In addition to your academic record and recommendations, the essay can can push a borderline applicant into the "Admit" column, if executed properly. That's the purpose of my post today -- to help you write the best essay you can. So it's time to start thinking about this, if you haven't already done so.
You will most likely be using the Common Application for at least some (if not all) of your target schools. Chances are, even if you don't end up using the Common App (unlikely), you will still need to write an essay on a general topic such as those that the Common App requires.
<h2><a href="http://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/application-updates/common-application-announces-2017-2018-essay-prompts" target="_blank">Here</a> are the 2017-2018 Common Application essay prompts:</h2><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972063338160.45657994361702914"><strong>1. 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. [No change]</strong></div><div>.</div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>2. The lessons we take from <em>obstacles we encounter</em> can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a <em>challenge, setback, or failure.</em> How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? [Revised]</strong></div><div>.</div><p><strong>3. Reflect on a time when you <em>questioned </em>or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your <em>thinking</em>? What <em>was the outcome</em>? [Revised]</strong></p><p><strong>4. 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. [No change]</strong></p><p><strong>5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or <em>realization</em> that <em>sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. </em>[Revised]</strong></p><p><strong>6. <em>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?</em> [New]</strong></p><p><strong>7. <em>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. </em>[New]</strong></p><p>To help you get started thinking about <em>how and what</em> to write, here is a list of College Confidential articles and <em>Admit This!</em> posts that I have written about application essays. This is a long list, so don't feel duty-bound to read all of them. Just to be sure that you can get to them, I have included both the formal URL and a title link (from my Department of Redundancy Department). Find several that appeal to you and then read and learn from them. (Some reference the <em>old</em> Common App prompts, but the info on approach is pertinent):</p><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/" id="LPlnk323604" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972056682040.5224972611609527"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972056679950.6308045694433938"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972056679980.9958789629336011"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972056682010.3050445203123544"><div id="LPTitle_14972056682020.9456381733973764"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972056682020.1696309997859009" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Application Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972056682030.23871626276181823">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972056682030.09707145113622617">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/great-common-application-essays/" id="LPlnk252887" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/great-common-application-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972056682160.6519741340475341"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972056682130.04515513645049474"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972056682140.1402001074419985"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972056682150.29744251189191684"><div id="LPTitle_14972056682150.7531615658766506"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/great-common-application-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972056682160.602226467114608" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Great Common Application Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972056682160.5893122874449124">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972056682160.6216158251184749">Today, I want to show you some more samples of excellent Common Application essays so that they might inspire you to a better level of writing.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/using-humor-in-your-college-essay/" id="LPlnk164079" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/using-humor-in-your-college-essay/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057270910.459888305048754"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057270890.739932951085086"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972057270900.4894855510337366"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057270900.6016238445625415"><div id="LPTitle_14972057270900.2916276550549324"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/using-humor-in-your-college-essay/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057270900.3450001397049156" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Using Humor in Your College Essay - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057270900.9762307280728539">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057270910.33317839662763604">A while back, I was chatting with an admissions officer from a highly competitive university. We were discussing the importance of the essay in college applications.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays/" id="LPlnk101822" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057273660.16853026823268347"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057273640.3771310852448966"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972057273650.6744410968185552"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057273650.3209688032642295"><div id="LPTitle_14972057273650.6265117635853936"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057273660.11231064671585589" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More about Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057273660.201044874364679">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057273660.29037882861810993">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/thoughts-on-application-essays/" id="LPlnk191447" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/thoughts-on-application-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057273170.6774620963512075"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057273150.037483277890955735"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972057273150.359271990502828"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057273160.11761438190590379"><div id="LPTitle_14972057273160.02457566850933468"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/thoughts-on-application-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057273170.8376283312063382" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Thoughts on Application Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057273170.5905777187794875">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057273170.9705916065257184">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/assay-your-common-app-essay/" id="LPlnk927095" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/assay-your-common-app-essay/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057869550.6136427413814007"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057869530.5543300414234329"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057869540.7061467621984"><div id="LPTitle_14972057869540.9753414438587316"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/assay-your-common-app-essay/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057869550.17564141024578972" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Assay