Читать книгу America's Best Colleges for B Students - Tamra B. Orr - Страница 42

Not every college requires an essay, but most of them want to see one. If you are applying at one of the colleges that do not require ACT or SAT scores, for example, the college essay is extremely important. Bottom line: The chances are pretty good you will have to write an essay. And, putting aside your fears for a moment, you will come to realize that this is a good thing.

For many admissions officers, your essay is the first chance they get to see the real you. They already know your grades, test scores and what classes you have taken for the last four years, but they don’t know YOU. Sure, they are looking at how well you remember those grammar and punctuation rules, as well as what kind of vocabulary you use, but they also want a glimpse of your personality, ambitions, talents, goals and dreams.

College essays have become such an important part of the admissions process that there are many books dedicated to showing you how to write them. Many also give sample essays to read from students who were accepted by colleges. One excellent book is Accepted! 50 Successful College Admission Essays by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe. Check out the many websites on the Net dedicated to the topic.

Be aware there are unscrupulous companies and people willing (for a price) to take the headache out of your hands and write the essay for you. Yes, you can buy your college essay. Is this ethical? What do you think? Not only is this wrong, but it also won’t help you get into college. Purchased essays are never able to convey the real you to a college. Don’t ask a friend or relative to write it for you either. The admissions officers are good at spotting styles that don’t fit with students. Also consider that if you turn in something that reads like Ernest Hemingway, but your GPA in English class has always been a B or less, a red flag will pop up immediately.

But the best reason for writing your own essay is that regardless of your skill, you can write a successful essay that will reflect your personality and your passion for life. It’s not as hard as you might imagine! Read on to learn how.

The questions and/or topics you might be given to write about in college essays vary a great deal in subject area. Regardless of the question, the point is to say who you are. You will show that in how you respond, what anecdotes you use, what examples you include and so on.