How to choose the best Common Application topic for you

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Most students working on their college applications may have decided which topic they will use for their main Common Application essay. If you haven’t already submitted an application, I challenge you to consider what would be the best topic for you to write about . . . that is, not just the prompt you like best.

Here are the 5 prompts for the new Common Application:

  • Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  • Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
  • Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
  • Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
  • Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family

To get started with choosing the topic which would be most authentic and compelling for you, follow these steps:

  1. Spend a few minutes thinking about how you would respond to a prompt
  2. Writing a response to the prompt (about 5 min)
  3. Go to the next prompt and follow steps 1 and 2 for each of the five prompts
  4. After you write a response for all of the prompts, look over each response and answer these questions:
    • Which response would you feel most proud to submit?
    • Which response could you write about on and on?
    • Which response do you think an admissions committee would want to read?

Whichever response you feel that the admissions committee would want to read, get rid of that response immediately. the biggest mistake that students make in writing their college essays is writing what they think the admissions committee wants to read. There will likely be more than one admissions reader of your college application and trying to please one will get you in trouble with the other! Besides, your best writing will be in your own voice and NOT someone else’s.

Now, look again at the response that you would feel most proud to submit and the one that you could write on and on about. It’s easier to choose if one response fits both questions. If not, then you still have a great start to choosing the best topic for you.

Your best essay will be the one that you have the most passion to write. When my students come to me with a dull, boring essay, I recognize immediately that they chose a topic that they didn’t care about it. When you are passionate about your essay response, your writing will pop off the page. If you read it aloud and it doesn’t pop, then it’s time to rethink your topic before you submit!

If you’re applying through the Common Application, which prompt did you choose?

College Essay Bootcamp

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Register

Description:

Fun, fast-paced session geared to help students complete a winning Common Application essay!

*  Jumpstart your main essay

*  Find the topic that best fits you

*  Write a compelling, authentic essay

*  Meet 1-on-1 to get personalized feedback*

Here’s what others have had to say about our College Essay programs:

  • “…a great stepping stone to the admissions process.  The skills and tips she provides allowed our son to prepare his essays with confidence.”
  • “…extremely helpful in providing input on essays and clearing up confusion with the application process.”
  • “I feel much better prepared to write both my Common Application and supplemental essays following the Workshop.
  • “…very helpful in that I could have my own personal questions addressed and answered in a way that was very informative and beneficial to me.”
  • “I feel much more confident in my application process.”
 * Each participant may schedule a private 15-minute follow-up session to discuss their essay draft.

Register

When is the “optional” college application essay not required?

Many college applications such as Emory University will include questions described as “optional.”

Emory’s Optional Essay: Please write exactly five sentences that best describe you.

Does this really mean that you can skip this question? Yes and No

Yes. If you skip this optional question then it will save you that extra hour that you may have spent doing something else that you enjoy. Senior year is already busy enough without responding to extra essay prompts.

No. When you see the word “optional” think “opportunity” instead. A rule of thumb here may be to consider if responding to this essay prompt will provide an opportunity for you to share new information to complement your application. It really should be new information that doesn’t appear anywhere else in your application portfolio. If your response to this “optional” essay does indeed provide new, insightful, non-redundant information about you, then consider this optional question as an opportunity to confirm why you should be admitted! Happy writing!

Changes to the Common Application coming in August 2013

I love the Common Application for the convenience it offers to students. However, it can be a bit quirky at times. Beginning in August 2013, there will be some changes to the CommonApp that will make it more user-friendly for students:

The essay length will remain the same—250 to 500 words—but for the first time the application will enforce the minimum and the maximum word limits. Students who write essays that are too long or too short will receive an error message prompting them to make adjustments.

Among other changes, students will see fewer questions per screen. Applicants will not have to answer questions that don’t apply to them, based on their answers to previous questions.

A sidebar will offer on-screen help, and a new interface will feature “at a glance” progress checks that show students what parts of the application they have and have not completed. (Think green check marks.)

via Meet the New Common Application – Head Count – The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The change that is most exciting . . . drumroll please . . . .

Removal of the “Topic of your choice” essay. I’ve never liked this option because it seemed redundant and misleading. The other 5 topics were already so broad that it was difficult to write about something that didn’t fit with one of the other topics. In effect, when students choose the “topic of your choice,” it was more evident that they had overlooked the other choices.

Did you select the “topic of your choice”? What did you write about?

