28 May How to Write a College Essay
Tackling the Common App personal statement can be the most daunting part of the college admissions process, even for the most talented writers. Many parents and students find it helpful to work with an essay writing coach or college consultant, either in one-on-one sessions or at an essay-writing workshop or boot camp. The key to the personal statement is to think of it as your “elevator pitch” – what do you want the admissions reader to know and remember about you. In other words, think of the essay as your child’s opportunity to highlight the characteristics that make them unique. The hallmark of a good essay is reflection: what has the student learned or how has the student grown from a particular experience. Some other important features of a personal statement is that it answers the prompt and sounds like a high school student. Stay away from a thesaurus and definitely stay away from essay coaches or other adults who offer to rewrite your child’s essays – admissions officers can always tell when an essay is not authentic. The best piece of advice: there are no bad topics, just sometimes bad essays on a topic. For some more details on how to write the personal statement, check out this article from U.S. News.