| The College Essay Could be the Key to Your Future By: Caitlin Emmons Who ever said that college essays have to be a drag? Some might even ask, "What is the purpose of the essay?" There are plenty of factors to consider such as grades, test scores and recommendations but that alone is not enough for some colleges. Essays and Personal Statements are a great opportunity to demonstrate your ability to write well while showing that you have a basic understanding of accurate spelling, consistent use of tense, subject-verb agreement, and other mechanics issues. In fact writing a college essay can be the key to your future. It can portray who you are and where you want to go in life. Every college has a specific requirement for their essays. Alexandra Scheakley, Assistant Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Orientation Programs of Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, says that, "Our applicants have a choice of writing an essay with a minimum of 250 words or a full page double-spaced or they can submit a graded paper from an English class that focused on them or a specific topic. The applicant can write about whatever they want, they are not limited to a certain topic. Topics are provided however if the applicant so wishes to choose one." It's clear that Admissions Advisors are looking for the applicant to be unique and expressive in their essay. Writing a college essay can be a breeze when given the right tools. An essay has three parts: an introduction, body and conclusion. When writing your essay use transitions sentences and transition words such as like, furthermore, also and additionally between paragraphs to tie them together. Transitions allow your writing to flow easily. Also vary your sentence structure. The use of simple, complex, and compound sentences will even out your essay and make it easy to follow. The college essay is one of the only parts of your application that you have complete control over. It will help you to stand out from other applicants. The essay is a very important aspect to many college Admissions Advisors for this reason alone. Renee Bealls, an Admissions Secretary, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida said that, "A personal statement/essay will consist of why the potential student will be an asset to our institution. We are interested in learning more about our applicant’s personal background and its relationship to their application for admission to Florida Southern College. The essay should be approximately 250–500 words in length, on one of the questions that we provide." Many advisors and admissions counselors share a common belief that the essay is all about you. Every sentence of your essay should be well thought out and packed with new information. Know the rules of punctuation and grammar and use a thesaurus or dictionary for words you are unsure about. Develop your main idea with distinct and specific facts, quotations, examples, events and reasons. Be specific and avoid general and predictable writing by using strong and specific details. Be certain to read your essay aloud and proofread as you write. Listen carefully to how it sounds and correct problems as you go. LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia, understands this concept and requires basically the same as the other colleges. "A short essay on an experience that molded the individual into what they are today or any other topic that gives insight as to who the individual is, with approximately 500 words, typed with spell check, is what we require. This essay is an opportunity to share details we might not otherwise know about the applicant, both as a student and as a person. Additionally, the essay should demonstrate the applicants ability to express themselves and organize their thoughts," said Laura Lynn, Admissions Counselor. Remember to keep the focus of your essay narrow and personal. The essay must prove a single point and the reader must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Be original, and revise, revise, revise. Rebecca Coakley, an Admissions Counselor, at Elmira College of Elmira, New York, stated that, "We recommend a 250 word essay but students can go above or below that word count and can write about anything of their choosing. The essay process provides an opportunity for us to get to know the applicant better. This essay is a unique opportunity for the applicant to tell us anything that they feel would be useful to us as we make our decision. It can provide us with the opportunity to interpret their transcript or personal circumstances beyond what their record might reflect." Keep in mind colleges aren't looking only for straight "A"s and high SAT scores. They are looking for good citizens for their campus communities. Writing a college essay enables applicants to show that they can write about themselves and things that interest them in a coherent fashion, clearly and concisely. Make sure your wording is simple, direct, and clear. This is a personal essay, so make every word count. Remember to reveal your character and focus on tone. The most compelling essays tell a story and have a clear focus. Use your essay to show that your personality has depth and remember that mechanics matter—good grammar, punctuation and spelling are very important. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
