College Entrance Exam Essay

What results is often a generic statement that lacks energy or personality.Write the story that you want to express and then choose the prompt with which it best aligns.

The glow from the laptop reflects off his forehead as he stares at the screen, paralyzed by panicked perfectionism.

The Common Application essay prompts are neatly copied onto the blank document, taunting him with possibility.

  If all else fails you can default to the last prompt, which is essentially topic of your choice. Do not write your way into the essay by simply restating the initial prompt or question.

Instead, put the reader in the moment by painting a picture and then elaborate on why it is important.

It is a test to see if you can get out of your head and open your heart.

It is an exercise in exploring self—what makes you who you are, not who everyone thinks you should be.Perfection—in college admission and in life—is often overvalued. What will distinguish your writing and your application is your unique voice.Be willing to take risks, be vulnerable and share your truth.If all else fails you can default to the last prompt, which is essentially topic of your choice. Do not write your way into the essay by simply restating the initial prompt or question.Don't spend precious word space impressing us with your knowledge of the school, rather present your argument for how you envision yourself participating in academic and social life at the school." The moral to the college essay is that there need not be a moral.Most admission committees are looking for capable and competitive students academically—once academic ability is vetted, an essay plays an important role in helping committees build their class with interesting classmates and roommates.Committees aren't looking for the perfect essay, topic, or set of activities and achievements—we simply want an interesting, authentic, and well-written glimpse into a student's life.” This is the perfectionist’s calling card in seeking validation that the essay is good enough.Students often ask if they should work on another draft or if their essay is sufficiently polished.Erik De Angelis, associate director of admission at Brown University advises, "don't fall into the trap of telling us why you're a great fit for our school by telling us all about our school. Tell us how you'd take advantage of the resources and experiences available at our school.Don't spend precious word space impressing us with your knowledge of the school, rather present your argument for how you envision yourself participating in academic and social life at the school."                                                         The moral to the college essay is that there need not be a moral.