My college essay got me in....to this It's 8AM on a Wednesday. I am 19 years old, drinking my 14th cup of weak college cafeteria coffee, staring at an ancient Greek verb. Eistha. I'm supposed to know something about this. I have clocked in exactly three hours of sleep. I know about as much as you do, reading this, right now. The verb stares back at me, equally uninformed. My life looked like this chart. My professor, Alan Boegehold (who died this week, 17 years later) is looking out at the two of us expectantly-- because, you got that right, there are only two of us in that class--, a map of Sparta under his thumb. The map is fuzzed at the edges, to appear antique. This is the battle that would change everything. If that everything means anything to you, now, thousands of years out. (But for you battle nerds, this.) Boegehold is recapping for us where all the warships are, waiting to attack a certain strait. He's so into the heated stakes, a scholar's video game. At this moment, the minor things matter the most-- is the verb in the future? Is the ship pointed a hair to the right? I'm wishing I had bought a Starbucks.The kind as black as night should be if you don't live in Brooklyn and if there is no moon. My college essay is to blame To get here-- this school, this class, this major-- I wrote a very very very (apparently) convincing personal essay for my college application essay-- BY HAND. That's right, by hand. In hand-writing. It was about a junior-year school trip to Spain, where I stayed with a family in Barcelona. On the first day there, I confused two nouns-- mariscos (seafood) and maridos (spouses, husbands)-- and so informed my host mother that I don't eat a lot of things, but I do eat maridos. Meaning, husbands. Instead of mariscos, meaning seafood. The car went silent. I have no idea how I concluded the essay, what lesson or trait my personal essay took pains to show. Maybe the importance of detail, the weight of a Continue Reading …
Stories
For a flawless college essay, use your flaws
For a flawless college essay, use your flaws- wisely. (We're not actually sure anything is "flawless"-- but humor us.) "But don't I want colleges to think I have No Flaws?" you might object cautiously. No! It's a sign of maturity to know and name your flaws, and then treat them as opportunity for growth (crucial!). That, in short, is learning! And colleges want applicants committed to learning. So here's how to use what you've got for what you want to get. (Admitted. Admit it.). What should you do with your flaws to tell a good story and also showcase your strengths? Well first, notice your flaws. Honestly. Start by watching your mind for 1-5 minutes. Set a timer, close your eyes and observe "your" thoughts go by like rush-hour traffic. Examine their content objectively: errors in judgment about yourself or others; weak places in your character that could use reinforcement. Insecurities and doubts. Find the right story: Ask yourself what anecdotes or events from your life--don't overlook the small stuff!-- could inform your reader how you're working with and through these flaws. If you're timid, did you finally get up the nerve to ask your boss for a raise? If you're easily overwhelmed, did you regain balance through service, by sorting cans for a food bank? And now what? Another approach: look at the flawed world and make analogies Many of us have an easier time looking outside than inside ourselves. If that describes you, I suggest you start by using the above technique anyway (watch your mind). Then try commenting on the flaws in the world as a mirror to look inward for similar themes. Plus, this approach works your observation and "critical eye" muscles. And gives you material to be snarky about. Read this example from my life; then try your own. I start with the context: There is a sub-par Indian restaurant near my house; they do so much of their business take-out that they will basically pay you to eat the place. To Continue Reading …
Do I tell the truth in my college essay?
As Emily Dickinson once wrote in her college essay, "Tell all the truth but tell it slant..." In this post, we'll help you figure out what that means for your college essay. And give you a basic primer in being friendly to yourself, which really helps. Shall the truth set you free? Should you tell the truth about yourself in your college essay? What should you do if you suspect the truth isn't that purdy? Continue Reading …
To read sample college essays, or not to read?
Models of college essay successes? When you're writing your college essay, you're often advised to read the sample college essays of previous applicants-- the ones that got the students admitted, the ones that didn't. From the successful ones, you get some ideas of what to do. From the flops, you learn what not to do. Sounds easy enough. After all, you want to get into your top college choice, and these writers did-- or didn't. But the reality is a little trickier and more nuanced-- and as awake people, it's our job to pay attention to nuance. Continue Reading …
Drumroll for Common Application College Essay Prompts 2016-2017
The Common Application Essay Prompts were revised in 2015 to reflect a universal truth of meaningful conversation: ask a better question, get a better answer. If you're ready to start writing, and know you want our guidance, holler over here! We'll get right back to you with heart, humor, and hard questions--and we really want to know your real answers. Otherwise, read on to get oriented to the requirements of your college personal essay. By the way: the Common App changes of 2015 reflect feedback they received from their "constituents" who bothered to ask for better essay questions-- which means if you have feedback, there's a willing ear. 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. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 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 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. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. My colleagues and I are all over these new Common Application essay prompts-- yeah, we're that delightedly nerdy-- because, simply put, they will generate better stories from applicants. The phrasing will not force applicants to bend their stories to the prompt (which sometimes is awkward and belabored, or just a weak fit). Instead the improvements Continue Reading …