It’s mid-November and your teenage son or daughter has taken over your dining room table with a myriad of colorful view books and applications.   They have narrowed it down to the five or so colleges to which they want to submit applications.  They go online, and start filling out the form and then stop when they realize that they have to upload an essay.  As much as your teenager can talk on the phone or text until their thumbs are blue, they cannot put two words together for this essay.  Right?

Here are few tips to get them over their writer’s block.  First, you need to understand the purpose of the college essay.  As much as we all say that the admissions process is not a game of numbers, to a certain extent it is reduced to just that.  At most large universities there will be a handful of admissions counselors to review hundreds, if not thousands of files.  The first cut will have to be made based on GPA and SAT/ACT scores.  However, these do not tell the whole story. 

For the outstanding student, the essay is only place for us to see what interests the student has outside the classroom – an important factor for small residential institutions.   It is often the only place we learn that the student is an athlete, or active in their community or church.  For the average student, a committee might be looking to see what stands out about their file.  Every year there will be dozens of applications that are “on the bubble.” 

If the student has a low GPA and/or test score the essay is the place to address any deficiencies in their record.  This does not mean they explain that the teacher was mean to them, or the dog ate their homework.  Does your teenager have a diagnosed learning disability?  Are they an athlete juggling school and practice?  Do they have family responsibilities that keep them from giving their full attention to their studies?  Have there been any health issues? Do not be afraid to disclose these things.  Most admission committees would rather see a ‘B’ student that can juggle a few responsibilities than a 4.0 student that can’t walk and chew gum.  College life, and real life for that matter, are all about managing time and priorities.  Successful students can do that, those that can’t will likely drop out.

Top 5 Tips for a Successful College Essay:

1.       Write about what you know.  Your enthusiasm needs to shine through.  Often the place to start is to write about ANYTHING that excites you, even if it’s video games.  Why does it excite you?

2.       If the college asks a stock question, “How did you feel after 9/11,” by all means answer it.  Attach a second page addressing any issues stated above.

3.       Be expressive; don’t just talk about things that happened to you.  How did they make you feel?

4.       If all else fails, look ahead and talk about why you think a college degree is important.  What do you want to do with your life after college?

5.       Proofread, spell-check, spell-check, have your English teacher or counselor read it, did I mention spell-check?