Writing The College Application Essay (Page 4 of 9) in pdf

“What you want to show is your intensity, enthusiasm, insight and understanding” (29). But

DON”T repeat something that appears somewhere else in your application, like your ranking in

tennis and the history of your ascent in the sport--that’s already on your resume.

As a college transfer student, it is also important to try to make the subject of your essay, if

possible, about why you want to transfer to X school, and what you have achieved so far in

relation to your chosen major. But a summary of what you have done in community college

won’t do—you must have a narrative story, which focuses a flashlight on one thing that you have

done or had happen to you that affected your plans for the future. While freshmen applying to

college for the first time may write about almost anything, transfer students have a duty to show

that they have profited from the years spent at community college, that they know what their

goals are, and that they know that the schools they are applying for are good fits for their goals.

If you do not think that this information is portrayed clearly enough in the rest of your

application, think about making the topic of your admission essay touch on your major and

career goals. You can do this while still showing off a character trait, a strength, your

uniqueness, or your values.

What is the most interesting character or trait you’d like to get across to an admissions counselor

that may not be apparent from your resume, test scores, and

grades?_________________________________________________

You can talk to your parents or friends and ask them what they consider to be your strengths and

talents (30).

What would your parents says are your strengths and values? ____________________

What would your parents say makes you unique? _______________________________

“Make a list of factors, abilities and characteristics that would recommend you for inclusion in

any group” (31) In other words, what would a sorority, a fraternity, an honor society, or a

community organization see in you that would make them include you in their group?

___________________________________

Consider a mundane topic. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the best essays. It

doesn’t have to be a life-changing event to be interesting and informative. The essay can be what

you observe daily while taking the subway to school, or be a favorite phrase your parents or

grandparents often say. It can be about how your neighborhood has affected who you are, or how

working through a problem you had at work or in school helped you see yourself in a different

light (see Sample Essay 2)

What are some of your everyday experiences that could reflect on who you are as a person?

From Alamance Community College’s Writing Center

Writing The College Application Essay Page 4