I have a little time this Thursday afternoon to give you a few tips on your college application essays. I know a lot of you are applying right now and are wondering, "What do they want me to say??"
1. Our "essay" is really an applicant statement. It's your chance to tell us anything you feel is important for us to know about you.
2. Be yourself! Trying to impress will come across fake. Giving us something you think we want to hear won't be genuine. Be candid and be honest. There's no one right answer or perfect statement. You're all unique individuals, so your statements will be as individual as you all are.
3. So......tell us your dreams, your goals. Tell us something we can't already see in your list of activities or on your transcript. Tell us about a particular event that helped shape who you are.
4. Use the chance to explain a life event that may have impacted your academic background. It's not cool to blame your D in Algebra II on having mono or a "bad teacher," but if there are extenuating circumstances you feel we need to know about, please share them with us.
5. Proofread!! And do it with more than just Spellcheck. The extra 5 minutes you spend are worth it. You want to put your best foot forward.
6. Don't submit your latest paper on Macbeth or the Holocaust. We've all written them ourselves, too. We want to know about YOU! Oh, and keep it short. Less is more.
7. Make sure you individualize your statements for each individual campus. (Kinda gets back to that proofreading thing). Telling UWEC about how much you want to go to another school isn't real impressive. LOL.
8. Lastly, relax. Your academics are way more important than your essay to us, so spending 3 hours agonizing over your essay instead of your AP History reading is probably not a good use of your time:)
Oh, and see two fun pics below from our marching band at opening day at Lambeau Field!
Ciao,
Kris
Ciao,
Kris
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2 comments:
Most incoming college students are really struggling on their application essays. Some of them are paying sites which offer college essays and some are just reading different tips on how to write this one in order to come out with a great essay.
Great post. I have no words for this great post. Thanks for sharing.
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