In one admissions essay written by a student who was accepted to Harvard, Princeton,Dartmouth, and Stanford, an ordinary story is told in a unique and captivating way. In thisnarrative about hiking up a mountain, the student also conveys a deep appreciation for science, as well as a dedication to the hard work required to fully understand the universe:
1.
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lthough the first few miles of the hike up Mt. Madison did not offer fantastic views, thevistas became spectacular once I climbed above tree line. Immediately, I sensed thatunderstanding the natural world parallels climbing a mountain. Much like every step whilehiking leads the hiker nearer the mountain peak, all knowledge leads the scientist nearer total understanding.
E
ntitled "Hiking to Understanding," this essay tells the story of one hike, but at the sametime, gives a complete idea of the authors values, interests, and philosophy. Thus, the essay presents run-of-the-mill subject matter in an out-of-the-ordinary way.
Step Three: Writing the Essay
Y
ou must bear in mind your two goals: to persuade the admissions officer that you areextremely worthy of admission and to make the admissions officer aware that you are morethan a GP
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and a standardized score, that you are a real-life, intriguing personality. But before you can convince an admissions officer of this, you must first grab his or her attention.
The Introduction
Most admissions officers spend at most 2 minutes reading your essay. With this reality inmind, spend the most time on your introduction. One technique is to create mystery or intrigue in this first paragraph.
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t the very least, you should not give away the whole storyright at the beginning. Give the admissions officer a reason to keep reading.
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s anexample, the first sentence of the "Hiking" essay reads as follows:
1.
Surrounded by thousands of stars, complete silence, and spectacular mountains, I stoodatop New Hampshire's Presidential Range awestruck by nature's beauty.
This first sentence sets the mood for the essay, it draws the reader into the scene, but itdoes not state the authors argument or even the plot of the story to follow. The reader hasto continue reading in order to learn what happens next.
The Body
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fter the first paragraph has been perfected, you must ensure that the body paragraphsrelate to the introduction. It helps to have a theme or phrase that runs throughout the entireessay. In "Hiking to Understanding," the author uses the mountain as a unifying image:
1.
Some people during their lives climb many small hills. However, to have the most accurateview of the world, I must be dedicated to climbing the biggest mountains I can find. Toooften people simply hike across a flat valley without ascending because they contentthemselves with the scenery. The mountain showed me that I cannot content myself withthe scenery.
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lso notice that the author uses simple language. Many students think that big words makegood essays, but powerful ideas are often best expressed in simple and elegant prose.
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nother way to impress an admissions officer is by using specific examples and evocativetouches of imagery that stay clear of cliches. The application essay lends itself to imagery,
since the entire essay requires your experiences as supporting details. Successful essaysstick to the mantra, "show, don't tell." Here's one example from the "Hiking" essay:
1.
When night fell upon the summit, I stared at the slowly appearing stars until theycompletely filled the night sky. Despite the windy conditions and below freezingtemperatures, I could not tear myself away.
This passage shows how description of the stars and cold can make us both imagine thescenery and understand the authors point of view. It tells us what the author feels andthinks, more so than if the author had spelled it out for us.
F
inishing Up
The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader or impress upon them your qualifications.
E
xpand upon the broader implications of your discussion. The "Hiking"essay does this successfully, both expanding on the description of the scene as well as onthe scenes meaning for the author:
1.
When observing Saturn's rising, the Milky Way Cloud, and the Perseid meteor shower, Isimultaneously felt a great sense of insignificance and purpose. Obviously, earthlyconcerns are insignificant to the rest of the universe. However, I experienced the overridingneed to understand the origins and causes of these phenomena.
Don't be surprised if the writing process takes many days. Few writers can dash out aquality essay in just a few sittings. It takes awhile to find the perfect structure, wording,and imagery. If you have the time, spend a week away from your draft; when you return toit, you will read it with fresh eyes.
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sk friends and family for help. Other readers will findsmall mistakes that your brain has ceased to recognize, and they will answer the essentialquestion, "what makes this essay memorable?"