Your Common App Essay - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057869550.8880331678426863">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057869550.643829357588462">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-on-essays/" id="LPlnk840938" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-on-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057866650.6171474028845058"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057866630.38182136991632365"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057866640.24527152418468323"><div id="LPTitle_14972057866640.02198481244382966"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-on-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057866650.7332230467007586" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More On Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057866650.0022230504886044944">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057866650.7051911014138382">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-essay-insights/" id="LPlnk563075" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-essay-insights/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057867660.5836748834522917"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057867640.3022714939377308"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057867640.5377448355637706"><div id="LPTitle_14972057867650.31661889455238434"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/more-essay-insights/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057867650.7161405935094598" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More Essay Insights - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057867650.19910026987973029">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057867650.39131084595618326">Overcoming difficult circumstances is a legitimate topic for college application essays, assuming that those circumstances are, indeed, difficult.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/adventures-in-essayland/" id="LPlnk514513" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/adventures-in-essayland/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057866730.4799088715305456"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057866710.4382266255941234"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057866720.054076388144084664"><div id="LPTitle_14972057866720.19441513948707256"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/adventures-in-essayland/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057866730.6737309714976562" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adventures in Essayland - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057866730.19171264208106642">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057866730.5040986233670413">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/the-application-essay-think-about-it/" id="LPlnk9434" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/the-application-essay-think-about-it/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057872280.9956880858777364"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057872260.5447441264482338"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057872270.03344430882752758"><div id="LPTitle_14972057872270.8405314063288695"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/the-application-essay-think-about-it/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057872280.8904611448487211" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Application Essay: Think About It - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057872280.7874165270246694">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057872280.30106718098313223">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays-with-a-smile/" id="LPlnk456601" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays-with-a-smile/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057871710.26119285097408684"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057871690.055426699614814834"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057871700.4891739882142412"><div id="LPTitle_14972057871700.09170717011392848"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/essays-with-a-smile/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057871700.5194126568160377" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Essays with A Smile - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057871700.8634200595344617">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057871710.29664157065266494">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/" id="LPlnk518338" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057875170.6200141966541426"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057875140.2863300647815451"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="1" id="x_ImageCell_14972057875150.33948779938085916"></td><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057875150.3551889583425818"><div id="LPTitle_14972057875150.1796085813839695"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/application-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057875160.748672055713282" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Application Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057875160.4934073085511669">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057875160.3610768895709291">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>- <a class="x_moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/applying-you-to-your-application-essays/" id="LPlnk592966" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/applying-you-to-your-application-essays/</a></p><div id="LPBorder_GT_14972057876060.2634415982934971"><table cellspacing="0" id="LPContainer_14972057876050.5011084281802093"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" id="x_TextCell_14972057876050.8337831097485633"><div id="LPTitle_14972057876050.8611492319629426"><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/admit/applying-you-to-your-application-essays/" id="LPUrlAnchor_14972057876050.10126923355754192" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Applying You to Your Application Essays - Admit This!</a></div><div id="LPMetadata_14972057876050.1022869839652939">www.collegeconfidential.com</div><div id="LPDescription_14972057876060.4366746503790069">Articles & Blogs Browse All Articles Expert Blogs. Admit This Expert opinions on the college admissions process!</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="text-align: center">***</p><p>What you'll see in the samples that I posted in the above articles is the natural style incorporated by the writers. Their essays flow smoothly and don't have an "academic" feel about them. When you read these, you can almost hear the writers speaking. In other words, their "voice" is natural and not at all affected by formality or overblown usage. They don't use big words just for the sake of impressive vocabulary. Big words don't impress admissions committees. A natural voice, convincingly presented, does.</p><p>The best essays help you to stand out in a crowd and reveal who you are and how you think. Sure, you can write a good essay about anything, but an essay often has the most impact if it highlights something that is unique or unusual about <em>you</em>.</p><p><em>Finally</em>, try to have some fun with this. I know that "fun" probably isn't the first word that comes to mind when you think about your college essays, but you may find that once you get on a roll, you actually enjoy expressing yourself!</p><p style="text-align: center">**********</p><p style="text-align: left">Be sure to check out <i>all</i> my articles at <a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/" target="_blank">College Confidential</a>.</p>
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