Crafting Your College Ticket: The Heroic Journey of a Stellar Admissions Essay

The “Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me” List

Greetings, ambitious explorers of academia! Imagine standing at the threshold of college life, laden with dreams, aspirations, and, of course, a stash of snacks – because, priorities! But before you embark on this remarkable journey, remember to pack your most potent weapon: a meticulously crafted college admissions essay!

Embarking on the Odyssey: The Challenge of Writing Your Essay

Once upon a time, in the realm that feels like a distant memory of high school, lived a student named Sam. Sam was a wizard in chemistry and coding, but when it came to writing the admissions essay, they were a deer caught in headlights.

"Why is this harder than deciphering hieroglyphs?" Sam wondered, gazing at the blank screen. "Can I really condense my life into 650 words? Is that even possible?"

But hold on, brave Sam! Your struggle isn't solitary. Crafting a compelling, authentic, and impactful admissions essay is a battle faced by many. And what's this challenge? It's the art of conveying your essence, wrapped in a captivating narrative.

The Everest of Essays: Why Scaling It Matters

Let's embark on a rhetorical journey: Have you ever tried explaining time travel to a cat? Imagine being that perplexed feline, trying to fathom the intricacies of human existence. College admissions officers, like time-traveling cats, sift through a labyrinth of applications, each as bewildering as the cat's encounter with theoretical physics.

But lo! Amidst the sea of words, a beacon emerges – an essay that reads like an enchanting tale, not a checklist of achievements. "Pause!" exclaims the officer. "This one gets it! They're more than numbers; they're a living, thinking soul!"

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the magic of the admissions essay. It's the key to your individuality, your spell to cast in the realm of applications.

The Struggle is Real: Unveiling the Challenge

Remember when you tackled that chaotic knot of earphones? Well, summarizing your life, passions, and dreams is akin to that. "But what if my life's been as eventful as a weekend of paint drying?" you fret. Fear not – every life is a story, and every story is worth telling.

Your journey is studded with challenges, triumphs, and idiosyncrasies that define you. Whether you're the math maestro dreaming in equations or the poetry prodigy weaving emotions into verses, your story deserves the spotlight.

Navigating the Maze: How to Ace the Writing Challenge

Think of your favorite detective show – just as detectives solve mysteries by piecing together clues, your essay is a mosaic of anecdotes. Begin with a hook – something intriguing. Recall the time you accidentally microwaved a metal spoon. Voila, a hook! Then lead readers through your journey with vivid descriptions that make them feel present.

"But grammar?" you ponder. A superb query! Just as you wouldn't venture without a map, wield grammar guides to conquer your writing odyssey.

To help you out a little more, I’m including my best college essay brainstorming hack at the bottom of this post, with step-by-step instructions on how to get it done!

In Conclusion: The Heroic Odyssey of Your Essay

Valiant essayists, let's summarize this grand quest. Your college admissions essay is your pass to college stardom. It's not about cramming life into a document; it's about painting your essence.

As you embark on this heroic odyssey, remember that every challenge is a stepping stone. You're not alone – countless others are penning their stories too. So, pick up your pen (or keyboard) and wield it with valor, for your admissions essay is your proclamation: "I'm ready for the unknown!"

May your words flow like dreams, and may your essay shine brighter than a disco ball at prom. Onward, brave writers, to the land of college possibilities!

The essay brainstorming trick that helps students write excellent essays.

Writing essays for college is hard. Most students start and stop and don’t really know what to do or how to answer the question, so as promised above, I’m providing my top brainstorming trick that works to get you well on your way to writing a killer college essay.

Step 1: Make a list of all the things you want colleges to know about you.

How? You can do this either:

• in a bullet-point format (organized, easy to read)

• on a blank sheet of paper (with drawings, get creative)

• on a timeline (see drawing below)

Timeline Example

Note: I don’t recommend a stream-of-consciousness free-write because this tends to get a little messy. By “messy” I mean that this tends to bring forth a lot of words but not a lot of specific, bullet-pointable qualities that will help you get into college.

And that’s the point of this list: to provide your counselor (or yourself) with a solid list of qualities, values, and cool stuff that will help get you into college.

Reason #1 that this list is a good idea: It generates a list of details and possible topics for your personal statement, supplements, activities list, and additional info section.

Tips for creating a great list:

• Have fun. This doesn’t have to be a chore. It’s you basically making a list of everything awesome about who you are and what you've done, which can be pretty darn affirming.

• Create the list with a parent or friend. Say to him/her: “Hey, I’m trying to make a list of all the reasons why any college should love me as much as you do—can you help?”

• Back up general stuff with specific examples. If, for instance, you’re like, “I can motivate people!” or "I stick with things I'm passionate about!" provide a specific example that backs up your claim--or better yet, both claims! (Like the fact that you helped raise debate membership from 19 to 96 at your school over four years.)

Step 2: Once you’ve created your list:

• If it’s a bullet-pointed list, upload it to a Google doc and…

• If it’s a drawing or timeline, take a photo of it, email it to yourself, upload it to Google Docs, and…

SHARE the Google doc with your friend/parent/counselor/me (whoever is helping you with your applications) and ask that person: “Can you help me make sure that all this stuff makes it into my application?”

Wait, can I do this once my application is almost finished?
Absolutely. In fact, this will provide a checklist for ensuring all your essential parts are represented somewhere in the application.

Step 3: Decide with your counselor (or me) where the information should go in your application. 

Some options include your:

• Main Statement

• Activities List

• Additional Info section

• Extracurricular essay (required only for some schools)

• Another supplemental essay (required only for some schools)

**Once you decide which of this information should go into your essay(s), it’s time to get organized and outline your essays to include that information.