General Essay Writing Tips
Updated on Thursday 30 September 2010This article contains three parts:
1.
Step
On
e:
Brains
to
rming2.
Step
Tw
o:
Select
ing a T
op
i
c
3.
Step
Thr
ee:
Wri
t
ing
t
h
e
Essay
Step One: Brainstorming
The most important part of your essay is the subject matter.
Y
ou should expect to devoteabout 1-2 weeks simply to brainstorming ideas. To begin brainstorming a subject ideaconsider the following points. From brainstorming, you may find a subject you had notconsidered at first.
1.
Wha
t
ar
e
y
ou
r maj
o
r a
cco
m
pl
ishm
e
n
t
s, and why d
o
y
ou
co
nsid
e
r
t
h
e
m a
cco
m
pl
ishm
e
n
t
s? D
o
n
ot
l
imi
t
y
ou
rs
elf
to
a
cco
m
pl
ishm
e
n
t
s y
ou
hav
e
b
ee
n
fo
rma
ll
y r
eco
gniz
e
d
fo
r sin
ce
t
h
e
m
o
s
t
in
te
r
e
s
t
ing
e
ssays
ofte
n ar
e
bas
e
d
o
n a
cco
m
pl
ishm
e
n
t
s
t
ha
t
may hav
e
b
ee
n
t
ri
te
a
t
t
h
e
t
im
e
b
ut
b
eco
m
e
c
r
uc
ia
l
wh
e
n
pl
a
ce
d in
t
h
e
co
n
text
of
y
ou
r
l
i
fe
.2.
D
oe
s any a
tt
rib
ute
, q
u
a
l
i
t
y,
o
r ski
ll
dis
t
ing
u
ish y
ou
f
r
o
m
e
v
e
ry
o
n
e
el
s
e
? H
o
w did y
ou
d
e
v
elop
t
hisa
tt
rib
ute
?C
o
nsid
e
r y
ou
r
f
av
o
ri
te
b
oo
ks, m
o
vi
e
s, w
o
rks
of
ar
t
,
etc
. Hav
e
t
h
e
s
e
in
flue
n
ce
d y
ou
r
l
i
fe
in am
e
aning
ful
way? Why ar
e
t
h
e
y y
ou
r
f
av
o
ri
te
s?3.
Wha
t
was
t
h
e
m
o
s
t
di
ff
i
cult
t
im
e
in y
ou
r
l
i
fe
, and why? H
o
w did y
ou
r
pe
rs
pect
iv
e
o
n
l
i
fe
c
hang
e
asa r
e
s
ult
of
t
h
e
di
ff
i
cult
y?4.
Hav
e
y
ou
e
v
e
r s
t
r
u
gg
le
d migh
t
i
l
y
fo
r s
o
m
et
hing and s
uccee
d
e
d? Wha
t
mad
e
y
ou
s
ucce
ss
ful
?
5
.
Hav
e
y
ou
e
v
e
r s
t
r
u
gg
le
d migh
t
i
l
y
fo
r s
o
m
et
hing and
f
ai
le
d? H
o
w did y
ou
r
e
s
po
nd?6.
O
f
e
v
e
ry
t
hing in
t
h
e
w
o
r
l
d, wha
t
w
oul
d y
ou
m
o
s
t
l
ik
e
to
b
e
d
o
ing righ
t
n
o
w? Wh
e
r
e
w
oul
d y
ou
m
o
s
t
l
ik
e
to
b
e
? Wh
o
,
of
e
v
e
ry
o
n
e
l
iving and d
e
ad, w
oul
d y
ou
m
o
s
t
l
ik
e
to
b
e
wi
t
h? Th
e
s
e
q
ue
s
t
i
o
ns sh
oul
d h
elp
y
ou
r
e
a
l
iz
e
wha
t
y
ou
lo
v
e
m
o
s
t
.7.
