Road To College #1

Road To College #1 Elyse Krantz is a member of College Coach’s team of college admissions experts. Elyse received her BA in linguistics from Dartmouth College and her MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining College Coach, Elyse worked as an admissions officer at Barnard College and Bennington College. Visit our website to learn more about Elyse Krantz. Think about what you are going to write about as much as you actually spend writing. Here are five ways not to open your essay,in other words, what's more likely to lose a reader’s interest. They’re competing for an admissions officer’s attention, and you don’t want to lose your reader before your story ever really gets going. As a writer, you can become very close to your work. A proofreader will review your essay with fresh eyes and may even catch mistakes that you have routinely missed. In choosing a proofreader, find someone who knows you well, but who will also help you to preserve your voice within the essay. Opening with a definition, like “Persistence is defined as…,” will probably not be a strong start. Your reader doesn’t need you to define words, they need you to tell a story that will help them learn all about you. If your essay is about persistence, explain how you personified that trait. Use your available space to give the necessary details. Kennedy once said…” is already on the wrong track. Unless the quote was actually directed at you, your reader cares a lot more about what you have to say than they do about any famous person’s pithy words. Imagine you were telling a friend a story about life as a pitcher on the baseball team. You wouldn’t start with, “Often in life, we face difficult situations that ultimately benefit us. While we may not see it at the time…” You’d lose the person’s interest before you ever get to the good stuff. The first time I saw my sister in seven months, she was in the hospital on a stretcher with IVs in her arm. The night before her operation, the doctor told us what could happen during brain surgery. Beth could become paralyzed, lose memory, and she could die. I have never been so sad and terrified in my entire life, and I was so angry that this had happened. As it turned out, Beth came through the surgery well and the tumor was benign, but the horror of the experience has stayed with me. Day after day, we rehearsed the last act and day after day I stayed dry-eyed and emotionless. Soon coming out in its third edition, Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps is regularly ranked #1 on Amazon among all books on how to write the personal statement. College admission officers are usually able to detect an essaynot written by the student. Please email us at find out if your institution is doing everything it can to reach qualified, prospective students. The My College Options ® Resource Center provides up to date news and information for students and parents. Admissions counselors develop a sixth sense about essay writers who are authentic. You’ll score points for being earnest and faithful to yourself. Not what your college consultant has to say, not what your mom wants you to write, and not what you think we want to hear. Be genuine to your own voice and to your own experiences. There’s only one you out there and that’s who we want to learn more about. Get a jump start on a critical part of the college application process. Contact us for your free 15-minute phone consultation with Dr. Kristen Willmott to discuss your graduate school plans and our graduate admissions consulting programs. She has spent the past 20 years helping kids achieve their dreams & get into top tier colleges. Some essays may need only proofreading while others need to be coaxed from a blank pageâ€"your Senior Counselor will help with both and everything in between to create compelling essays. Concise and easy to follow, it turns a very tough assignment into a writing opportunity you can manage with confidence. What will admissions officers know about me prior to my essay from my teachers, counselors, activities and grades,What is it about me that they would need to know to be more apt to want me there.