College Essay Myth #3

College Essay Myth #3 We remain dedicated to serving you during these challenging times of COVID-19. Risa C. Doherty is a copy editor and education and parenting writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Working Mother and Boston Parents Paper, among others. In a 2007 Boston magazine article, Harry Lewis, former dean of Harvard College, drew a parallel between professional essay editing and hiring an imposter to sit for the SAT. An introduction like this is colorful and intriguing. It gives the reader a sense of expectation and excitement, without giving too much away from the beginning. Writers live by the rule of “in medias res,” or starting in the middle. The conclusion finishes off the whole essay by nodding towards what came before without being repetitive and summarizing the takeaway. We are defined as individuals largely through relationships and experiences with others. DO write about something about which you feel strongly. If you write on a topic in which you have little interest or knowledge, your lack of sincerity and enthusiasm will show. Focus on an event or idea rather than trying to cover an entire subject. Cynicism will not score points with the admission committee. DO be yourself â€" your essay should sound as if it could have been written by no one else. DO show that you can be introspective & reflective about your experiences; don’t be afraid to reveal something personal or admit mistakes (but see warning in Don’t #2). We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. For lots more information on applying to college, see the links on the next page. We’ll make sure you get the right guidance at the right time. Students use their grades and test scores to select where they apply. That means every college has a pool of applicants with similar grades and test scores. If you’re worried that your essay topic is a bit run-of-the-mill, you have two options. The first is to find another topic that feels authentic to you. The second is to find a unique angle within the topic. DO write about other people as well as about yourself. Essay writing tips adapted from Kelly Tanabe’s “Four Steps to Writing a Winning Admissions Essay, Part I”. See how eliminating extra words actually makes your point stronger? Eliminatingprepositionsis a great, easy way to tighten your writing. Did you know that Babson has a Writing Center on campus? Staffed by professors and peer consultants, it offers a supportive environment to practice and refine your writing. You don’t have to make changes based on everyone’s comments, but give them all some careful thought and try to imagine how the essay would look if you made each change. Take a notebook and write a page or two on each of your possible subjects. Where were the ideas pouring out and where were they feeling stuck? Let this exercise be the compass that points you in the direction of your topic. I don’t think that originality should come at the expense of honesty. “All this scribbling has almost nothing to do with whether the student gets in,” he wrote. DON’T let your tutor or your teacher or your parents take over your essay. The resulting essay will not reflect you and thus will not accomplish its goal, no matter how “good” it seems to be. DON’T be pretentious or overly formal â€"this is not the time to play the role of Albert Einstein or Mother Teresa if that’s not who you are. Resist the temptation to portray yourself as a saint with a 4.0â€"you’re better off presenting the real you. The outline is not for writing perfect sentences but rather for putting your ideas in the right sequence. Make sure you arrange your thoughts so that they make sense and lead one into the other.