The 2018/2019 Common Application, which is the most widely used college application in the nation, is now available to students. As students start to buy their school supplies for their senior year, their thoughts also turn to the idea that this time next year, they will be heading off to college. College—finally free from the rules of parents; living away from home and embracing individuality; no more high school teachers
But, wait!
Before the glory of one’s college days begin, a student must first start with the college application process, which includes writing a killer college essay.
IMPORTANCE OF THE COLLEGE ESSAY
Grades, GPA, and SAT/ACT are certainly very important variables that colleges consider. However, these factors are data-based and do not offer information about the personality of the student. When colleges are teetering between a group of applicants who are similar in the statistical data of scores and grades, the college essay is the boost that illustrates the character of the student and convinces the college that that is the type of student that belongs on campus. The college essay is the student’s opportunity to sell themselves and present themselves as a likeable character. The college essay provides the college with the personality of the student, which is an important complement to the statistical data that is also heavily weighed.
SELECTING AN ESSAY PROMPT
The 2018/2019 Common Application offers 7 questions from which to select. As a college essay tutor, I can offer this piece of advice when considering these questions: the most common mistake that students make is picking the one they feel is “easiest” to answer. While this route may offer the quickest way to write the essay, it is not a good idea. It is essential for students to consider which essay prompt will highlight their assets and glorify them. What prompt will illustrate the student’s attractive features such as charitable work, impressive life accomplishments, or special talents and skills? The essay prompt should be a medium for the student to communicate their best qualities and write an essay that offers a sense of who they are as a person, while also emphasizing self-worth. Students should select the essay prompt that is going to best serve as a character reference for them, with the goal of convincing the college that they are a good match for that institution.
WRITING THE COLLEGE ESSAY
Each of the 7 essay prompts on the Common Application have a 650-word count limit. While this is a generous amount of words, it is not a lot of words to tell a lengthy story. For this reason, students should be concise with their writing and focus on what they are trying to convey. Just like any piece of writing, the college essay needs to have a central thesis that is clearly communicated and serves as the driving voice throughout the essay. As the student develops the essay, incorporation of advanced vocabulary and what many high school students consider “SAT words” will also help to strengthen the essay. However, along with impressive language, it is also fundamental for students to inject their own voice, which sometimes means using common language. If the aim of word choice within the essay is simply to use as many “big words” as possible, then the personality of the student will be overshadowed and the writing will be weakened. While students should always stay away from the usage of clichés, there needs to be a mix of strong vocabulary and simple language that best illustrates the ability for students to express themselves as teenagers, but also emphasize that they are intelligent. Aside from word choice and good grammar, it is essential that the ideas communicated be clear and direct. Students needs to ensure that their message is not lost within the essay, but rather is easily understood. Clarity is the area that students seem to struggle with the most, and for such reasons it is always a good idea to have a professional college essay tutor edit the essay.
HAVE A PROFESSIONAL EDIT THE ESSAY
Colleges will read a bountiful number of essays and it is important that a student’s essay is well written in order to stand out. To help with this task, it is strongly recommended that a professional look over the essay before the student submits it. Many high school teachers will happily look over the essay. There are also college counselors who help with the college essay. Gina Marie Mondel of Horse Show Tutor also has a specialty in College Prep Tutoring and College Essay Tutoring. She has assisted many students in adding polish to their essays, helping them to get into their first-choice schools. Let Horse Show Tutor help in writing a fantastic college essay that will best sell your attributes and help you get into the college of your dreams!
And BTW- once you get into college, Horse Show Tutor can still help! We offer college tutoring services and can help you every step of the way with your college career!