Writing The College Application Essay (Page 3 of 9) in pdf

my hatred, I gave her a chance. She became a woman who, like me, loves Ally McBeal

and drinks a lot of coffee; who, unlike me, buys things advertised on infomercials.

Three weeks ago, I saw that same Mother Teresa quote again, but this time I smiled.

Laura never gave up on me, and the chance she gave me to like her was a chance that

changed my life. Because of this, I know the value of a chance, of having faith in a

person, of seeing others as they wish they could see themselves. I’m glad I have a lot of

time left, because I definitely have a lot of chances left to give, a lot of people left to love.

(492 words)

You can think of the college application essay as having this topic: “In three to five paragraphs,

tell us about something you’ve done or thought that will represent both your character and a

larger sense of who you are and what you value” (McGinty 23).

What are some of the most important or interesting experiences of your life that have shaped

who you are and what you value?

__________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

You are the expert on you. No one else can write the essay you write, because only you have all

the information about yourself. You are a unique individual with a unique personality, and you

don’t need to read anything or do any research to write this essay. Also, you are writing to the

selection committee of a college or university you selected, so they are probably looking for

students just like you

One way to approach this is “You look into your life, select an aspect of yourself that you see as

a strength, a personal characteristic like commitment or creativity or resilience, one that may not

come through in the rest of your application’s facts, grades and numbers. Then you find the

substantiating evidence—an event, experience or incident—that reveals this aspect. Events are

the evidence. That fateful summer, that wonderful biology class, that job at the pizza place isn’t

the focus. Each one is valuable, however, as a lens into your thought process, your way of doing

things, your choices and values” (McGinty 29). The essay is about you, not the event. It’s about

you as seen through the lens of the event.

What are your most important characteristics or traits? Think courage, commitment, intellectual

curiosity, creativity, resilience, strength, caring for others, making a difference, etc.

__________________________

According to McGinty, “Telling everything about yourself is not the idea. Select one thing about

yourself and illuminate that. The light from one interesting point will reflect your personality. . .

From Alamance Community College’s Writing Center

Writing The College Application Essay Page 3