Essay Tip: Tell a Story

Your life is filled with lots of accomplishments, events, and memories.  So, there's a huge urge to want to share all of that in your college application essay.  With between 500 and 750 words to work with, it's impossible to get all the wonderful things you've accomplished and want to share with the admissions officer into this one essay, at least not in any sort of meaningful way.  So, resist that urge to list a bunch of events!  There are multiple parts to your application - the resume, your grades, short essays, standardized testing, and recommendations.  All of these components will contribute to giving the admissions offer a rich picture of who you are.

Let the resume tell your chronological accomplishments from work, volunteer,  and extra curricular activities.  Let recommendations brag about the more qualitative pieces of who you are - personality, drive, etc.  And, let the essay tell the reader  how you think, your aspirations, and where those aspirations come from.  In most cases, this stems from a story or series of events that are pivotal in your life.  Here are some questions that might help you pinpoint these types of events:

• Was there an event that changed how you thought about friendships, life, or family?  Perhaps seeing a close person in your life in a new light?
• What would your friends say are important moments of your life?
• When did you feel most proud of yourself?  Or when were you most disappointed in yourself?

​Once you settle on the topic, don't forget to expand on the story and why it's significant, how it's changed who you are/your goals, and how it ties to your aspirations for the future or your more immediate next steps.