Frederick Jace
A College Essay is a great way to demonstrate your writing abilities and logical reasoning. It is also an excellent opportunity to showcase your personality and individuality. The key to success is to choose a unique topic or approach a seemingly mundane subject in a creative and engaging manner. While some students have a personal history, identity, talent, or other relevant background that they want to share, others do not. Regardless of your personal background, the persuasive essay is your chance to make an impression.
Show, Don’t Tell
College admissions officers want to see that you have a unique perspective, not just a generic “good student” profile. Show, don’t tell in a college essay reveals your personal traits in a way that appeals to readers. For example, if you’re applying to a school that offers supplemental essays, try to read the prompts before you begin writing. Avoid using adverbs or unnecessary adjectives, which can waste valuable space.
The writing advice “show, don’t tell” is based on an idea that has been around much longer than we realise. Best authors use the “show, don’t tell” approach throughout their careers. It is an excellent strategy for creating memorable admissions writing, but not everyone follows it. For this reason, show, don’t tell is a great way to create memorable writing. In fact, many students are tempted to use “show, don’t tell” when writing an essay.
Story Beats
If you’re having trouble writing a good intro, follow the rules of story beats in college essays. Your intro should start at the most interesting part of your story. Write out your entire story. Then, cross out every sentence except for the one that grabs your attention. A good example of an intro is the one that jumps right into the middle of an event, action, or performance. This hook is likely to grab the attention of the reader.
Showing Growth
One common application prompt asks you to describe your personal growth. Other essay prompts may also include “growth” in the topic line. It is important to remember that growth in itself isn’t the only kind of narrative that will work. If you’ve always considered yourself a growth-oriented person, you’ll probably be more successful if you use this approach when responding to other essay prompts. However, it’s still important to be aware that some narratives have a tendency to shrink and others may work better without the word “growth.”
Humour
A humorous essay can be effective, especially if it demonstrates a wry sense of humour. Most professors read many essays, and they probably get tired of the same old research and style. In fact, the typical college essay can put the professor to sleep. By injecting a little humour, you can lighten the load of your professor and still get a high grade. Here are a few tips on how to make your essay funny.
Don’t go overboard with humour. Humour is a tough genre to nail. It can backfire on readers if they take it too seriously. Before using humour in your college essay, ask someone who is not likely to read your essay seriously: a parent, guidance counsellor, or English teacher. This person can provide valuable feedback on the content and style of your essay. It is also a good idea to have an objective third party review your essay for any errors.
