Many of our students have just begun the final week of classes. Pretty soon, days will be spent relaxing by the pool, at summer camp, or playing PS3—and I don’t blame them one bit! One of the biggest joys of my childhood was those years before I was old enough to get a job. I spent all summer reading books and riding my bike. However, that seems like eons ago now. Things are more competitive than ever for students, especially those who will begin their senior years in the fall.
Today, I read a great article over at the U.S. News and World Report website about the do’s and don’ts of summer. One of the do’s? Get started on that college essay. This isn’t something to take lightly. That college essay is one of the ways a college will get to know you. It’s a chance to tell your story. And, to write a compelling essay, you’d better be willing to invest some time.
The Common Application (the standardized application process used by many universities) has made some changes to the essay requirement. After a four-year experiment that allowed students to write a tome if they so chose, the common app essay will be limited to 500 words. The less words, the easier it’ll be, right? Not exactly. 500 words means your essay needs to be that might together and focused. As a professional writer, it’s much harder for me to write fewer words rather than more. A preview of this year’s common app is already online. Here are the topics to choose from:
*Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
*Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
*Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
*Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, sciences, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
*Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Some are harder than others. But some might fit your personality better. Are you really going to have time to do this in the fall? That’s why it’s a great idea to get started with these essays over the summer. They take time. There are drafts, ideas, and rewrites to hammer out. Here’s why U.S. News and World Report says it’s a good idea to get started over the summer:
“[T]ake a look at essay requirements and begin thinking about how you might use them to tell your story. Starting early means you are less likely to push deadlines as you try to manage the academic pressures of your senior year.”
However, that doesn’t mean they will be taking it easy over the summer. Get started on the college process. Work on that essay. But ride that bike as well. Read some books. Take a swim. And enjoy the summer. Just don’t take your eye off the ball.
Jay Varner, Assistant Director
