Contact: Dr. Dennis Shaw, Center Director
Huntington Learning Center of Ankeny
515-965-3860
ShawD@HLCmail.com
Huntington Learning Center of Ankeny
515-965-3860
ShawD@HLCmail.com
Ankeny.HuntingtonHelps.com
5
Tips to Write a Great College Application Essay
Ankeny, Iowa August 20, 2017–
If you’re the parent of a college-bound student, you know well all that goes
into the college admissions process. From taking the SAT or ACT to the
researching of colleges, there’s a lot to do in a relatively short amount of
time. But what about the application essay? “If the college to which your teen
is applying requires or strongly recommends that he or she write an essay,
there are a number of things your teen can do to put his or her best foot
forward,” says Dr. Dennis Shaw of the Ankeny Huntington
Learning Center. Here are five tips:
1. Put thought into choosing the right
topic. Most colleges’ essay prompts are open ended, as admissions officers generally
hope that students will give good thought to selecting a topic that shows who
they are and what they are capable of. Encourage your teen to be authentic and
introspective, to think about what he or she is proud of and passionate about
as well as life experiences that have required your teen to work harder,
overcome setbacks or change. Remind your teen that the goal isn’t to impress the
college with a laundry list of achievements, but rather, to present oneself in a way that is different than what
the admissions officer would find on a transcript.
2. Follow the directions. The
essay is your teen’s chance to engage in thoughtful self-expression, but it
isn’t the place to ramble about why a college is your teen’s dream school or
explore tangents about his or her life or feelings. Remind your teen to
carefully read and ponder the essay prompt given by the college. Don’t
disregard any instructions. If there’s a word count, stick to it. If specific
questions are asked, be sure your teen submits something that answers them.
3. Create a detailed outline first. Rarely
do words flow together to create a compelling essay without sufficient
planning. Your teen must spend time creating an outline with a beginning,
middle and ending. The outline should include good examples and clearly show
how the essay will move from start to finish. Before your teen starts writing,
have him or her review and edit the outline if needed. Are there gaps in the
story? Is the main takeaway of the essay clear from the outline?
4. Allow plenty of time for multiple
drafts. It’s understandable that your teen might be focused
on preparing for the SAT or ACT and narrowing down colleges and universities of
interest, but it’s critical to allow time to craft a well-written essay—and
revise it. If an application is due January 1, a sample timeline might be
creating the outline by November 1, first draft by November 10, second draft by
November 20 and final draft in early December. This allows your teen time to
set the essay aside for a couple of weeks and read it with fresh eyes (and proofread
and fine-tune if necessary).
5. Edit like a pro. Speaking
of drafts, your teen might question the suggestion that an essay requires
rewriting several times. Yes, it’s true. A great essay takes writing, revising
and revising again. Encourage your teen to do the obvious—proofread for errors and
edit wordy or confusing sections—but a great self-editor should ask questions
while reviewing as well, such as:
·
Does the essay hook the reader from the
very start?
·
What’s the point of the essay and did I
capture it effectively?
·
Is any part of the essay too long or too
rushed?
·
Is there a clear conflict that caused me
to change in some specific way or take a new path?
·
Did I achieve the desired tone for the
essay (moving or humorous, for example)?
·
Does the voice sound and feel like me?
·
For each and every sentence, could I say
it better or more clearly?
The college application essay is the chance to show
an admissions officer who your teen is as a student and a person—beyond his or
her transcript and test scores. It’s a personal statement that should come from
the heart and share with the college to which your teen is applying why he or
she would be a great fit as a student there. Your teen should be sincere and
articulate and remember that a college’s goal in requesting supplemental essays
from applicants is to give them the chance to tell the college something about
themselves. This is a powerful opportunity—encourage your teen to put his or
her best foot forward.
About Huntington
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leader. Its certified tutors provide
individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills,
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other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized
exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation
to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State
Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington’s mission is to give every student
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