About the Author: Antonio, aged 19, currently works at Hubbubbaloo Creative, as well as is a college student. After writing his own college essays, he has the following advice to share: ________________________________________________ Writing an essay can be stressful, especially if it is a college application essay about yourself. The stress increases considering that the essay is…
Tag: Writing process
The College Essay
Choose an essay topic wisely. Cartoon courtesy of The New Yorker.
On Writing
The writing process is not simple nor are perfect college essays developed in one draft. The following is an excerpt from a recent New York Times Magazine article, “Old Masters“: Lewis Latham on writing: When I was 6, I delighted in the act of writing, at 12, in the expecting that by the time I…
Thank Your Third Grade Teacher: She Was Right About the Thesaurus
Every word counts, when there’s a word count. A common complaint amongst college essay writers is the the wish for more words. The tedium of examining, re-examining, thinking through each word chosen when writing a college essay can be a test of patience, as much as a test of intellect. The Thesaurus, dictionary and books…
Oh, No! College Essays!
The college admissions essay can be one of those “coming of age” events that tests the writer’s (i.e. teenage applicant), as well as her/his parents’, patience and fortitude. The complexity of writing a statement that not only tells the experience of the writer, but also provides insights to the writer’s character, is not easy. Watch…
Common Application Essays Part 7: Essay Prompt 5 Explained
The fifth of five new Common Application essay questions asks students to: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. Applicants must choose only one of the five questions to answer as their college essay, which will be shared amongst all…
Common Application Essays Part 6: Essay Prompt 4 Explained
The next podcast in our Common Application Essay series defines the fourth of five essay prompts. Applicants must choose only one of the five prompts to help structure their essay. Yet, considering topics for all five essay questions, before focusing on one, can help applicants write the most meaningful essay possible and remain competitive across…
“The Three D’s: Death, Disease & Divorce”
When beginning to write college application essays, students often worry about having lived an “ordinary” life, under the assumption that a dramatic event is a compelling topic to persuade college admissions officers. A few years back, a stressed-out Senior, with tears welling in her eyes, exclaimed to her dad, “Why couldn’t you have died?!? Then,…
The A B C’s of the New Common Application Essays
College essays that add value to the application explain the meaning of the applicant’s life experiences and give insight to the applicant’s personality. Being able to craft that content, while in the middle of the fall semester of Senior year, and fit their 17 years of life into 500 words or less can be a…
Editing College Essays Can Test Your Last Nerve
To the Senior (i.e. novice college essay author), the college essay editing process–especially when the editor is a third party–can be expletive provoking, feeling like a nit-picking critique of a final product spawned from a laborious drafting process, which can cause tension (or exacerbate it), and get on Senior’s last nerve. Seemingly “together” seniors…
How to Write Competitive College Essays Without Losing (Too Much) Sleep
Seniors (and their parents) who’re unsure about where to start writing their college application essays should start at the beginning of the writing process. The writing process doesn’t change; the challenge is most students aren’t often taught the writing process or have developed their own process to write essays for class assignments, that don’t fit…