Hav
e
y
ou
expe
ri
e
n
ce
d a m
o
m
e
n
t
of
ep
i
p
hany, as i
f
y
ou
r
e
y
e
s w
e
r
e
ope
n
e
d
to
s
o
m
et
hing y
ou
w
e
r
e
p
r
e
vi
ou
s
l
y b
l
ind
to
?8.
Wha
t
is y
ou
r s
t
r
o
ng
e
s
t
, m
o
s
t
u
nwav
e
ring
pe
rs
o
na
l
i
t
y
t
rai
t
? D
o
y
ou
main
t
ain s
t
r
o
ng b
el
i
ef
s
o
radh
e
r
e
to
a
p
hi
lo
s
op
hy?9.
H
o
w w
oul
d y
ou
r
f
ri
e
nds
c
hara
cte
riz
e
y
ou
? Wha
t
w
oul
d
t
h
e
y wri
te
ab
out
i
f
t
h
e
y w
e
r
e
wri
t
ing y
ou
radmissi
o
ns
e
ssay
fo
r y
ou
?10.
Wha
t
hav
e
y
ou
d
o
n
e
out
sid
e
of
t
h
e
cl
assr
oo
m
t
ha
t
d
e
m
o
ns
t
ra
te
s q
u
a
l
i
t
i
e
s s
ou
gh
t
a
fte
r by
u
niv
e
rsi
t
i
e
s? O
f
t
h
e
s
e
, whi
c
h m
e
ans
t
h
e
m
o
s
t
to
y
ou
?11.
Wha
t
ar
e
y
ou
r m
o
s
t
im
po
r
t
an
t
ext
ra
cu
rri
cul
ar
o
r
co
mm
u
ni
t
y a
ct
ivi
t
i
e
s? Wha
t
mad
e
y
ou
j
o
in
t
h
e
s
e
a
ct
ivi
t
i
e
s? Wha
t
mad
e
y
ou
co
n
t
in
ue
to
co
n
t
rib
ute
to
t
h
e
m?12.
Wha
t
ar
e
y
ou
r dr
e
ams
of
t
h
e
futu
r
e
? Wh
e
n y
ou
loo
k ba
c
k
o
n y
ou
r
l
i
fe
in
t
hir
t
y y
e
ars, wha
t
w
oul
di
t
t
ak
e
fo
r y
ou
to
co
nsid
e
r y
ou
r
l
i
fe
s
ucce
ss
ful
? Wha
t
people
,
t
hings, and a
cco
m
pl
ishm
e
n
t
s d
o
y
ou
n
ee
d? H
o
w d
oe
s
t
his
p
ar
t
i
cul
ar
u
niv
e
rsi
t
y
f
i
t
in
to
y
ou
r
pl
ans
fo
r
t
h
e
futu
r
e
?
If these questions cannot cure your writer's block, consider the following exercises:
1
- Ask for help from Parents,
F
riends or Colleagues
If you cannot characterize yourself and your personality traits do not automatically leap tomind, ask your friends to write a list of your five most salient personality traits.
A
sk your friends why they chose the ones they did. If an image of your personality begins to emerge,consider life experiences that could illustrate the particular traits.
2
- Consider your childhood
While admissions officers are not interested in reading about your childhood and are moreinterested in the last 2-4 years of your life, you might consider events of your childhoodthat inspired the interests you have today. Interests that began in childhood may be themost defining parts of your life, even if you recently lost interest. For instance, if you wereinterested in math since an early age and now want to study medicine, you mightincorporate this into your medical school admissions essay.
A
nalyze the reasons for your interests and how they were shaped from your upbringing.
3
- Consider your role models
Many applicants do not have role models and were never greatly influenced by just one or two people. However, for those of you who have role models and actually aspire to becomelike certain people, you may want to incorporate a discussion of that person and the traitsyou admired into your application essay.
4
- Read Sample Admission Essays
Before you sat down to write a poem, you would certainly read past poets. Before writing a book of philosophy, you would consider past philosophers. In the same way, werecommend reading sample admissions essays to understand what topics other applicantschose.
5
- Goal determination
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