ADVICE
D ON’T FILL IN THE BLANK:
A GUIDE TO COLLEGE ESSAYS Did you ever play Mad Libs as a kid? You know, insert adjective here, insert noun there: “There are many aggravating ways to choose a/an essay to write.” noun
adjective
Well, when it came to Mad Libs, filling in the blank allowed you to create an interesting story. When it comes to college essays, not so much. Here’s our guide to a different approach. Don’t let your adjectives do the describing Do you know someone who is optimistic, perseverant, and independent? Do you know more than one person who is optimistic, perseverant, and independent? While adjectives are descriptive by definition, in the world of college essays they often start to blend. This isn’t to say you need to hack away adjectives from your prose like a young Ernest Hemingway; just don’t let them do the heavy lifting. If something fascinates you, go ahead and call it “fascinating”—but then show us why. Let excitement be your guide Get rid of the nagging voice in your head that tells you to select the essay topic that will show off your accomplishments best. Your awards, titles, and successes are important, and they will shine through in other parts of your application: your transcript, your activities list, your recommendation letters. In your essays, you aren’t required to insert leadership title here. Trust admissions officers to read through the whole application (we do!). Then choose the prompt that makes you most excited. You might even find that a certain essay seems like it would be—dare
we say it?—fun to write, or that another feels particularly relevant. Let those feelings guide you. Writing your essays won’t seem like a chore, and the reader of your application is more likely to be engaged, entertained, or moved when you are. Reflect on yourself Many of the essays you’ve written for school have likely focused on topics outside of yourself; you might have been told not to use the word “I.” College application essays should use the word “I”—they’re about you, after all. Crafting meaningful responses to the questions colleges ask you is a huge task, yes; but it’s also an amazing opportunity to contemplate what matters to you. After reading an essay prompt for the first time, an initial idea might come to mind. When one does, take it a step further: Ask yourself why. Why did you think of that particular memory or interest? Why is it important to you? As you reflect on yourself, you will reflect yourself in your essays. Make jokes if you love puns. Have a serious tone if that’s you, or if the topic calls for it. We want to be able to hear you in your essays, and your own introspection will make it easier for you to introduce yourself to us.
We hope this was a/an ___________ guide to not filling in the blanks. Are you ___________ to write adjective
your essay about ___________? Just kidding. But do have fun with it. noun
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