Help In Preparing An Excellent College Essay

The college application essay is a crucial part of your college application. It's your chance to share a personal story about yourself and show admissions officers who you are.

The key to a great college essay is to write from your heart, not from a script you've written in high school English class. Don't feel the need to fit your narrative to a prompt and don't be afraid to tell stories about challenging experiences that changed you for the better.

1. Thesis Statement

Composition classes often stress the thesis statement as a central part of a good essay. It is a statement that explains what the essay will be about and provides a road map for the rest of the writing.

A good thesis statement should be clear and concise. It should also be assertive.

Developing a thesis early in the writing process can help in preparing an excellent college essay and organize your thoughts and determine what evidence to include.

Your thesis may change as you write, so be sure to revise it as needed.

An argumentative essay usually has a thesis statement that states a position and outlines the main arguments you will use to support that position.

Unlike a narrative essay, which tells a story and ends with a question, an argumentative essay takes a stand on an issue or topic and attempts to persuade the reader to agree with your point of view.

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay explain the bulk of your arguments and ideas. Without them, your essay would be nothing but a collection of scattered sentences.

The main parts of a body paragraph include topic sentences, supporting sentences, and a conclusion or transition sentence. They work together to keep the paragraph focused on your thesis statement and to provide clear, concise information.

When writing a body paragraph, make sure that all the supporting details and evidence you use are relevant to your main argument. Effective writers resist the temptation to ramble on about irrelevant aspects of their subject matter, instead choosing specific and detailed examples that support their thesis statements.

A good essay starts with a thesis statement, then goes through a series of body paragraphs to prove the thesis statement. Each body paragraph should relate logically to the one before it and the one after it.

3. Conclusion

Colleges look for essay submissions that are thoughtful and demonstrate a deeper awareness of the institution's mission, academic programs and learning styles. Students who show that they have identified the right combination of these elements in a single essay can tip the balance in their favor, says Sara Newhouse, a senior consultant at Enrollment Research Associates and former vice president for admission and financial planning at Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama.

The best essays are ones that tell a story, and that make the reader feel as if they're there in the moment. They do this by showing - through descriptions of sights, smells, tastes and tactile sensations - what the experience means to the author.

It's important to write your essay on a topic that you have personal interest in, or that speaks to some aspect of your personality or experience that makes you unique. This could include your favorite hobby, your intellectual interest, a specific talent or skill, or something else that has made a meaningful impact on your life.

4. Introduction

The college essay introduction is your chance to set yourself apart from the thousands of other students applying to your dream school. You need to share your unique voice and perspective in a way that will catch the attention of admissions officers and make them want to read more about you.

To do this, think about a meaningful experience or event from your life that tells the reader something about your personality and perspective. You can also write about a personal struggle or challenge.

If you are having trouble writing your essay, have a friend or someone else proofread it. This helps eliminate errors in grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

It's a good idea to write your essay introduction last, before constructing the body of the essay itself. This will help you generate a powerful, relevant grabber and anecdote that will serve as the foundation for your essay's main points.