 

Common Application opens August 1

It’s August 1 which means that the Common Application is now available for high school seniors to begin submitting their 2012-2013 college applications. Keep in mind that not ALL colleges are on the CommonApp. Colleges offered through the CommonApp agree to a holistic admissions process. This doesn’t mean that other colleges not on the CommonApp are less holistic in their approach. When you are applying to colleges that use their own application, be sure to review their admissions policies before applying. Reviewing the policies can be helpful as you think through how to respond to essay questions.

common app logo
The Common Application supplements vary by college.

For this year’s CommonApp, there are 2 essay questions. The first one, which can be a bit more challenging to write, is short and

sweet:

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences

For the second essay, applicants can choose one from this list of prompts:

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2. Discuss some issue of personal local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the important of diversity to you.

6. Topic of your choice.

In future blog postings, I will discuss strategies for responding to each of these essays. In the meantime, here are 3 quick tips to get you started:

  • Avoid looking at sample essays! They are too distracting and say nothing about your uniqueness
  • Work through the first 5 topics before you “cop out” and choose the 6th prompt. . . . it really should be different from the others!
  • Do not mention any college by name in these common essay questions

Good luck with this exciting process, Class of 2013!

 

College Essay How-to: What do you want to do 10 years from now?

Over the past 5 weeks, we have discussed the 5 most common college application essay questions. As a refresher, the first four questions are

Write about a book you’ve read

Who is someone you admire?

Why do you want to attend this college?

Tell about a meaningful activity to you

In this week’s post, we will review how best to respond to the 5th most common college application question:

#5. What do you want to do 10 years from now?

The emphasis in this question is on “you.” You can be creative and respond in a way that reflects your uniqueness. In your response, you don’t have to link the college with your future career. Avoid being too “over-the-top” or silly.

Your response doesn’t have to be exact, so don’t worry about being too detailed. You do want to write a thoughtful response that shows your interests. Focus your response instead of being imaginative and honest. (For a bit of inspiration, check out what this architect major did….he probably wouldn’t have imagined this!)

Please post some ideas that come to mind in the comments below. We will respond with feedback to help you and other visitors to our site. So  . . . 10 years from now?

College Essay How-to: Tell about a meaningful activity to you

The fourth most common essay question is a bit more challenging to write. Because it’s all to easy to fall into a clichéd response. Please don’t let that deter you. The first response that comes to mind probably is the same response that every other applicant will write about. This fourth question is well worth spending a bit more time:

#4. Tell about a meaningful activity to you

The most important word in this phrase is “you.” With that in mind, please spend some time thinking about what makes you unique. The first step to drafting your response is

Free-writing – Handwrite your initial response to this question for about 10 minutes. Set the timer on your iPhone, place your pen on the paper, write every thought that comes to mind, write some more,  and only lift your pen when the timer blares. Ignore grammar and all of that, just write.

When you read what you’ve read, does it sound like you? Or does it sound like every other applicant? Other applicants will write about leadership roles in student council or class cohort. Really? There’s not a whole lot unique about those leadership roles. There are 27,000 high schools and therefore 27,000 student council leaders and 27,000 class leaders. Again, think about what activity says something unique about you and avoid the clichés.

Once you state the activity in about 25 words or less, the remainder of your essay should focus on the why. Why is that activity meaningful to you? Elaborating on the “why” gives the admissions reader a stronger sense for who you are. When you focus on “you” and the “why,” your essay will definitely stand out. No one else can write it like you.

What activity did you choose?

In next weeks posting, we will look at Question #4

#5. What do you want to do 10 years from now?

College Essay How-to: Why do you want to attend this college?

The third question on our list of the 5 most common college application questions is one that’s best answered after a formal campus visit. When I say “formal campus visit,” it means that you scheduled a visit through the admissions office and they have recorded that you will participate in a campus tour and/or informational session. And you actually participated in the tour and/or information session. Driving by the campus or hanging out with a high school friend who happens to attend that college does not count! The third most common application question asks:

#3. Why do you want to attend this college?

When responding to this question, here are some quick tips for writing a compelling essay. You may even want to follow along with pen and paper.

  • Gather your notes from your campus visit and review as you begin to brainstorm – Your notes may include quotes from students, your reflections of the surrounding neighborhood, facilities, et al, or snapshots from your visit.
  • Think about those features of the campus that stands out the most – There may have been many aspects of the campus that impressed you during the visit. However many features there were, limit your focus to 2 or 3 of them.
  • What qualities about yourself match more closely with those features – Now this one is a bit more challenging. Nevertheless, it is very important that you spend some time thinking through your response to this question.
  • Keep the college features very specific to that college – For example, if you’re writing an essay for Northwestern, please refer to its location as Evanston, rather than Chicago! Referring to Evanston is more specific and lets the readers know that you understand this distinction.

