How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

The college application essay is an essential part of the admissions process. However, when Prompt.com reviewed thousands of application essays, the company noticed that the average essay was rated C.  A report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that grades in college prep courses were the most important factor, followed by admission test scores. However, the application essay was ranked much higher than recommendations from counselors and teachers, class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities and many other factors. Since the college application essay is so important, ThoughtCo spoke with several experts to discover the best ways to write one that will win over college admissions officers. Why the College Application Essay is So Important So many elements are included in the application process that students may wonder why they need to worry about the essay. Brad Schiller, co-founder and CEO of Prompt.com, tells ThoughtCo that many applicants to the same schools may have comparable grades and test scores. â€Å"However, the essay is the differentiator; its one of the few pieces of an application over which a student has direct control, and it provides readers with a sense of who the student is, how the student will fit in at the school, and how successful the student will be both in college  and upon graduation.† And for students with an uneven profile, the college application essay may provide a chance to shine. Christina DeCario, the associate director of Admissions at the College of Charleston, tells ThoughtCo that the essay provides clues about a student’s writing skills, personality and preparedness for college. She advises students to view the essay as an opportunity. â€Å"If your profile is a little uneven, like you’re successful outside the classroom but your grades aren’t quite there, or you’re the valedictorian but you’re not a good test taker, the essay can push you from a maybe to a yes,† DeCario explains. How to Choose a Topic According to Schiller, such topics as the student’s goals, passions, personality, or periods of personal growth are all good areas in which to start brainstorming. However, he says that students rarely select topics in these areas. Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs at Kaplan Test Prep agrees, and says the aim of the essay is to present the student as thoughtful and mature. â€Å"The key is to inspire using a personal story that captures this quality.† Papszycki believes that transformational experiences are great topics. â€Å"For example, did you overcome extreme shyness by shining in the school musical production? Did a family crisis change your outlook on life and make you a better child or sibling?† When students can tell a sincere and persuasive story, Papszycki says colleges believe they can bring distinct experiences to the college environment. Creativity is also a good tool to employ when writing the essay. Merrilyn Dunlap, interim director of Admissions at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"I still remember reading an essay about why the orange flavored tic tac is the best tic tac to eat.† She also recalls an essay that was written when the MasterCard â€Å"priceless† ads were popular. â€Å"The student opened the essay with something like: Cost to visit five college campuses $200. Application fees for five colleges $300 Moving away from home for the first time priceless In addition, Dunlap says she likes to see essays on why a student chose a particular field of study because these types of essays tend to bring out the student’s emotions. â€Å"When they write about something that they are passionate about, it is in their favor; they become real to us.† So, what types of topics should be avoided? Schiller cautions against any subject that could portray the student negatively. â€Å"Some common poor choices of topics we see are getting poor grades due to lack of effort, depression or anxiety that you have not overcome, conflicts with other people that went unresolved, or poor personal decisions,† he warns. Do’s and Don’ts to Writing a College Application Essay After choosing a compelling topic, our panel of experts offer the following advice. Create an outline.  Schiller believes that it’s important for students to organize their thoughts, and an outline can help them structure their thoughts. â€Å"First, always start with the end in mind – what do you want your  reader  to think after reading your essay?† And, he recommends using the thesis statement to quickly get to the essay’s main point. Don’t write a narrative. While Schiller admits that the college essay should provide information about the student, he warns against a long, rambling account. â€Å"Stories and anecdotes are an integral part of showing your reader who you are, but a good rule of thumb is to make these no more than 40% of your word count and leave the rest of your words for reflection and analysis.† Have a conclusion. â€Å"So many essays start off well, the second and third paragraphs are solid, and then they just end,† laments DeCario. â€Å"You need to explain why you told me all the things you wrote about earlier in the essay; relate it to yourself and the essay question.† Revise early and often. Don’t just write one draft and think you’re done. Papszycki says the essay will need to undergo several revisions – and not just to catch grammatical errors. â€Å"Ask your parents, teachers, high school counselors or friends for their eyes and edits.† She recommends these individuals because they know the student better than anyone else, and they also want the student to succeed. â€Å"Take their constructive criticism in the spirit for which they intend - your benefit.† Proofread to the max. DeCario recommends having someone else proofread it. And then, she says the student should read it out loud. â€Å"When you proofread, you should check for grammar and sentence structure; when someone else proofreads, they will be looking for clarity in the essay; when you read it out loud, you’ll catch errors or even entire missing words like ‘a’ or ‘and’ that you didn’t catch when you read it in your head.† Don’t cram for the essay. Start early so there will be plenty of time. â€Å"The summer before senior year can be a great time to start work on your essay,† Papszycki explains. Use humor judiciously. â€Å"It’s fine to use wit and imagination, but dont try to be humorous if thats not your personality,† Papszycki advises. She also warns against forcing humor because it can have an unintended effect.  Ã‚   Additional Tips For students who want more information on ways to write a stellar college application essay, Schiller recommends a persona.prompt.com quiz that helps students identify their personas, and also an essay outlining tool.

