What Colleges Require Admission Essays? And Which Ones Require Supplemental Essays?

What Colleges Require Admission Essays? And Which Ones Require Supplemental Essays? The moral to the college essay is that there need not be a moral. You are writing a personal narrative, not a parable, so don’t feel compelled to conclude with a lesson learned or a happy ending. Regardless of the topic about which you choose to write, be sure the essay reveals more about you than the other characters or places in the story. Spellcheck won’t catch every spelling or grammatical error! Take the time to read over all your essays carefully and keep an eye out for things like “out” when you meant to say “our” and other common typos. Have a parent or counselor read over the essay, too, to catch any errors you might have missed. Spelling and grammar errors can take away from an otherwise stellar essay â€" so be mindful. When tailoring responses to individual college prompts, it’s important to use specific details you’ve learned through visiting and research. Not only does this show colleges that you’ve have done your homework, but it also demonstrates your interest in the college â€" and colleges want to admit students who are likely to enroll. Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Admissions officers read thousands of essays every year. Yours doesn’t have to be the most creative; it just has to be a good read. Another very simple tip, but many of the less compelling essays we read each year fail to focus. Community involvement is key to being a well-rounded individual and college candidateâ€"it shows the admissions office that you will be involved with student life on campus. It’s never too late to get involved in community service at your place of worship, youth group, local soup kitchen, or nearby homeless shelter. For the application season, the Common Application announced that their 600-plus member schools, which include many private and public universities, need not require essays . Inside Higher Ed, a popular website monitoring issues in higher education, estimated that 20 percent of members will eliminate the essay requirement. My 17-year-old is working with Russell on a college essay. He is thorough, highly knowledgeable and patient. He has so many tips about writing a solid college essay. Show your knowledge of the college by mentioning specific courses, professors, places of interest, and more. Show how you fit into the campus culture and how you will impact the community through specific examples. When developing a topic that reveals something new, find a way to frame the story or idea that shows a slice of your life or the event. Think about the special nugget of information you want the reader to know about you at the end of your essay and write with that central theme in mind. The essay is valuable to you and the colleges to which you are applying. If you think of the application as pieces of a puzzle or as independent voices coming together to tell your story, the essay is part of the puzzle over which you have complete control. The essay also provides you with an opportunity to say what hasn’t been said in your application and do so in your distinct voice. Emily guided me through the revision process of my writing and helped clarify my drafts for a supplemental college essay. She provided thoughtful feedback and kept prompt communication to meet my deadline. I highly recommend Emily if you need assistance for your college essay. in Exeter offers both group classes and one-on-one writing coaching sessions to help students through this process. Meeting times will vary, depending on each individual. Demonstrate that you are a leader and a thoughtful citizen, and you will not only improve your extracurricular portfolio, but also demonstrate your commitment to making a difference in college and beyond. Good editors help students describe what makes them different and special. Still, Jager-Hyman says that some parents who get their hands on their kids’ essays go too far and change the tone or tenor. Some essays she read were “too stiff, too adult and too formal,” â€" not the student’s work. Jager-Hyman notes that every writer has an editor, and editors can help select topics, tell students where the essay is lacking and help them organize their thoughts. In this competitive climate, many students think their essay must reflect an earth-shattering achievement, like curing cancer or ending world starvation, but that’s not its purpose. It’s also not a place to reiterate one’s résumé or explain away a bad semester (there’s a section in the application for that). Colleges want to “hear specifically what you learned from an experience” â€" not clichés. College counselors weighing in on the college review website Unigo indicated that, depending on the school, up to four people could read a single essay. Be descriptive and give details that appeal to the senses â€" taste, touch, smell, etc. When writing about a meaningful experience or event, you don’t have to give a long timeline of events. Instead, give the reader the piece of the puzzle that conveys your message. The language in your essay should be a more refined version of how you normally speak, but don’t try to be overly flowery in your writing in an attempt to woo the admissions officers. You don’t want to confuse the reader or come off as pretentious.