100 Successful College Application Essays (Second Edition)

Theessayistheonepartofthecollegeapplicationthatallowsanadmissionscommitteetogetaglimpsenotonlyofwhatyouare(grades,scores,clubmember),butofwhoyouare."Applicantsareconstantlyadvisedto'puttheirbestfootforward,'"saysFredHargadon,thedeanofadmissionsatPrincetonUniversityandacontributortothisbook."ButImustconfessthatIalwayslikedtheoneswhoputbothfeetforward."Thatdoesn'tmeanthatyouressayneedstoshock.Itmeansyoumustputeverythingyou'vegotintoit.Itmeansthat"ifyouthinkthecollegemightreceiveevenoneotheressaylikeyours,"accordingtoBrooksSchoolcollegecounselorWilliamK.Poirot,"rewriteit."Thebulkofthisbook,asitstitlepromises,comprises100examplesofsuccessfulcollege-applicationessays.Therearethosewhobelievethatreadingessayswillmakeyouabetteressaywriterandthosewhodon't.Butreadingtheseessays--andtheexperts'commentsonthem--willhelpyoufigureoutwhatyouwanttowriteandhowbesttowriteit.Fromtheessaysincludedhere,onesurmisesthatthenarroweryourfocus,themoreeffectivetheessay,aslongasyournarrownessdoesn'tcrossoverintoinsignificance.Whatmattersmostisnotwhatyouwriteabout(theseessaystakeonlate-nightTVgameshows,self-inducedbaldness,thepictureonabagofGoldfishcrackers,afamilydriveontheNewJerseyTurnpike,andevenaseven-inchplasticGodzilla),butwhatyoudowithyoursubjectmatter.--JaneSteinberg--Thistextreferstoanoutofprintorunavailableeditionofthistitle.