{"id":15677,"date":"2023-03-08T08:25:32","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T08:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=15677"},"modified":"2023-03-23T20:37:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T20:37:16","slug":"college-admission-the-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/pre-college\/college-admission-the-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide to College Application Essays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Test scores, grades, and AP classes are all important data points, but they don\u2019t allow the real \u201cyou\u201d to come through in the college admissions process. This is why essays are so important\u2014they represent the best opportunity to share your voice in your application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> essays are thought to be the third most important part of the admissions process after SAT\/ACT scores and transcripts.\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know that essays can also be intimidating. That\u2019s why we created this guide to help you write powerful essays that will help you get into college.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Writing in the admissions process can be grouped into 2 buckets:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your main personal statement for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/college-admissions\/common-app\/\">Common App<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coalition Application<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supplemental essays that are college-specific.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In this guide, we are going to walk you through the entire essay writing process including:<\/p>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue841' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >BRAINSTORMING AND FINDING YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY TOPIC<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue82b' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >ROCKING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue864' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY TIPS<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue81c' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry av-iconlist-empty\"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAYS<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay Topics: Brainstorming Ideas<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<em>\u201cWhat should I write about?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most students will ask their guidance counselor or college coach this exact question at some point.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, as with most aspects of the admissions process, a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist. There is no \u201cbest\u201d or \u201cright\u201d essay topic that will automatically make your essay or application a success.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What you can do, though, is to write an essay that relies on a story from your own lived experience and that reveals your authentic self. Storytelling is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.story2.com\/blog\/8-facts-about-the-neuroscience-of-storytelling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">scientifically proven<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> way to inspire and connect with your reader. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now, you may say, \u201cI haven\u2019t lived an extraordinary life! I haven\u2019t done anything remarkable or experienced any significant challenge.\u201d This is totally OK. Admissions officers report that an effective essay should discuss things that happen in your everyday life. That means everything you need to write a successful essay is in your head already.<\/p>\n<p>The first step in the storytelling process starts with a simple question: what unique traits and characteristics do you want to share with the admissions officer or scholarship committee member? Ultimately, an effective story should reveal to the reader something important about who you are. In order to do this, try brainstorming the traits and characteristics that are most essential to your identity. If you\u2019re stuck, you can ask a friend or family member what traits or characteristics they would use to describe you.<\/p>\n<p>Your next step is to think about particular moments when you exhibited those traits. This approach lays the foundation for developing stories to use in both your personal statement and supplemental essays.<\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >How to Rock Your College Essay Personal Statement<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re applying to college using the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or another college-specific application, you will be asked to write a personal essay. Ideally, this will share a new story that the admissions officer couldn\u2019t glean from elsewhere in the application. Generally, these essays will require between 500 and 650 words and are intentionally broad. In fact, both the Common App and Coalition Application allow you to submit an essay on a topic of your choosing. This is actually a very good thing for you as an applicant, because you are free to write about almost anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>First, you should decide which prompt you will be responding to. We recommend reviewing all of the possible topics to see if something catches your eye. If not, you can always choose the option to submit an essay on a topic of your choosing.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have chosen your prompt, you will want to think about a personal story that aligns with the chosen prompt. Remember, the goal of the personal statement is to show the reader your unique character and traits. We know that it can be tempting to try to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cram as many accomplishments as possible into your essay in order to impress admissions officers.\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nHowever, this is a missed opportunity, because they will likely already know all of these things from the activities section of your application. So, instead, focus on sharing new insights about you as an individual.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, it is worth mentioning that your personal statement will be shared with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the colleges that you are applying to with the Common App or Coalition Application. There should not be any college-specific information in your essay\u2014you can save that for supplemental essays.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_iconlist  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Supplemental College Essay Tips and Topics<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nSupplemental essays are a vital part of college admissions: they allow individual colleges and universities to ask very specific questions that are important to them as an institution.