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Originally Posted by
xunsinkablex
I'm currently a junior and will be starting the college application process relatively soon. I've been looking at college essay topics from schools that I'm interested in, and I just can't seem to find a way to put anything into words "creatively" or so that it will grab the reader's attention. Can anyone offer any help on how to come up with ideas for essays that will grab the reader? I've looked at collegeboard.com and teenink.com's section on college essays, but they're not helping much :(
I am a college admission counselor and I've spent the past 7 years reading college essays. All of these examples are from real essays. The reason you are writing an essay is to show me you are educated and you can translate your thoughts on to paper.
Here are some dos and don'ts:
If the topic for the essay is to name a book that has taught you a lesson don't choose something like Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul pick a book you've read in a class like The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. Whenever I read an essay about Chicken Soup I think this student is never going to cut it in college because if the only book they can make a life lesson out of is Chicken Soup then they haven't read enough books.
Make sure you read the question. We asked students to name a person who is still ALIVE and that is different from them. The number 1 answer was Martin Luther King Jr. I didn't know he was still alive? Every student I admitted in the first review that year answered the question that was asked. They named someone who was still alive.
Be original. I tend to read the same essay topics over and over again so if you choose a topic that is different I'm more likely to over look small things and I'm more likely to remember you essay and more likely to admit you. If we ask who is the person that has influence your life the most choose someone other than your parents and your teachers. Choose a sibling or choose a friend or a neighbor etc.
I can't stress this enough have your teachers, your parents read over the essay several times, everything counts.