What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay?

What The #%@!& Should I Write About In My College Essay? I graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University's theatre and creative writing programs. I'm a playwright, editor, and writing teacher with a focus on arts education. I got my MFA at UT Austin as a Michener Fellow, a program for young writers that accepts less than one percent of applicants. College professors don’t want to have to teach you how to write. From a technical point of view, then, your essay should reveal that you have good command of the language, understand the rules of grammar and can convey ideas concisely. College essays, however, are arguably the most challengingâ€"and, potentially paralyzingâ€"assignments you will face during your senior year. As always, be as specific as possible, and pay attention to the writing itself, not just the content. This is a story about you and your connection to the school â€" not just a list of reasons. Let’s start with mistakes to avoid when writing your essay. Although they're phrased differently from college to college, certain essay question types appear routinely. We asked the admission staff to select some of their favorite essays. Jager-Hyman uses Mad Libs to help students find their own language to express their thoughts. She highlights issues with their work and helps students learn to express themselves in a more engaging and organic manner. She also pushes them to be more intellectually rigorous, when necessary. Evidently, there is a fear that students who hire coaches won’t be presenting original work, which would be cheating. When asked to write an essay about something meaningful to them, teens suddenly claim no passion for anything. Prompt connects students with a team of professional playwrights, authors, journalists, and educators who are only available through our network. Students applying to highly competitive universities (Ivy and Ivy-equivalent) face tough competition. Compelling essays will help you distinguish yourself. Students sign up with Prompt and start with a strategy session to figure out what they can still do to improve their experiences for their essays. Sign up now and we guarantee you'll finish all of your essays by mid-September so you can focus on academics and activities during senior year. They have passion, but they need to identify it before they can share their story. Admissions officials have seen plenty of overused topics, such as a venerated parent, a game-winning goal or volunteer work in the soup kitchen. These essays can’t work without a personal connection or engaging observations. There has always been speculation as to the value colleges place on the essay. The essay itself won’t propel an average student into Harvard, but may indeed make a difference. An essay that is presented in a few long paragraphs is not only hard to readâ€"the resulting word “blocks” can be overwhelming to tired eyesâ€"it effectively obscures the author’s key messages. And rememberâ€"a one line, one sentence paragraph can be more impactful than a 3-4 sentence paragraph. Don’t restate information that can be found elsewhere in your application. This is your opportunity to provide insight and interpretation. Ivy Eyes Editing () is an admissions and writing consultation company based in Los Angeles, and was founded on the principles of client collaboration, authenticity and skill-building. As a testament to the superior quality of their work, they provide each prospective client with a free assessment of their first submission. Since 2016, I have worked as a high school English tutor, theatre educator, and freelance journalist. Essays that become travelogues or resume narratives have little value to the reader and are wasted space. Admissions officers are seeking students who are purposeful in their pursuits when choosing among highly talented students. We hope they will provide inspiration as you craft your stories. You can write about pretty much anything â€" an experience, an inanimate object, a movie, a place, a person â€" as long as your essay reveals how that experience, thing, movie, place, or person made an impact on you. They see a ton of candidates who are drawn by the fame or prestige of their institutionsâ€"who are simply applying to see if they can get in. Such candidates, regardless of their credentials, are not very compelling and are easily dismissed. Admission officers want to get past the facts of your application to better understand how you think. How do you process information about yourself and the world around you? Your essay should reveal how and why have they shaped you.