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most students put a ton of effort into their personal statement, neglecting their supplements in the process. And this doesn\u2019t go unnoticed by admissions officers. If you put thought and care into your supplemental essays, you\u2019ll have a much easier time standing out in the admissions process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supplemental essay prompts are given to you directly by the colleges to which you are applying. They may concern a broad range of topics, but most fall neatly into one of 6 main categories:<\/span><\/p>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue81c' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >WHY THIS COLLEGE?<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>This essay is all about demonstrating that you are a good fit for the college and will also contribute to the college inside and outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue803' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >WHY THIS MAJOR?<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Academics are an important part of the college experience, so colleges are interested in what you want to study and why.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue80b' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >COMMUNITY<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Every student belongs to many communities\u2014school, clubs, family, city, neighborhood, etc. Your response should articulate where you come from and how it has shaped you.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue82a' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >ACTIVITY<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>While college is primarily an academic experience, important learning also occurs outside of the classroom. This question aims to understand how you have contributed outside of the classroom (which is a good indicator of what to expect in the future).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue83e' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >ISSUE<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>There\u2019s no shortage of problems and issues in our society. This prompt tries to understand how you think about and would potentially address these problems.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue860' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >INFLUENCE<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>As human beings, we are influenced by many people, places, and things. Whether it was a really great book, a parent, or your favorite hiking trail, this essay will understand what has influenced you in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you are writing your supplemental essays, it is essential to connect them to each college you apply to. Supplemental essays are all specific to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">particular <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">colleges, so a question like \u201cWhat do you want to major in and why?\u201d should be tailored to the college that is asking for the supplement. For instance, if you write about wanting to study biology in college, don\u2019t simply discuss you passion for biology and your past experiences in the subject. Instead, tie it directly to professors, curriculum, and research resources at the college in question. The more specific you can be, the better. Admissions officers can easily spot essays that simply swap out one college for another\u2014they\u2019ll come off as generic, preventing you from standing out in the admissions pool. <\/span><\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay FAQ 1) Are there any topics I should not write about?<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essay topics on overly personal or sensitive topics are generally best avoided as they can also be difficult to fully develop in the context of a 650 word essay. Many who write about these topics wind up writing more about what happened than how they grew from the experience. (If one of these topics is essential to explaining your high school experience\u2014for instance, your grades declined when you were dealing with your parents\u2019 divorce\u2014you can address that in the \u201cAdditional Information\u201d section of the Common App.)<\/span><\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay FAQ 2) How should I respond to really short supplemental essays?<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might encounter supplemental essay prompts that allow only 100 to 150 words. These essays can be tricky, because you don\u2019t have a lot of space to respond. Our suggestion is to start with a brief story of just a sentence or 2 to hook the reader. Then, respond to the question as succinctly as possible. For your first draft, it is OK to go over the word count a bit and then trim your essay down as you revise.\u00a0 This will allow you to explore different approaches to the essay and see what works best for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay FAQ 3) What about optional supplements? Do I need to answer them?<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a rule of thumb, everything that is \u201coptional\u201d in the admissions process is something that you should absolutely do. This includes optional supplemental essays. Make it a point to put time and energy into your responses.<\/span><\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay FAQ 4) Can I recycle essays with colleges that ask the same question?<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s OK to reuse the same story more than once, but we don\u2019t recommend recycling an entire essay. It can be tempting, but will ultimately strip the personality and specificity from your essay, harming your case. For instance, if you\u2019ve written an essay for your application to a small, rural liberal arts college, and that essay is generic enough to use in your applications to other small, rural liberal arts colleges, you probably have more work to do to tailor your essays to each specific college.<\/p>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2    avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >College Application Essay FAQ 5) Is it OK if my essay is below the word count? <\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective essays don\u2019t have to be long. Don\u2019t feel obligated to max out your word count just because the Common App allows you to write up to 650 words. Every word matters, so make sure everything in your essay is serving a purpose. As you edit and revise, focus on making your story tighter and more concise by eliminating unnecessary words and sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[\u00a0<\/span><b>KEEP STUDYING<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/college-admissions\/6-tips-to-win-scholarships\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top 6 Tips to Win Scholarships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ]<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Test scores, grades, and AP classes are all important data points, but they don\u2019t allow the real \u201cyou\u201d to come through in the college admissions process. This is why essays are so important\u2014they represent the best opportunity to share your voice in your application. In fact, essays are thought to be the third most important [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[129],"tags":[128,147],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15677"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15677"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42782,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15677\/revisions\/42782"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}