So, you're applying to college. You've gotten your transcript together, you made your activities list and finally memorized your Social Security number because of countless applications asking for your personal information. You're about to crack your knuckles and pat yourself on the back because you think you're finally done...only to realize that your college of choice has left the best for last.
"Please write an essay describing yourself in 250 words or less."
"How am I possibly going to describe myself in a measly 250 words?" you ask yourself, "And what do even I say?"
The college application essay can be challenging, and sometimes, downright frightening. However, it is far from impossible to write a good college application essay that will make you stand out from the crowd. In order to figure out how to write an outstanding college application essay, it is important to understand that while most schools will have you write an essay for their application process, they often ask the same questions. Once you've written a good answer, you can just change the name of the school in the heading, give it a quick spell check and you should be fine (leaving you plenty of time to go to all those club meetings you listed on your activities list). But first, let's discuss three of the most common types of essays, so that you can prepare yourself:
-The Letter of Intent (or "Why the Heck Are You Majoring in THAT?")
If you've already decided what you're majoring in, you'll probably come across one of these in your college application process. These are usually phrased somewhere along the lines of, "Why do you want to study [insert major] at [insert college]?" This is actually one of the easier college application questions. If you've picked a major, you've probably got a reason why. For example, if you want to major in medicine because you really liked biology in high school, you can say that you were introduced to the subject through high school and it opened up your mind to larger possibilities and you realized it was something that you really enjoy doing. Also, if possible, be sure to mention any experience you've had with your major. Let's take the pre-med scenario again; let's say that you did some volunteer work helping the staff at a nursing home. That would be a great fact to bring up in your essay, because it shows that you've been in a patient-care setting and that you might have some experience with health care before starting. Basically, colleges want to know through this essay that you're not just majoring in something because you flipped through the book of majors and thought it might "be cool" (even if you did); they want to see that you've got actual reasons for studying what you're studying, so that you won't drop out after the first semester. And the fact is, most kids don't know what they want to major in when they first enter college. So, if you write intelligently, give concrete reasons for your interest and discuss any experience you may have, your essay should stand out.
-The Important Issue (or "Pick a Cause, Any Cause")
Colleges want to attract the most diverse and successful population they can. The Important Issue essay is a way to find out about your beliefs and how you plan to impact (or already have impacted) your community through your efforts. This essay is usually phrased somewhere along the lines of, "What do you feel is the most pressing local/national/international issue in the world today, and how do you think it should be dealt with?" This essay varies in difficulty depending on how it's phrased, but it's generally not that hard to answer well. First off, is there a cause that you feel passionately about and have done something in your own life to raise awareness (volunteering, signing petitions, ect.)? If so, your work is pretty much done; just describe it intelligently, spell check and put it with the rest of your materials. If not, watch the news; chances are, you'll find something that you feel needs to be addressed more in society. Discuss one of the specific issues you are most concerned about (and there are many subcategories of any issue). Then, discuss why and ESPECIALLY what you've done in your personal life to promote for or against a certain issue. For example, if you are lobbyist for social justice or vegetarian out of concern for the environment, bring it up and talk about it in-depth; it's fairly rare that a high school student has done anything personally to speak out about an issue, so saying so will definitely make you stand out.
And, the infamous...
-Describe Yourself in 250 Words or Less (or "We Can't Think of Anything Specific, So Just Tell Us Everything")
This essay brings out groans every year not only from applicants, but from guidance counselors nation-wide. You couldn't possibly come up with a more general question if you tried. The good thing about this is that you have a lot of flexibility; you can pretty much write about whatever you want, and it can actually be fun if you look at it as a creative challenge. This is a chance to express yourself, so it doesn't necessarily have to be a formal essay; let your imagination run wild. One strategy is to pick one of your interests and write it so that it relates to that interest; one applicant that I talked to a few years ago was a dancer, and she described some of her experiences throughout her life through the context of her life being a dance. Another strategy that I personally have had a lot of success with is picking a few words and describing yourself using those words. For example, if you wanted to describe yourself as "independent," you can talk about ways that you are a self-starter in your own life (ex. work experience, any clubs or activities at school that you are in charge of, ect.) The point is, it shouldn't be a life story; just focus on one or two things about your personality or experiences. The people reading this essay want to get an idea of what makes you unique and different from other people. Think of it as a conversation; if someone asked you about yourself, you'll probably mention things like your family life, some of your interests, what your plans are for later (if you have any) and stuff you've done lately. Keep it honest and somewhat casual, and you'll be sure to stand out.
College application essays can be a challenge, but once you get the hang of it, they can actually be a lot of fun. Remember, it's a forum to talk about yourself, rather than what some obscure historical figure from yesteryear said about this or that; they are not trying to test you but rather find out something more than the standard "full name, address, grades" application would provide.
So, now that you've got a few starting points, reflect on your experiences from the past few years. Once you think of it not as a huge, overwhelming picture, but rather a few experiences, it shouldn't be that hard to describe...even if it is 250 words or less.