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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Ten College Essay Tips




Here are ten college application essay tips shared by the young adult author, Hillary Frank, at the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling annual conference:


1. If you are having trouble with the essay, consider:

  • Telling your story to a friend

  • Recording yourself telling the story

  • Writing a letter about the story

  • Reading the draft out loud.

2. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear.

3. Don’t be boring. Use compelling visual details.

4. Tell me something I’ve never heard before.

5. Use your authentic voice.

6. Use your speaking, rather than your writing voice.

7. Write a first sentence that:

  • Piques the reader’s interest

  • Is worded artfully

  • Provides a memorable visual image or point of view.

8. Uses similes never heard before.

9. Make characters complex.

10. Show surprising personal growth.

What tips would you share about writing the college application essay?

3 comments:

  1. Interesting tips.But hope working good.I am a essay writer. I can write essay for you with great quality.

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  2. Excellent tips. I would add that when you think you are done revising your essay, check it for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. For example, in the post above, "...Peaks the reader’s interest," should be "...Piques the reader’s interest." :-) For a memory trick on remembering the differences between "peak," "peek," and "pique," see http://ow.ly/py4S3.

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    Replies
    1. Great catch. I've updated the posting. It just proves the point that it is hard to review your own work.

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