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.

Personal Statement Prompts for Undergraduate Fall 2010 Admission:

From the Common Application, used by dozens of participating Ivy League institutions:

Applicants have their choice of prompts. The essays must be at least 250 words, and each individual college might have its own length preference. Topics include:

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3.  Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

From the University of California:

Freshmen applicants are expected to both “Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.” and share a “personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you” while relating how this “makes you proud” and “the person you are.”

Both essays must be limited to a combined total of 1000 words. At about 500 words per single-spaced page, that’s four double-paged pages total to describe who you are to an academic institution.

The personal statement prompt is a challenge. Colleges are already asking you your SAT, ACT, and AP test scores, evidence of your extracurricular activities and academic achievements, as well as teacher references and school transcripts. This is your opportunity to establish your own personality, and to show not only how qualified you are, but how unique you are. Where do you start?

Step One: Key Terms.

Just as you are expected to express a lot about yourself in few words, the applications are asking broad questions in minimal terms. These words are carefully placed. Zero in on the most important ideas in each question and reflect on them before writing. Just what is “diversity?” What constitutes an “ethical dilemma?”

Reflect on each term’s various meanings, and how your interpretation might be different from someone else’s. Then, be prepared to brainstorm a creative approach.

Step Two: Brainstorm.

As with any first draft, sitting down to write for the first time might be daunting. Here are several techniques to get the ideas going:

Mind Maps. Circle your main idea (for example, influential figures) and draw lines that extend out. On each line, write in a related idea, such as names of friends, family, clergy, teachers, or even characters in novels. Make notes about your relationships to each of these people, and why they are important to you.

Free Write. Write the main idea at the top of your page, and set a timer for ten minutes. Pay no attention to spelling, grammar, or syntax (that comes later), and write down whatever comes to mind. Try not to edit or stop the flow.

Outline. If you already have a clear idea of your main arguments, organize your ideas into numbered and lettered lists. Label each section “Introduction,” “Body,” and “Conclusion,” and be sure to include a clear, concise thesis statement.

Step Three: Thesis Statement.

That’s right. Just because you aren’t comparing characters in a novel or deconstructing the Civil War, doesn’t mean you won’t need a solid thesis statement. Any well-written article or persuasive essay needs a good thesis. And where else do you need persuasion than when you are applying for college? Here are some tips for formulating a good thesis:

Distill your overall ideas into one main argument. Who is the most influential person in your life? Why? Write that into one sentence, and when you are done with your first draft, go back and fine-tune it to reflect related ideas.

Reflect key terms from the essay prompt. Although it is imperative that you use your own, carefully-chosen words, it is always a good idea to weave in key terms from the prompt. This will show them that you have read and interpreted the question.

Relate each paragraph back to the main idea. This doesn’t mean repeating your thesis in each paragraph; it just means reinforcing your overall point. Transitional terms and phrases help relate ideas between paragraphs while reminding readers of the main idea.

Step Four: Write. Then Rewrite.

Get all your ideas down on paper. Let the paper simmer, then share your first draft with someone to get feedback. This someone could be your parents, a teacher, school counselor, or perhaps a friend who has recently applied to college.

Review the instructions, watch your word count, and edit accordingly. Although your ten-page memoir might be stellar, remember that following the directions is as important as answering the question. Keep in mind that the admission committees that will be reviewing your application will also be reading hundreds, if not thousands, of others, and so they will appreciate your concision.

Allow yourself plenty of time to revise drafts. Many colleges make their applications available fairly early in the season, and so the sooner you begin your personal statements, the more time you will have to revise and rewrite.

Bottom Line: Make Personal Statements Personal.

You might have a perfect SAT score. You might be a varsity athlete, champion debater, or involved community volunteer. These are all desirable characteristics that you can list on your college applications, but they do cannot substitute for a carefully crafted personal statement. Regardless if your major is medicine or literature, once you get to college, it is imperative that you express yourself well. This is your first opportunity to show schools what you already know, and how well you can describe it.

Personal statements don’t stop with freshman admission. If you ever plan to attend graduate school, you will be writing another slew of them before long. Any jobs you apply for will require concise, well-written cover letters. These are all tests of your ability to describe and market yourself.

Already in college? Have tips to share? Let us know!

All college applications require recommendation letters from your high school teachers. Colleges want to see what your teachers are saying about you, not just to learn about you from a fresh perspective, but also to gauge your personal and academic potential. The great thing is, unlike college professors (who are notoriously stingy with praise when writing graduate school recommendation letters), high school teachers are more than happy to write you letters of recommendation — and highly positive ones to boot. In high school, counselors and teachers want to see students make their way into college, because it reflects on your school and their own job performance if you don’t make your way to college after four strenuous years of school-sponsored education! So don’t fret — getting a letter of recommendation from your professor is as simple as asking the following seven words: Will you write my college recommendation letter?

