How To Write An Amazing College Essay

How To Write An Amazing College Essay He has been at St. Christopher's since 1990 and was previously an admissions officer, women's basketball coach and philosophy professor at the college level. Jim is a past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. We would expect a nursing applicant to have had academic training and extracurricular choices that support a desire to help others. A student who highlights their love of community service but has only one or two short-term service opportunities is probably not as committed as he or she wants to claim. Editing for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes is fine, but don’t change the voice of the essay. By avoiding the topics listed above, you’ll ensure that your essay helps â€" instead of hurts â€" your chances of admission. Make sure that your essay is more than a recitation of the accomplishments, activities, and experiences already hashed out in the application. If your essay doesn’t present any new information, it will be dull and forgettable. If you really want to make an impression, let your personality shine through. The essay is supposed to reveal information that you haven’t had a chance to discuss elsewhere in the application. It’s meant to be a deeper dive into who you are beyond the numbers and accolades. Activities can also help you build confidence while developing important leadership and teamwork skills. If you’re interested in politics, try joining student government. If an essay is too “polished” it may seem inauthentic, creating confusion in the reader. Make sure that you are confident in your essay and accept feedback, but don’t allow others to change your essay in any way that will cause it to lose its original message. My preference (and admissions officers’) would be that parents are minimally involved in the essay. Believe me, those admissions officers are experienced and they can definitely spot the difference between a 50 year-old businessperson’s phraseology and a 17-year-old senior’s own voice and manner of expression. Every class you take does not have to apply to your major. If you are a communications major, but computer science has always interested you, take a computer class. Overcome your fear of public speaking by taking a theater or speech class. College can be the bridge between childhood and adulthood. If you just want a break from studying, find out when the Ultimate Frisbee Club meets. Clubs and activities provide endless ways to broaden your horizons. Consider taking a community college course while you’re still in high school. That will allow you to gauge your interest in a field of study while earning college credit. CFNC can help you figure out what interests you and ultimately help you choose a career you will enjoy. Don’t be afraid to take classes that will improve your skills and make you more confident. As we mentioned earlier, you don’t know who is reading your essay or how they feel about these subjects. It’s best not to offend them or make them feel uncomfortable. Living away from home for the first time can be intimidating. Try joining clubs and organizations to develop a new community and to make new friends with similar interests. In most cases, your essay isn’t the factor that determines your admission to college. However, an offensive, off-putting, or forgettable essay can hurt your chances.