A Love Song for Bobby Long Analysis Essay - 714 Words

â€Å"A Love Song for Bobby Long† written by Grayson Capps and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† written by TS Eliot remind the world of men who struggle with the demons of life. The little voices in your head saying â€Å"I don’t think you can do that.† These voices cause you to doubt yourself and your talents. They take the life out of you, and cause you to wonder if you even have a purpose here on earth. Now let’s take a deeper look into these poems and closely analyze their similarities and differences. Bobby Long, a handsome football prospect who possessed the talent of superior acting, was a man who was known for wasting his talents and making the wrong decisions. He chose a road less traveled : a path through life that many people†¦show more content†¦They dont ever build the courage to face their inner demons. They never realize their true talent, instead just doubt themselves, even when people give them compliments that come from the heart. In their eyes, they will never be good enough. They will never be the ideal husband, but instead, just the weird man everyone points to and laughs at. In Bobby Long’s love song, he realizes he isn’t the ideal husband; however he still womanizes the women and doesn’t care, as long as he never gets sexually frustrated. However, Prufrock struggles with even approaching a woman. His nerves get the best of him and he cannot build the courage to approach her and aska her the tough question. Bobby Long struggles with the confusion of not being able to pick sides (between the devil and God.) He suffers from the struggle of being able to make the right decions, or which to follow. Prufrock struggles with his inner demons. He is his biggest enemy. He causes himself to suffer and keep wondering. Wondering why he could never be the leading role in his own life. He wonders why he could never be â€Å"Prince Hamlet.† Then later realizes maybe he just was never meant to have that role. In Bobby Long and Prufrocks life, they doubt their ability to be great. They feel that they have reached the end of the world therefore why try? TheyShow MoreRelatedMamma Mia Case Study1594 Words   |  7 Pagescontinues to sell out to packed houses night after night. Mamma Mia’s claim to fame has been a long roller coaster ride. The show had its ups, downs, twists and turns. It had gained a lot of critics and fans. It had its fair share of controversies. But nonetheless, It made people get up on their seats and dance to the song â€Å"Dancing Queen† and made everyone sing along with â€Å"Thank You For The Music.† Love the show or hate it, you can’t deny the fact that it is a phenomenal feel-good musical. I. MainRead MoreEssay on Sociological Analysis of The Film Riding in Cars with Boys1257 Words   |  6 PagesSociological Analysis of The Film Riding in Cars with Boys Beverly, the main character of â€Å"Riding in Cars With Boys† fell into the categories of heterosexual, female. Beverly’s family of orientation consisted of her mother and father. The movie begins with Beverly participating in a craze with the most popular guy in school, who is a member of a voluntary, closed group of jocks. Beverly decides to use her innate ability for writing to express her non-material culture in the form of a love poem. Read More Art Blakey Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pagesto help support his family and put food on the table. Blakey turned to music as a way of escaping the exhausting day-to-day labor of the mills. Blakey taught himself how to play the piano. Even though he couldnt read music, and could only play songs in three keys, Blakey was a crowd favorite a several local venues. He used to make fifteen-twenty dollars a night in tips every night he went. At fifteen Blakey was leading his own band. They were small and unknown, but played at clubs all aroundRead MoreInsight Philosophizing1466 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophizing and Insight Philosophizing An emotional experience like young love or a harrowing event can arrest a person’s attention and push him into thinking deeply about it. Into philosophizing? For is a searching for meaning. Perhaps this word – philosophizing – is too much, too soon, for young people face to face for the first time with a philosophy course. And yet it was not so long ago when many of you were precocious children, delighting (or pestering) your parents with your never-endingRead MoreThe Human Predilection for Instant Gratification1044 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction As singer and entertainer Bobby Sherman once remarked, As far as show business, its the gratification of doing something that pleases the fans (Brainy Quote). Our authors in the course also present representations of modern culture where long-term effects are eschewed in favor of immediate results and the deciding factors, more often than not, are economic. As they frequently point out, shortsighted economic policies result in unforeseen long-term consequences. In this essay, theRead More Analysis of Bruce Springsteens Song Devils Dust Essay2022 Words   |  9 PagesAnalysis of Bruce Springsteens Song Devils Dust In times of war it is quite common for people to start questioning their values and their actions and be unsure of the path they are taking. This is common because to protect our values we often are told that we have to take actions that conflict with those values. One example would be how to protect our liberties we must sometimes restrain those liberties during treacherous