Do’s and Don’ts of College Application Writing
Do...
Write about a specific moment in time
Set the scene - and bring the reader into the scene…
Personalize and be unique
Use descriptive and active verbs
Use pace to your advantage (Build suspense)
Show (Don’t tell…)
Aim for the word count
Use active voice
Active Voice: I wrote my essay
Passive Voice: The essay was written by me
Use contractions, be informal
Include an implicit positive message (Think about what you want to leave the reader with)
Consider your audience: The particular school, department, etc.
Start with too much, it’s easier to flush out ideas this way—we can always cut words
Be yourself, be vulnerable, and show them who you are…
Make them remember you
DON’T…
Brag: It’s always best to be humble
Write a list of accomplishments/list events – this is reserved for the activities section/your resume
Choose an overused topics: Missions trips, the “big game/goal”
“Thesaurusize”
Talk down to your reader
Assume too much of your reader: This is NOT an English paper where you assume your reader knows all. Remember admission reps do not know you or what you’ve been through – try to make them see the world through your eyes
Compare yourself to other people
Use too many linking/helping verbs: is, are, was, were, have
Use too many adverbs (end in ly) – example: I walked quickly versus I sprinted
Use “There is/was” – means you’re listing things instead of bringing your reader in
Use the phrase: I believe. Unless you are running for political office, saying “I believe” means you are telling something to your reader versus showing what you believe through story (On the same note, refrain from using "I think/I feel")
Use the phrase: Make a difference in this world
Use the phrase: Real world (especially when combined with the words “problems” “experience”)
Use "as, very, plethora, excited, amazing" too many times
No clichés: Phrases or Topics
Write your essay like a paper for school
Expect perfection on the first draft. This is a process – it takes time and effort…
Remember: Your essays offer the chance to show another side of you, differentiate you from a sea of applicants, and move you beyond a series of numbers. Prove to admissions that you are even more than your transcript, scores, and extra curricular activities. Use each essay to your advantage. Be memorable. And remember, no matter how short (Lawrence’s essay is 47 words…) every essay should be the best piece of writing you’ve ever produced.
COMMON APP ESSAY PROMPTS
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.