by Julia H. Jackson
Sometimes the simplest questions provoke the most complicated answers. When applying for college, you will be asked to write an essay that distills your personality into a few short paragraphs. Just how do you define yourself to an admissions advisor without appearing like just another one of the thousands of other applicants out there? In this, our last installment of Write Like You Mean It, we’ll pick apart a few application prompts and show you how to craft a unique personal statement essay.
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School may be out, but for some of you, the summer doesn’t entail going to the beach with your friends every afternoon. Some of you will still be taking classes this summer. Groans all around. I know it really, really is not fun to take school during the summer, but think about it as a trade-off. By taking an AP class now, you won’t have to take that same class in college — granted you get a 5 or a 4 on the exam. Think about how much time and energy that saves you in the long run! So don’t sweat the small stuff. Do your best in your AP summer class, and learn these general study skills that are sure to raise your AP test score.
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The college admissions essay. High school juniors: it’s looming on your summer horizon. This is your summer to figure out what you’re going to say to convince colleges around America to let you through their hallowed halls next year. For those who still have a few more years of high school to go, the stressful prospect of writing college admissions essays is imminent and forthcoming whether you like it or not.
College admissions essays are a strange concept. When you have your academic record, your extracurricular involvements, and your teacher recommendations going for you, why do you still need something so subjective, so seemingly inconsequential, as a 500-word personal statement? The college admissions essay is one of the most difficult pieces of writing you will ever face, not only because the assignment itself is so open ended, but because so much depends on it.
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