times. However, the ultimate question is whether or not going againstRead MoreCovert Advertising3464 Words   |  14 PagesFilms 12 Six elements of strategy for in-film branding and communication 13 Covert Advertising is different from Celebrity Endorsement 14 PRODUCT PLACEMENT : A TECHNIQUE OF ‘COVERT ADVERTISING’ 14 Types of Product Placement 15 CASE STUDY 16 RESEARCH ANALYSIS 17 CONCLUSION 20 ANNNEXURE 22 REFERENCES 23 INTRODUCTION Over the years Advertising has emerged as a key component of integrated Marketing communication. Moreover, it has adjusted with the changing economic environmentRead MorePersonality Analysis of Charles Manson5245 Words   |  21 PagesPERSONALITY ANALYSIS OF CHARLES MANSON Introduction Manson is a convicted serial killer who has become an icon of evil. In the late 1960s, Manson founded a hippie cult group known as the Family whom he manipulated into brutally killing others on his behalf. Helter Skelter, Manson believed, was going to occur in the summer of 1969 when blacks were going to rise up and slaughter all the white people. He told his followers that they would be saved because they would go underground, literally,Read MoreAmerican Accent Training6996 Words   |  28 PagesNative speakers dont say Bob is on the phone, but say [bà ¤bizà ¤n the foun]. Sound units make a sentence flow smoothly, like peanut butter— never really ending and never really starting, just flowing along. Even chunky peanut butter is acceptable. So long as you dont try to put plain peanuts directly onto your bread, youll be OK. 2 + Use staircase intonation. Let those sound groups floating on the wavy river in the figure flow downhill and youll get the staircase. Staircase intonation notRead MoreRomanticism and Modernism as Strange Bedfellows: A Fresh Look at Jack Kerouacs On the Road12240 Words   |  49 Pagescollege student, and an unpublished writer from New Jersey, and Dean Moriarty (Neal Cassady), a philosophizing, womanizer-car-thief from Colorado who wants to become a writer under the tutelage of Paradise. Kerouac’s novel has been described as his love letter to America. Critics have hailed it as the definitive work of the Beat Generation earning it the distinction as one of the 100 best English-speaking novels of the 20th century according to the Modern Library. Through the process of writing the

Pride And Prejudice (1393 words) Essay Example For Students

Pride And Prejudice (1393 words) Essay Pride And PrejudiceIn her novels, Jane Austen employs the timelessly effective characterization agents of dialogue, action, and point of view to cleverly manipulate the reader’s emotions towards the characters. Austen successfully creates heroins in a time that it was not social acceptable to think of women in a heroic role. She is so successful in applying these characterization techniques in her story lines that she molds a positive feeling towards strong females without the reader even realizing the influence the author’s agents have had, at the same time creating a very entertaining story. In Pride and Prejudice as well as Mansfield Park for example, Jane Austen creates characters who are some of the finest products of strong and intelligent women, yet do not loose their femininity, of our civilization. She accomplishes this feat by using the dialogue and action of the characters to manipulate the reader’s feelings towards these women. Austen also uses irony, satire and humor in all of her novels to show how ridiculous conventional Victorian country life was. She had a plethera of social commentary to make, and although women in her time period were conventionally outspoken, she used her novels as a means to show women could be intelligent, humorous, and strong without loosing their femininity. Jane Austen was a child of the Enlightenment, an age when reason was valued while many romantic traditions were slowly coming to light in society. As one of the educated and intelligent women emerging from this era, Austen used the character of Elizabeth Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice, to epitomize the harmonious balance between reason and emotion in a woman, making her a very likeable character to the reader. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeths strength of character is emphasized by its contrast with the weak, n?ive acceptance of Janes character, the instability and excess of Mrs. Bennets and the blind, sheep like following of Kittys. Her strength is also shown in her rejections of the proposals of Mr. Collins and Darcy. Unlike her mother, she does not base her choice of love on the financial security that they could give to her, and has the strength and willingness to reject them. This is a prime example of Austen’s social commentary. She skillfully manipulates the reader int o likeing this character, but she gives her features that in everyday life people would think negativly of. This is especially evident in her rejection of Darcys initial proposal, when she displays a great deal of strength in her anger due to her belief that he has willfully prevented Jane and Bingleys marriage and wronged Wickham by refusing to grant him the property that the old Mr. Darcy bestowed upon him. In both cases, the man is self-assured that his proposal will be accepted, and as a result Elizabeths rejections are in proportion to the size of the blows that their egos receive. In Rosings, she does not let Lady Catherine tyrannize her as the mere satellites of money and rank, she thought she could witness without trepidation. The Lucases and Collinses are submissive to Lady Catherine, with Maria being