While it’s simple to score a letter, it’s much less simple to strategically decide which teachers can write you the best letters, ones which show you in your best possible light. Picking the right teachers to compose your letters of recommendation is worth the extra maneuvering, because great letters can really boost your chances of getting into the school of your choice. Here are some useful tips on how to get the best possible letters for you.

Show-off as many positive traits as you can.

If you had your choice between sending two nearly identical recommendation letters, or sending two very different ones, both which identify and display different strengths you possess, you’d obviously pick the latter. One way to show-off is to get two teachers from very different subject areas to write you separate letters of recommendation. So you’re a total lit geek — but you’d be even more impressive if you could also show that in addition to your English skills, you’re also a math wiz! Don’t be afraid to show-off. Even if you can’t ‘do it all,’ there’s no harm in showing that you can ‘do a lot’! And since your teachers are bragging about you on your behalf, you won’t be the one who looks like the show-off, even if you are.

Extracurriculars don’t hurt!

Even if you never took a class from a certain teacher, they can definitely still write you a letter of recommendation if they know you from a certain extracurricular activity. While in high school, I had my debate coach, who was a teacher at my school albeit one whose class I never took, to write my letter of recommendation. Choosing a representative of a school extracurricular as a writer of your rec letters is a smart idea, especially if it can highlight one of your strengths (like debate, athleticism, dance skills, musical skills) that isn’t represented to the full degree in a standard high school class!

Foster working relationships with teachers.

While your teachers will probably all gladly write you a letter of recommendation just from the basis of you having taken one of their classes at some point in your high school career, it’s better to pick teachers who know you well, because they can speak to specific attributes, strengths, and talents, as opposed to writing the ominous generic recommendation letter that college admissions officers are probably so sick of reading day in and day out. In gearing up to send out those college admissions packets, choose teachers who know you well when deciding which ones you want to have write your letters of rec. If you’re the type of person who sits silently in class and feels like no teacher even knows your name, much less knows you well, you still have time to foster relationships with teachers! College juniors, you have your entire first semester of next year to get to know one of your teachers. Sophomores and freshmen, you have even more time than that. Don’t be shy! Teachers love to talk to students in between class periods, and they would be more than happy to provide you mentorship. That’s their job, remember!

Give your teachers plenty of time.

If you want a good letter of recommendation, you need to give your teacher enough time to write you a one. The proper amount of time to give a teacher would be anywhere from three weeks to a month and a half in advance. I suggest notifying them well in advance — by about a month before packets are due to be sent out — just as a matter of courtesy. If your teacher resents you secretly because you popped up last minute begging for a letter of rec, during the busiest time of the school year when they’re buried under papers and tests to grade and compose, they might not write you as shining a letter as they would have, if you’d have given them time. Be smart and be polite: ask in advance!

Don’t be afraid to tell your teachers what to write.

Of course, you can’t force your physics teacher to tell MIT that you’re a rocket scientist if you failed her introductory physics course, but at the very least, you can suggest it. This is not to say that you should fabricate nonexistent attributes just to get into college. But don’t be afraid to ask your teachers to mention something in their letter, if it’s something you definitely want colleges to know. For instance, while I was getting my college rec letters done, I asked a teacher to include in the letter that I was a part of the school paper. I figured my teacher didn’t know that I was involved in that extracurricular, so it would behoove me to tell him.  You should definitely not be shy to do the same for yourself. Your teachers don’t know everything about you. They only view you from a limited light. Providing them with extra, pertinent information about yourself and your abilities is a smart way to get that information included in your letters of recommendation.

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.

5. Memorize key facts.

There’s much information that AP classes cover that do not find themselves into the tests. AP tests cover very specific takeaway facts, ones judged by the AP committees to be the most important general facts that students should know and understand from the classes. The best way to figure out what key facts the APs test is to go over practice tests from past years. You will begin to notice trends indicating areas of concentration. Focus on these areas of concentration rather than attempting to know everything. The AP tests not only require analytic thinking, but also strategy on the part of the test taker to sift through the wealth of knowledge to find the most pertinent information.

4. Muscle memory.

It’s important to concentrate during test-taking, but it’s also important to train your body to take tests on auto-pilot to make the critical thinking easier. For instance, the AP tests are timed. You can train your body to instinctively keep track of time by taking timed practice tests, so you memorize approximately how long you should spend on each section. This really works. Have you ever found out that, by waking up at the same time each morning, your body begins to naturally wake up at that time, even without aid from an alarm clock? Your muscles can do the same thing during test-taking. If you take practice tests, your body starts to register what it’s doing. The test itself no longer comes as a surprise. You can significantly raise your score by taking away the novelty value of taking the AP test. By becoming familiar with the tests, and by utilizing muscle memory, you can become a more efficient and effective test-taker.

