What Are Colleges Truly Looking for in a College Essay?
NEIRAD enilno edition
The college admissions essay is the most important and nerve-racking part of the college application process. This single piece of writing may decide a student’s fate, the place they will spend the next four years. However, it is also the only time in the college admissions process (unless a person has an on-campus interview) to make an application stand out. It is a student’s chance to show who they truly are, apart from your Common Application. This 500-word essay involves a lot of preparation. Furthermore, a student must make their essay stand out from the thousands of others an admission officer receives. Lastly, the essay must represent who a person really is in life.
Assistant Director of Admission at Sarah Lawrence College Matthew Pohl came to Darien High School to help students figure out how to write an essay. He conducted a college essay workshop, in which he told students there are no shortcuts. “The perfect essay does not just come to you. It requires work,” Mr. Pohl said. It is necessary to spend time thinking of what to write about and how to write it.
This boils down to choosing a topic and outlining it prior to writing. Mr. Pohl encourages high school students to write about whatever they want. It is essential to brainstorm topics to choose the best one, but it is more important to spend time outlining it.
There are three elements in creating the perfect essay: preparation, creativity, and honesty. “When it comes to college essays I think it is important for students to write about something that they are comfortable with. They should write about life experiences that demonstrate their character, values, personality, etc. They should also be unafraid to approach their counselor or teachers to help and to ask for advice on their essay,” DHS Director of Guidance, Paul Ribiero said.
The topic is important; however, many people focus too much on it. Someone should not fret over deciding what the right topic is. As long as the writer can thoroughly get their point across through the theme, then it is good. “It’s not about the subject that is written about, but how it’s written,” Mr. Pohl said.
This is why it is essential to organize the essay. Before writing a good college admissions essay, time needs to be spent making an outline of the paper. This way, the essay will be easy to follow. “It is important to outline your ideas in terms of the message you want to show colleges,” senior William Juan said. “Make sure you know what you want to write about before you start.”
In addition, this essay must be creative and describe the writer’s personality. “All of you can write your essays in a genuine way,” Mr. Pohl said. When writing an essay, think of a way to make it stand out. College generally only allow about two minutes reading time per essay. They want to read an essay that catches their attention and one they can remember. The last thing college an admissions officer wants to see is another clichéd essay that they have already read 10 times that day. This essay’s purpose is to make the writer stand out; to show the reader who he really is.
How can this be accomplished? “Don’t be normal. Don’t be ordinary. Think about a broader impact. There are a wide range of possibilities for the essay, but you must be willing to take a risk,” Mr. Pohl said. It is essential to be creative. This essay has to show individuality. It has to show the school a reason why they would be better off if the student went there. “The colleges just want an essay that describes who you are, so think of an experience that describes yourself,” senior Alex Iqbal said.
The most important aspect of the college essay is to display the truth. It is an essay that defines who the writer is. A college essay gives the applicant 500 words to talk about anything they want. However, those words must be meaningful. It must be from your heart and show who you are as a person.
It is more effective to write about a true event than to make one up and fabricate the facts. The feeling in the genuine story will have a greater impact on the reader. “It is important to be yourself. The biggest thing to avoid is being dishonest about who you are. Truth is powerful and should be what defines who you are. Your truth, your voice,” Mr. Pohl said.
Do not lie to the readers when writing the essay. The passion in the writing will not be the same. However, when writing about something that has occurred, the feeling is there and everyone can go through the same action. “I think being honest is the most important part because your essays are all about letting the college know who you are as a person and whether you'd fit in. You would only be harming yourself by lying to get into a college,” senior Misha Kushnir said.
Going to college is a big deal and everyone wants to get into the college they desire. This essay makes a huge difference. It stands an individual out from just the boring common application. “Think about who you are when you are your best self. Think about what you love and what is meaningful,” Mr. Pohl said. That is the best advice that can be given. Just write from the heart. But at the end make sure to spell check and have someone else read it. An extra pair of eyes never hurts.
