Show, Don’t Tell: Writing a Memorable College Essay

It’s college essay season: if you are a junior, and you’ve been avoiding writing your personal statement, well…it’s probably time to start, with the January 1^st deadline looming. Writing this essay is not always as simple as it sounds. You may not find it easy to write about yourself. You may have been through a few drafts, never feeling great about any of them. You may not be sure what exactly admissions folks are looking for. Bottom line: there can be a lot of uncertainty surrounding this process, and if you are feeling uncertain, you’re not alone. The following points are intended to help you write for the common app’s main essay. If you’re not sure what this is, follow this link to the prompts and guidelines for this year: https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/1694/What-are-the-2015-16-Common-Application-Essay-Prompts

College Essay Pointers:

 1.  “Show, don’t tell.” You’ve probably heard this before but what does it really mean? Basically, don’t be afraid to make this essay a narrative, rather just a list of all the great stuff you’ve accomplished in high school. Some schools will actually ask you for a “brag sheet.” If they don’t, however, don’t turn your essay into one. Use your powers of storytelling to get across everything you want the college to know about you. You can sometimes say more about yourself through a clever anecdote than you can by being “in your face” about it.

2.  Be creative. Over the years, I’ve helped students with essays about everything from chamomile tea to curly hair to Legos. The point is that you should not be afraid to write about something “offbeat.” Trust me, literally millions of students will write about their sports teams or their service trips, so anything you can do to break the mold will help you stand out.

3.  Don’t force it. While I understand that there are deadlines, it’s important to give yourself enough time to write something that doesn’t sound forced. This is absolutely not the kind of thing you want to do the night before. When writing anything, it’s important to be able to draft then walk away: to have the ability to let the piece sit for a while so that you can come back to it and see how it looks after a few days. It’s ok if you decide after a few drafts that you want to change your topic. If you feel like you’re forcing it while writing, you can bet the reader will sense that too. Give yourself the time and space to get it right.

4.  Get feedback. Think of a few (not too many) people whose opinions you really trust. Let them take a look at your essay and give you feedback. These do not have to be teachers or writers. Rather, people who know you well can provide the best advice. You need to sound like yourself (see the next bullet point) and people who know you will be able to help you make sure you do.

5.  Be yourself. “DDI” (Daddy Did It) is an actual thing admissions people write on essays that they suspect were not written by students. So, while feedback is important, it’s vital that you sound like yourself in this essay. Admissions officers have read a ton of essays, and they can tell if it’s not your original work. While parents may want to help with this, don’t let them be too helpful, as you can then run the risk of your voice being taken out of the work.

6.  Find resources. I hope that this post qualifies as a resource that you can use to help you thorough this part of the college admissions process. You can find many more online: from sample and actual students’ essays to help you get a feel for the tone and sound to points from admissions people, there are many resources out there to help you if you’re struggling with writing your essay. Remember that in this age of information, you’re really never alone when it comes to finding guidance.

7.  Good luck. This isn’t really a pointer, but rather me wishing you the best of luck in this process. The journey of getting into college is often unduly stressful, so please bear in mind that once you’re there, the memory of filling out applications and writing essays will be so far gone, you’ll barely remember having done it.

Written by Phil Lane