College: First Steps

The College Essay and Building a College List

Crafting an Unforgettable College Essay

by: The Princeton Review

Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application.

It may sound like a chore, and it will certainly take a substantial amount of work. But it’s also a unique opportunity that can make a difference at decision time. Admissions committees put the most weight on your high school grades and your test scores. However, selective colleges receive applications from many worthy students with similar scores and grades—too many to admit. So they use your essay, along with your letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities, to find out what sets you apart from the other talented candidates.

Telling Your Story to Colleges

So what does set you apart?

• You have a unique background, interests, and personality. This is your chance to tell your story (or at least part of it). The best way to tell your story is to write a personal, thoughtful essay about something that has meaning for you. Be honest and genuine, and your unique qualities will shine through.
• Admissions officers have to read an unbelievable number of college essays, most of which are forgettable. Many students try to sound smart rather than sounding like themselves. Others write about a subject that they don’t care about, but that they think will impress admissions officers.
• You don’t need to have started your own business or have spent the summer hiking the Appalachian Trail. Colleges are simply looking for thoughtful, motivated students who will add something to the first-year class.

Tips for a Stellar College Application Essay

1. Write about something that’s important to you.
It could be an experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life. 

2. Don’t just recount—reflect! 
Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the summer they spent in Rome. When recalling these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from the experience and how it changed you.

3. Being funny is tough.
A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But beware. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything off–color.

4. Start early and write several drafts.
Set it aside for a few days and read it again. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer: Is the essay interesting? Do the ideas flow logically? Does it reveal something about the applicant? Is it written in the applicant’s own voice?

5. No repeats.
What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your application–nor should it repeat it. This isn’t the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores.

6. Answer the question being asked.
Don’t reuse an answer to a similar question from another application.

7. Have at least one other person edit your essay.
​A teacher or college counselor is your best resource. And before you send it off, check, check again, and then triple check to make sure your essay is free of spelling or grammar errors.

​Need more help? US News & World Report offers college essay examples. Check them out for more inspiration! 

Source: The Princeton Review: ​Crafting an Unforgettable College Essay

5 Steps to Creating a College List

by: CollegeBoard

1. Ask yourself some questions. Answering questions like these will help you focus your college search:

What am I interested in? How do I spend my free time? What do I feel passionate about? How do I learn best? What do I think I want to do in the future?

2. Get to know the options. Visit College Search Step-by-Step, where you can learn about basic college categories and answer questions about your preferences. You’ll also find in-depth information about searching for colleges, along with advice from college students and educators.

3. Decide what matters most to you. For some students, sports and activities are very important. Other students want a challenging academic environment. Look at your answers to the questions in Step 1. What do they say about you and what you may like in a college.

4. ​Search for colleges. Use College Search to find colleges that match your preferences. Search for colleges by location, majors, size and more. There’s guidance to help you along the way.

5. ​Add colleges to your list. Check out individual profiles of the colleges that come up in your College Search results. When you see a college you like, click “Add to List” to save it to a favorites list. You can return to it later and refine your list as you go along.
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What now? For more about searching for colleges, visit How to Find a College That Fits You. For more about building your college list, download How to Build a College List​

Source: CollegeBoard: ​5 Steps to Creating a College List