The All-Important College Application Essay
By Reecy Aresty
College Admissions/Financial Aid Expert and
Author
The essay
is the most crucial piece of writing the student will submit to any
college. This is the college’s first exposure to the student, and first
impressions are lasting. A memorable essay contains the student’s Kodak
moments interlaced with some less than blissful adventures to create
necessary drama.
Students
must begin by choosing the right topic, one that will be well received by
the admissions committee. The subject matter and its degree of difficulty
say volumes about the character of the author, and the quality of the
essay is dependent on their ability to respond to the subject matter.
Select a
most thought-provoking, stimulating subject, as a “we dare you to compete
for the privilege of attending our school” challenge. In other words, if
there’s a literary masterpiece inside crying out to be written, now is the
time to unleash it!
Students
writing about their favorite anything should be passionate about it. It’s
not enough just to say you love something or someone. You must explain why
in no uncertain terms. If writing about how someone was admired, then how
that person influenced the student’s life and/or how the student
appreciated or fashioned their lives in their light, should be factored
in.
Students
often write about themselves as the subject matter requires no research.
However, a necessary and serious effort is sorely needed here to make the
journey stand out. Be it overcoming adversity or how the past summer was
spent, the writing must appeal to the reader.
Students
should avoid writing too vividly about any traumatizing experience. The
essay can be gripping but not horrifying. Remember, the object here is to
capture the reader’s imagination. Highly controversial subjects such as
abortion or the death penalty are best avoided.
Several
years ago, one of my honor students wrote a “Pro Life” essay and
expressed her views with such intensity that reading it left me with the
impression she might be viewed as a danger to others with strong “pro
choice” convictions. Students must keep their eye on the prize and
never lose sight of the main objective – getting an admission ticket not
promoting your own agenda on any given subject.
My
all-time favorite essay question is the University of Pennsylvania’s,
“You’ve just written your 300 page autobiography. Tell us what’s on page
217.” Students should go back in time five or six years (about a
third of their life), recall where they were, what they were doing, and
then begin writing.
A most
effective and creative approach is to begin in the middle of a
sentence, preferably ending the thought by leaving the reader in a
quandary, i.e. “…because that’s the way it was arranged.” Remember,
this is page 217 from your autobiography. Open any book to page 217. It
probably won’t start with a fresh sentence or a new paragraph. It is also
important to leave the reader hanging at the end of the page: “…As
he ran into the street, the car continued to…”
Essays
should be critiqued, but written by the student. I cannot advise strongly
enough against employing a professional writer or essay service.
Not only is this first degree cheating, but the risk/reward ratio isn’t
worth it. The admissions committees and the application readers are
neither stupid nor naïve, and they’re on to that scam. Students should
never take the chance of throwing their futures away for the want of a
better paper.
Some years
ago, a family who chose not to take my advice, did just that. They felt it
would be the sure-fire way for their son to get into an exclusive East
Coast school. He had good grades, above average SAT scores and would have
otherwise been acceptable, but his writing skills were, at best, average.
They hired a professional, and their son was accepted to his college of
choice.
After the
third week in English, his teacher couldn’t believe that someone with his
limited writing skills could have ever been accepted. He went to the
admissions office, reviewed the application essays, and his suspicions
were confirmed.
The young
man was summoned to the Dean’s office and confronted with the evidence. He
reluctantly confessed that his parents had hired a professional. He was
given the option to immediately withdraw from classes – or be expelled for
the fraud he had perpetrated on the school.
Students
should also avoid the much too popular topics that everyone else writes
about such as, How the death of a loved one or a pet had a profound
affect on their life, or How growing up in an Italian neighborhood
was difficult because they were from a different ethnic background.
Growing up in the ghetto or in a refugee camp is a far better topic,
because if you did, then you actually did overcome a life-challenging
situation – and that will make a far more impressive essay.
Always be
sure to adhere to the school’s requirements. If a 300 to 500 word essay is
asked for, don’t write 501. Schools often do a word count, and
students should always (I said always), follow instructions and
guidelines. Cheating on your application essay is a sure way of writing
yourself a one way ticket back home!
About The Author:
Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977, and
is founder and president of College Assistance, Inc., located in Boca
Raton, Florida. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed, How To Pay For College
Without Going Broke, an invaluable, parent/student
manual. Arguably the most revealing book ever
written on college admissions and financial aid, it is the only book of its
kind also available in Spanish.
Reecy has been
interviewed by financial experts on radio and television, and by many of
the nation's most respected publications including Money Magazine, US
News & World Report, Bloomberg News, Scripps Howard,
The Washington Post, financial icon Terry Savage for the
Chicago Sun-Times, Consumers Digest, The Education Times and AOL. An Internet search for
Reecy Aresty will result in thousands of links to sites all over the
world that feature his articles, advice and methods. Recently, he created
the College Information Network™,
which includes The High School Blog, The College Blog, PayLess For
College and The Way To College.
For almost three
decades, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the
college of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible.
The critics agree. The way to college is Reecy Aresty's How To Pay For
College Without Going Broke. It reveals the trade secrets and insider
information our colleges, universities and the federal government don't want you to know. For
further information on the best college funding book on the market today,
please use the links provided. For more information on admissions and
financial aid - Ask Reecy!
