Know the True Nature of Your Enemy (In This Case, the Common App Essay!)
It’s the middle of November, and this means different things to different people; for some, it may mean Thanksgiving, changing colors of leaves, quickly approaching winter (perhaps too quickly), or maybe even pumpkin spice latte. But the biggest thing on most high school seniors’ minds these days are… the Common App essay!
Don’t just narrate—persuade.
Yes, the big scary Common App essay is here, and it is finally time to face it. I know that this task seems so daunting and overwhelming because I struggled with the same problem only a year ago. The advice that I received the most about writing the Common App essay was “be yourself.” And while that is absolutely true, if there is one thing I learned from the college application process, it was that it is not always enough being completely honest and open about yourself.
Now, don’t think that I’m telling you to lie in your essay; don’t ever lie on your essay (or any essays for that matter)! First of all, we all know lying is wrong. And secondly, the admissions counselors will know that you’re lying from reading your paper. What I’m saying is that you should attack the Common App essay with a technique.
Don’t write about what happened to you; write about what you did with what happened to you.
Let’s look at an example. A very commonly used essay topic among high school students is writing about a time when they failed something and then accomplished it in the end. Don’t just write about some time when you failed a math test, became very discouraged, studied hard for the next test, aced it, and learned the importance of “hard-work and determination.” While writing about one of your failures can make a good topic, even a great one, pick an interesting failure that shows one of your interests or hobbies. Focus on why the event was important to you, and how the “lesson learned” applies to your future. Don’t just talk about the event; go one step beyond and talk about the significance of the event.
If you’re curious to see what I mean, here’s one of our older but still relevant blog posts about common topics students write about for the Common App essay, and how to make them better: Seven College Admissions Essays You Shouldn’t Write.
You need a little oomph.
The essay should reflect not just who you are as a person and a student, because that is not enough. It should show off your brilliance, intelligence, and uniqueness (which you all have!) that will attract the admissions counselors and convince them that you are absolutely needed on campus. If this means a little oomph in the paper, by all means do it! One thing that helped me write a better Common App essay was always remembering that the Common App essay is not just a simple narrative about myself; it is a persuasive paper written to convince the admissions counselors to accept me into their schools.
Now that you know how you should think about writing the essay, my next post will be about helpful tips and resources regarding the actual writing process of the Common App essay! Good luck, everyone!