College Essay

There’s good…and then there’s bad honesty…

Let them get to know YOU

•A personal statement that reveals who you are can really set your application apart.

•Honest, self-revealing ones are persuasive; cute, smart, affected, phony ones are not.

•A narrative, in which you tell a story, can often be the most engaging: think “show,” not “tell”. Follow the narrative with reflection that responds to the prompt based on the story you’ve told.

What's your subject?

•Yourself.•Feel strongly about what you're saying,

whether the topic is frivolous or serious.•Say it sensibly and grammatically.

Keep it Honest

•Write for yourself...make it honest....not with an eye to "what do they want"?

•They want to know who you are. You'll never be able to tell them if you're looking at them instead of yourself.

Use the writing process

•You'll probably have to redo this statement at least a couple of times to make it say what you want to.

•Rewriting is key.

Why do they make me do this?•To get a glimpse of you as a person• To get insight objective data can't give.•To see a sample of your writing

Prompts

•The topics test your imagination, thinking, and writing ability.

•Give you a chance to set yourself apart and make your application come alive.

Before Starting to write, it may help to…Do some brainstorming …•Why am I going to college in the first

place?•What do I want most out of college?

Least?•What about the trade-offs? (Big or small,

city or country, more demanding or more friendly)

•What do I want out of life, or in life – something tangible (status) or intangible (happiness)?

And…when revising and editing…•Read sections II and III of

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White…your essay will be better written if you do.

Keep in Mind

•Don’t repeat what is already on the other parts of your application

•Use the “Whats” (specific details) to hang the “Whys” onto.

•General statements not supported with specific examples are bad writing.

•Focus on showing, not telling (I paced the hallway, vs. I was nervous.)

After Writing a Draft

•Read it aloud to see how it sounds. • If it sounds queer and stiff, it is. Rework

it. Ask a friend to read it.

There are NO Bad Topics, but...

•There are bad ways of handling topics. •Avoid emptiness, pretension, cuteness, by

writing honestly and imaginatively about something that's important to you, no matter how trivial.

Don’t Generalize

•Your essay must be something only YOU could write, because you're showing, with specific detail, what this event, activity, experience, etc. did to you.

•Generalizations anyone could write are useless and boring.

Jeannette Hersey, former Connecticut College admissions director, says:

•“95 percent of personal essays are travelogues”

•They tell where you've been, what you've done, but not why or what you got from it.

Favorite topics that are dead without a specific message:•cutesy lists of things you like; •stories of successes, athletic or other; •death of a pet; •autobiographies; •statements of your wonderful qualities; •pontifications on world peace or another

pressing issue.

Searching for a Topic

•Ask yourself lots of questions...think about what's interesting or important to you.

•Think about what makes you unique, different from everyone else

•If you can’t think of anything, ask a teacher or a friend or your mom

•Use your favorite brainstorming tool to create a list.

Write Your Own Essay

•If an admissions officer suspects your statement isn't your own work, they'll almost certainly reject you.

•Parental help pointing out bad grammar or unsupported themes is great but it’s often not helpful for parents to critique your topic itself and it’s the kiss of death if they write it for you.

Are you an underachiever?

•Be sure to answer the additional question, "What else would you like us to consider?“• This is where you can explain why your grades

dropped at a certain point, or any other challenges you’ve had.

Kill Two Birds With One Stone…•You can make your essays do double duty

by tweaking or just re-using for supplemental essays or for colleges with different essay prompts.

How much does it count?

•It will be a plus for your application if the essay is well thought out and well written

•It will be a minus for your application if it is sloppily handled

Prompts: UWA. Personal Statement (Required)The Personal Statement is our best means of getting to know you and your best means of creating a context for your academic performance. When you write your personal statement, tell us about those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your academic record. Tell us about the experiences that don’t show up on your transcript:• a character-defining moment,• the cultural awareness you’ve developed,• a challenge faced,• a personal hardship or barrier overcome.DirectionsChoose either A or B. Maximum length: 600 words.A. Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.ORB. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.TipsSome of the best statements are written as personal stories. We welcome your imaginative interpretation.You may define experience broadly. For example, in option B, experience could be a meeting with an influential person, a news story that spurred you to action, a family event, or something that might be insignificant to someone else that had particular meaning for you. If you don’t think that any one experience shaped your character, don’t worry. Simply choose an experience that tells us something about you.

Common App

Essay Questions for 2013-2014• Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful

that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.   

• The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea.  What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

• Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you would like to solve.  It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Word Limit• You must submit only one essay, and it must be no more than 650 words. 250 word

minimum.

WWUFreshman essay questions for Fall 2016Students are asked to respond to one of the prompts below as part of the application for admission. Most essay responses are about 500 words, but this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit. Feel free to take what space is necessary for you to tell your story.• Share a meaningful experience and how this has helped shape you in your

preparation for college. This could be related to your passions, commitments, leadership experience, family or cultural background.

• Describe any activities you have been involved in related to diversity or multiculturalism and explain how you will actively contribute to a diverse campus community at Western.

• Admissions Essay – topic of your choice. If you have written another essay that captures what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you, feel free to share it with us.

WWU Essay TipsEssay tips• Spend time reflecting before you start your essay. Your college essay is your chance to "speak" to

the Admissions Committee, so make yourself come alive! Our essay questions are listed above so you can start composing a well-written essay that reflects you and your potential before you apply. The best college essays are those that make the reader feel like they know you, so write with sincerity.

• Demonstrate sustained involvement. Committing to—and staying in—a particular activity that you're passionate about or your experience in an academic course is more interesting than occasional or one-time participation. Tell us how those experiences affected you as a student or as a person.

• Express your pride and appreciation for cultural diversity. Enthusiasm for and experience within culturally diverse environments will be key to your success here at Western and beyond.

• Don't be shy. Applying to college is great practice for eventually applying for jobs in the "real world," where you are expected to "sell" yourself. Have you made a positive difference in the lives of others, whether in your family, community or school? Let your talent shine by telling us about your accomplishments in your activities list or by submitting additional information with your application. Letters of recommendation aren't required, but if a teacher or counselor has written one for you, feel free to submit it as well.

• Proofread! The content of your essay is important, but so is the written quality. Ask a teacher, parent or friend to read through your essay; they can catch errors or help you strengthen your message.

• If you are applying as a transfer student, please review the separate essay tips for transfer students.