4 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2013 /// THE ENQUIRER
College essay final chance to get admission boards’ attention By Jeff Wallner Enquirer contributor
Meghan Eleniak, a senior at Ryle High School, reviews a college essay with her school guidance counselor, Tracy S. Schafer. The essay’s goal is to set the student apart from other applicants, Schafer said. PHOTO BY TONYA BORGATTI FOR THE ENQUIRER
By the time a student is a senior in high school their college résumé is nearly built. Grades, test scores, academic honors and community involvements are stated for the record throughout the application process. But there’s one final opportunity for a student to get the admission boards’ attention: the essay. If written effectively, an essay can force decision makers to look beyond GPAs and SAT scores, and learn more about the individual who desires to attend the university or pursue a scholarship. Whether an essay is intended to gain admittance to a college or gain much-coveted scholarship money, Tracy S. Schafer, a guidance counselor at Ryle High School, says there’s a common goal: to set
the student apart from other applicants. “Colleges look for a diverse student body,” Schafer said. “They want kids who were involved in their campuses in high school to stay involved in college, kids who think outside the box and have a willingness to change the campus in a positive way.” Meghan Eleniak, a senior at Ryle, had not yet chosen a college but already had penned several essays. She’s become well versed in the pitfalls to avoid. “The introduction is so important,” said Eleniak. “You need to hook them and get them to keep reading. I wanted to show them how I was different from other students, and not typical.” Eleniak chose her own subject: “If you were part of a car, what would you be?” She chose a car horn, because she’s an
expressive person who loves to talk. A car horn also is unique. Most car horns sound different and thus convey a different message. Eleniak also tried to avoid clichés and lists. “Anyone can write an essay,” she said. “But not everybody can write a great essay, one that they’re (admissions board) going to want to read.” The essay paints a picture of the person, their personality, passions, hopes and dreams. And while the story might be spectacular, nothing can divert the reader’s attention quicker than a grammatical error. One common, yet disastrous error: referencing the wrong college. Dan Bisig, founder and CEO of College and Beyond LLC in Florence, Ky., says it happens surprisingly often, especially when students are applying to See ESSAY, Page 9
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