Writing Your Way into College
Page 4
Give yourself time. The summer leading up to your senior year in high school is an excellent time to tackle application essays. Once school starts, college deadlines will whiz by.
When an essay is finished, however, you shouldn't necessarily relax if you are relying on the Common Application. While it's true that you can pen one essay for all the schools that share the Common Application, schools also often require answers to supplemental essay questions. These additional questions might not require as much effort as the main essay, but they can be time consuming. If you visit the Common Application Web site, you'll be able to determine which schools require supplemental writing. Start working on your answers well in advance of the deadlines.
If schools on your list don't use the Common Application -- and most public institutions don't -- become familiar with their essay requirements, if any, well in advance.
Proofread the essay. It's okay to ask a parent, friend, or teacher to review your essay. In fact, it's important to let someone else check it to make sure it doesn't contain typos and grammatical errors. You should resist, however, letting anyone change your essay so that your own voice is lost.
Action Plan
Don't assume that your essay should be written like an English paper. Avoid using a stilted approach and write from your heart.
Get inspired. No one -- except perhaps a few English majors -- is going to be eager to start THE essay. Think of ways to make the process easier. If you like Starbucks, buy a Venti Mocha before you get started. If you love chewing Juicy Fruit gum, buy a fresh pack. And while you're at it, find a literary spark plug. Is there a writer or author who you especially enjoy reading? If so read a page or two before you begin or when you get stuck.
To get inspired, you may also want to look at compelling essays. The New York Times Magazine, in a weekly feature called Lives, prints a wonderful first-person essay every Sunday that you can find on its last page. Another resource is the This I Believe essays posted on National Public Radio's Web site at www.npr.org. To find them, type "This I believe" into the site's search engine.