frightened almost out of her senses, and it is probable that society as a whole behaves likewise, as Elizabeth suspects she is the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with such dignified impertinence. Austen again portrays her as a rebel against ideas of class, popular in the day, when Lady Catherine pays a visit to her to ensure that she does not marry Darcy and Elizabeth refuses to accept the idea that Pemberley will be polluted by her presence. Here Elizabeth stands up for what she believes to be right. Elizabeth also expresses her rebellion against society by not becoming accomplished in the arts, as women were expected to then. Elizabeths intelligence reveals her to be one of the few characters of the novel that really strike the reader, Austen portrays her as a sensible individual in a society largely composed of fools. Which incidently is another example of the social observations Austen makes in her novels. As the daughter of Mr. Bennet, her view of society is cynical and ironical, heightened by the presence of brainless family members and neighbors. It is her sense of irony that enables her to survive in such a society, as she enjoys the humor of the ridiculousness of Mr. Collins as her father does. However, she does not use as insulting a tone as her father does, but chooses to define it as impertinence. After Darcys proposal is accepted, Darcy tells her that one of the reasons why he fell in love with her was the liveliness of your mind, showing that her intelligence adds to her charms as she uses it in the form of with rather than cold cynicism. She enjoys studying characters, and is able to tell Bingley, I understand you perfectly. The relative objectiveness of her views of characters is emphasized when compared with people like Jane, who assumes that all people are good-hearted, and Mr. Collins, who is automatically swayed to the favor of people of noble birth. Elizabeths subjective first impressions of Darcy and Wickham show that she is human and can make mistakes in this field; but the fact that she can apply reason after her initial outrage on reading Darcys letter demonstrates her ability to face truths an d change her mind rationally. She is self-aware, unlike characters such as Mr. Collins who do not realize their own absurdity. She can criticize herself, such as when she is enraged with herself for being so silly for hoping that Darcy still loves her, or even mocking herself, as when she remarks on the potential misfortune that she may find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!The existence of contrasting characters in Pride and Prejudice displays the fact that Elizabeth has a balance between the cold knowledge of Mary and the wild emotion of Lydia. Mr. Bennet brands both Lydia and Mary as silly, but he respects Elizabeth as she can use reason to apply her knowledge and to curb her emotion. The severe practicality of Charlotte Lucas, seen in her acceptance of Mr. Collins proposal which Elizabeth had refused, highlights the fact that although Elizabeth is not romantic to the point of ignoring reality, she is not overly pragmatic either, and understands the importance of lo ve and emotion in life. However, Elizabeth also possesses qualities which make her attractive in a traditional feminine way. She is undoubtedly pretty, being said to be equally next to Jane in birth and beauty. After Darcys initial rejection to dance with her, it is her fine eyes that begin to interest him. Despite her cynicism towards humanity, she is not as passive towards the silliness of her family members actions as Mr. Bennet, being embarrassed at the Netherfield ball and trying to prevent Lydia from going to Brighton. After marriage, she is able to reform Kitty by bringing her to live with her so that she becomes, by proper attention andmanagement, less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid. Her intimate relationship with Jane is touching, as they confide in each other and give each other advice. It reveals Elizabeths capacity for sympathy, as seen in the vehemence of her accusation of Darcy for deliberately keeping Jane and Bingley apart. Darcy cites her affectionate be havior to Jane. Their sisterly relationship is seen as all the more valuable when contrasted with that of Kitty and Lydia, where Lydia simply encourages Kitty in foolishness and is insensitive to her when she is upset. Her high spirits,which can be construed as flirtatious, also attract Darcy to her, as illustrated by her demand that he help to sustain a conversation between them when they dance together at the Netherfield ball. Her character is in no way unfeminine, and it is no wonder that Darcy is attracted to her after he comes to know and understand her. From this, we can see that Austen has managed to create her ideal woman in Elizabeth. Her strength and intelligence are qualities that make her respectable and admirable to any man or woman, but the fact that she possesses a softer, feminine side makes her genuinely attractive in the eyes of the reader, and helps us to better appreciate her other qualities. .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .postImageUrl , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:hover , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:visited , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:active { border:0!important; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:active , .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5c95ba989021970f59752720f0cebcde:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ramayana EssayEnglish Essays