3. Don’t freak out about what you don’t know.

Freaking out during a test wastes precious time. So don’t freak out. Teach yourself effective stress management techniques. There are three important ones to remember. First, if you don’t know a question, skip it. Stalling will only waste you time and no amount of waiting around will magically send a right answer into your brain if it isn’t already there. Second, use your powers of deduction if you believe that you know the answer. Cross out answers you know are not correct and focus on the ones that you are half and half on. Finally, take your test one question at a time. Think of it as climging a set of stairs. Don’t worry about getting to the top of the staircase; focus on each step along the way.

2. It’s only a test — no one is going to die if you don’t get a 5.

Knowing that the AP test is only a test really helps you put things in perspective. High school students beat themselves up over test scores and stress themselves out until they’re experiencing gray hairs and baldness at the age of 17, and that is definitely not healthy. Really, it’s only a test. And by putting things in perspective, you really will score higher, because you’ll be in a calm and centered state where you can perform better by quelling your negative energy and your stress. Why do you think philosophers like Sun Tzu advised meditation and zen before warfare? Because performance really does increase significantly if you put yourself in a balanced mental state.

1. Test yourself.

Practice practice practice. Take practice tests, take after school classes, quiz yourself with study cards and group study sessions. I know I sound like I’m repeating myself, but you can never get enough practice, which is why testing yourself beforehand is the numer one general study skill that will raise your AP score.

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.

There are some general themes, however, that college admissions officials like to see. The essay is a way for them to get to know you, to judge (based on so little) if you’d be a good fit for their institution. As such, it’s crucial for you to portray yourself accurately (and in a positive manner) and for you to let your personality shine through the pages. You need to use the essay as an opportunity to invite and allow a complete stranger to sort of get to know you. Here are 5 themes you can use in your essays that make the whole process of showing yourself off, a lot easier.

5. Recall a transformative event that changed your outlook on something important.

A possible topic for a college admissions essay can be when you changed your mind about something. For instance, what happened when you found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real, and how did that change your outlook on the importance of the imagination? Don’t just talk about the transformative event. Talk about how that event changed your perception of the world in as specific a way as possible. Remember when you read Marx for the first time and realized that there are exploitative forces at work in a capitalist society? Or remember the time you read Adam Smith and realized that the invisible hand of capitalism can regulate the market efficiently? College admissions officials love to hear about you changing your mind about something, because it shows that you have the flexibility of belief to adjust your outlook based upon new evidence that presents itself to you. The mark of a true philosopher!

4. Relate a memory from childhood to your current life as a young adult.

Childhood memories may sound boring and insignificant, but they are some of the most significant memories you possess, because your childhood has turned you into the person that you are today. Revealing childhood memories and dramas can reveal much about you as a person. Talk about an event that occurred while you were younger, and how that changed you into the person you are today. Did your parents get a divorce? Did you lose someone important in your life? Did you welcome the addition of a brother or sister into your family? Did you go on an international trip that opened your eyes to the world? College admissions officials want to know.

3. Talk about politics, seriously.

Some people think that college admissions essays shouldn’t be polarizing, but I disagree. I think institutions welcome different voices (they are, after all, places of higher education that should welcome a marketplace of ideas), and you will be hard-pressed to find a college anywhere in America that doesn’t have its Democrats, Republicans, Marxists, Libertarians, Liberals, Conservatives, et. al. I think talking about politics is fair game for college admissions essays (you were, after all, in high school during the most exciting election we’ve seen in our lives thus far).

2. Talk about someone you admire, like a family member, a historical figure, or a close friend.

This topic is sort of a given, because if you have a hard time talking about yourself, one way to bypass that mental blockage is to talk about someone else. And why not? If you think Alexander Hamilton is the bomb dot com, or that the Rolling Stones are the best band in the world, or that Francois Truffaut is the biggest genius ever to grace cinema, by all means share your thoughts. Say it, as long as you can say it well.

1. Be honest about your insecurities.

So college admissions officials love it when you talk about your insecurities. Talking or admitting your insecurities not only shows them that you can be honest in your essay about who you are, but it also acts as a nice foil to the bragfest that was your academic record and list of extracurriculars. It shows that you are okay with yourself. Or at least, okay enough with yourself to talk candidly. Did you ever deal with racism? Homophobia? Are you an athlete, musician, or artist who has ever felt insecure about your abilities? Do you have dreams you are worried if you can fulfill? Letting college admissions officials in on these insecurities won’t make you any less attractive of a candidate at their institution, because everyone suffers from these same insecurities. In fact, it’s a refreshing change from some of the more boasting essays they probably have to read all day!