can respond to different prompts, though it might
require some tweaking,” according to Rosenfeld. “Reduce, reuse and
recycle,” he says. “Kids can tailor the essay to the way the question is
asked. They can get creative and adapt it.”
Many schools ask students to respond to supplemental prompts. “If they ask,
‘Why do you want to go to school here,’ you need to get specific,” says
Ganley. “Try to incorporate the name of a building or reference your study
abroad program, interdisciplinary approach or access to undergraduate
research. Let them know you’ve done your research.”
Reducing the Angst
“Because of the angst associated with the college application essay,
students often procrastinate,” says Felder. “If they want to relieve the
pressure, it’s better to start sooner and not wait until the last minute,”
she says.
Felder also suggests parents take a step back. “Encourage your son or
daughter to take ownership of the process,” she says. “Yes, the process can
be complicated. But rest assured that students will end up at an
institution that is right for them.”
Writing Prompts
Several college application websites require students to submit essays.
Here are sample prompts from the three most common websites.
The Common Application
(250-650 words)
- 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. - 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? - Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or
idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? - 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. - Discuss an accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a
period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or
others. - 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? - 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.
Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success
(300-400 words)
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either
demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. - Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others
in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges
and rewards of making your contribution. - Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted
belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge
affect your beliefs? - What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best
part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend
(assuming they would listen to you)? - Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
Universal College Application
Personal Statement (650 words or less)
- Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and
communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire,
a life-changing experience or your viewpoint on a particular
current event.
Activity Description (100-150 words)
- Tell us about one of your extracurricular, volunteer or employment
activities.
Originally published: 10-01-17
Updated: 10-19-2022
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