The College Essay

The College Essay But let’s take a look here at two versions of an example essay, one that is just okay and one that is great. Unless they really, truly serve your essay, avoid general platitudes and cliches in your language. I didn’t do it to try to be the best, I did it because it felt good. And getting out of my comfort zone in this way gave me a sense of confidence I had never known prior, despite all my time on the ice during high-stakes games. During my sophomore year of high school, I tore my ACL, which stands for “anterior cruciate ligament,” and is the kiss of death for most athletic careers. It is better to go “narrower and deeper” than to go “wider and shallower,” because the more specific you are, the more vivid and engrossing your essay will naturally be. It may go without saying, but tell your own story, without borrowing from someone else’s or embellishing. Today, I’m back in skates and able to play hockey, but will probably not play professionally; while I am disappointed, I’m also at peace with it. We make plans in life, and sometimes life has other plans for us that we have to adapt to and embrace, which is the more profound lesson I’ve learned in the healing process. On the one hand, you should write boldly and honestly, and some of the prompts are appropriate for addressing potentially contentious topics. For example, if you were a camp counselor every summer for the last few years, avoid sharing several summers’ worth of content in your essay. Focus instead on one summer, and even better, on one incident during that summer at camp. Also, make sure to laser in on a highly specific event, obstacle, interest, etc. Whether you know immediately which prompt you’re going to choose or not, do yourself a huge favor and brainstorm. Take out a notebook and jot down or free write all of the ideas that spring to your mind for as many of the prompts that you’re considering. The purpose of an introduction is 1) to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to continue reading, and 2) to introduce the reader to the general subject at hand. As you’re drafting your essayâ€"say after each paragraphâ€"pause and refer back to the question, making sure each paragraph plays some part in actually responding to the prompt. This may sound painfully obvious, but for some of us, it can be hard to stay on topic. Each prompt is posed as a question, so don’t lose sight of that and let your essay devolve into a story about yourself that never really gets at the heart of the prompt. This injury ended up being one of the greatest obstacles of my life. It was also, however, a turning point that taught me to see opportunity amidst adversity. Profound reflection, insight, and wisdom can be gleaned from the seemingly simplest experiences, so don’t feel the need to stray from the truth of your unique personal experiences. Your conclusion should flow nicely from your elaboration, really driving home your message or what you learned. Be careful not to just dead-end your essay abruptly. We can crumple in the face of obstacles, or we can look for a silver lining and allow ourselves to grow into more complex, dynamic, well-rounded people. I don’t know what the rest of life holds for me, but I do know that I’m going to keep making art, and I’m going to keep opening myself up to new opportunities and experiences. My art teacher selected a charcoal portrait of mine to be showcased in a local art show and I’ve never been more proud of myself for anything. I learned how much better it feels to gain self worth from within. Unlike hockey, which I’d trained to be good at since I was a toddler, art is something that made me much more vulnerable. It might help you to keep a thesis in mind or even write it down just for your own sake, even if you don’t explicitly use it in your introduction. Doing so can help you stay on track and help you build up to a stronger reflection.