College is supposed to be fun, remember? Take the stress out of the admissions process with expert advice on writing personal essays.
College can be an absolute blast. But making it into your dream school is no easy feat. Don’t be intimidated–College Admission Essays For Dummies is here to alleviate your anxieties and help you craft an unforgettable personal essay with the potential to impress any admissions committee.
This helpful guide walks you through every step of the writing process, from brainstorming and prep to the final polishes and submission. You’ll learn how to make your essay stand out from the ocean of other applicants and get your personality to pop off the page.
In addition to stellar examples of essays that got their writers into their first-choice schools, you’ll get the inside scoop on how to:
* Use writing to transform you from a statistic into a compelling and attractive candidate
* Illustrate who you are through vivid storytelling and self-reflection
* Deal with writer’s block and essay anxiety to get the most out of your time
* Learn about the most common question types and get your admissions officer’s attention with your short answers
With colleges around the country beginning to discount the impact of SAT and ACT scores, the personal essay is more important than ever. College Admission Essays For Dummies is the up-to-date roadmap you need to navigate your way to the perfect college essay.
Table of Content
Introduction 1
Part 1: Putting Yourself on Paper 5
Chapter 1: Becoming More Than a Statistic: What the Essay Does for You 7
Chapter 2: Exploring the Subject of the Essay — You 21
Chapter 3: Beginning to Self-Reflect 33
Part 2: Organizing Your Thoughts 47
Chapter 4: Writing as Process, Not Product 49
Chapter 5: Storming Your Brain: Idea-Gathering Techniques 59
Chapter 6: Steering Clear of Potential Landmines 81
Part 3: Writing the Rough Draft 95
Chapter 7: Writing for the Tired, the Poor (The Admissions Office) 97
Chapter 8: Building a Structure to Support Your Ideas 111
Chapter 9: Showing, Not Telling, Your Story 129
Chapter 10: Leading with Your Best Shot 149
Chapter 11: Constructing Good Paragraphs 159
Chapter 12: Going Out with a Bang: The Conclusion 171
Chapter 13: Overcoming Writer’s Block 183
Part 4: I’d Like to Finish Before Retirement Age: The Final Draft 193
Chapter 14: Leaving a Good Impression 195
Chapter 15: Smoothing the Rough Edges: Polishing the Essay 207
Chapter 16: Navigating the Submission Process 219
Part 5: Analyzing Questions from Real Applications 229
Chapter 17: Composing Essays Starring You 231
Chapter 18: Describing Significant Strangers and Friends: Essays about Other People 253
Chapter 19: Focusing on More Essay Question Types 265
Chapter 20: Getting the Most out of Short Answers 277
Part 6: The Part of Tens 289
Chapter 21: Ten False Beliefs about College Essays 291
Chapter 22: Ten Great Essays to Inspire You 297
Chapter 23: Ten Absolute Musts for College Essays 303
Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Writing Supplemental Essays 307
Appendix A: Well-Written College Essays 313
Index 327
About the author
Jessica Brenner has more than twelve years of experience working with teens and families as a college counselor. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Her freelance writing has appeared in a variety of publications online and in print.
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