These tips can be useful before you brainstorm or afterward. The key is that you want to communicate to the admissions readers in such a way that they are able to “picture” you there.

What were some tips that worked for you in responding to this question?

In next weeks posting, we will look at Question #4

#4. Tell me about a meaningful activity for you.

 

 

 

 

 

College Essay How-to: “Write about a book you’ve read”

In our recent post we listed the top 5 most common essay questions on college applications. We will tackle each question over the upcoming weeks to provide you with some insight on how best to respond. Here’s a question that can give some students a bit of grief, particularly if they do not read outside of class:

#1. Write about a book you’ve read

If you’re a student that doesn’t “like reading” or doesn’t “have time to read outside of class,” it’s imperative that you plan ahead for this question. I advise my students to read a book during breaks or over the summer prior to senior year. You can get a book recommendation from a close friend or local librarian. Many librarians will publish a list of popular teen books. Once you’ve chosen a book, make sure it’s at an appropriate grade level and that you finish it.

The essay response should not be written as a book report. The college application essay comes from the heart so this is a great opportunity to get rid of the five-paragraph essay model! The emphasis in this essay should be on YOU!

Instead, focus your response on how the book impacted you. Here are two ways to do that:

  1. The detail in your essay how this particular book changed your thinking on a topic
  2. The detail in your essay what this book meant to you.

Focusing in either direction keeps the emphasis on YOU.

In next week’s posting, we will provide tips on answering this question:

#2.  Who is someone you admire?

Top tier colleges may get record applications but so What?

Admission into the most selective universities became a bit more difficult this year. If you’re planning to apply to one of the highly selective colleges in the next year or two, keep in mind that there are hundreds of great colleges out there. The national admissions rate is about 65%.

Nevertheless, this low acceptance rate can be intimidating:

Harvard College. For every 100 students that applied to America’s most prestigious school, 94 were rejected. This year Harvard had the country’s lowest acceptance rate reported so far — just 5.9 percent, offering admission to 2,032 students of the 34,302 who applied. Last year the rate was 6.2 percent. The college ramped up financial aid, offering help to 60 percent of the students admitted to the Class of 2016, meaning the average family pays just $12,000 per year for tuition, room, board, and fees, the campus newspaper reports.

Princeton University. With 26,664 applications and admission offered to 2,095 students, Princeton’s acceptance rate was a record low 7.86 percent, compared to 8.5 percent last year, according to its website. Of the students admitted, 726 are students who applied by early action in December.

Yale University. The New Haven, Conn., undergraduate college had a record-high applicant pool of 28,975 and chose just 1,975 for a 6.8 percent acceptance rate. Last year, 27,283 applied and Yale admitted 7.4 percent, according to the school’s website.

Cornell University. Cornell is “considerably” more selective this year, with 16.2 percent of applicants getting in compared with 18 percent in 2011, according to Lee H. Melvin, Cornell’s associate vice provost for enrollment in an online story on the school’s website. Four percent more applications were received this year over last for a total of 37,812, and 6,123 were admitted.

Johns Hopkins University. With 20,496 students seeking admission — a 5 percent increase over last year — a new record of applicants was set at the Baltimore school. Just 17.7 percent or 3,071 students were admitted, down from 18. 3 percent in 2011.

via Top Tier Colleges Get Record Applications, Increase Selectivity – CollegeBound – Education Week.

What is more interesting to note about these acceptance rates is that there are so many applicants that are “disqualified” even prior to submitting their applications. Each of these colleges is members of the Common Application. Because it’s rather “easy” to add college, many students will apply to colleges that are not even a fit, just for the sake of ease. This is especially true when students start to get anxious about their own admissions chances when they hear where classmates have been accepting or not!

How Student Disqualify Themselves before they Apply

Some applicants are more easily denied than others. For students who are applying for the sake of applying, please double-check whether your application even meets the minimum criteria for reading. Here are some common ways that students disqualify themselves and add to these abnormally high application numbers:

  • Not taking the required tests, such as an SAT Subject Test
  • Submitting poorly written essays or one that’s not written by the student
  • Asking a recommender that doesn’t know them well and/or doesn’t write well
  • Not visiting the campus or contacting the college, even when “demonstrated interest” matters
  • Not meeting all the course requirements for admissions to the Freshman class (watch out for removing courses from your senior year schedule)

When students submit their application before checking the specific admissions criteria, they make it easy on the admissions readers but hard on other qualified candidates.