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E-MAILBeach brainstorming guide to college essays: tips for writing your college admission composition
by Mary Fineday | June 22, 2011
Summer stretches ahead of you like a sandy beach. Your impulse during these blissful months might be to stay out late, sleep in, work on your tan and hit the cookout circuit. While college admissions essays might not be the first thing on your mind, there are a few simple things you can do to get a jump on the college applications process before you pack away your swim suit for the season.
Inspiring ideas for college essay brainstorming
Alan Gelb, college admissions expert and author of "Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps," says summer vacation is the ideal time for high school juniors to begin the writing process. The months before you head back to the high school grind are the perfect time to learn how to write college essays.
Taking the time to really think about what a college essay involves can help you focus before you even begin pecking at a keyboard--preparing to write is half the challenge of writing itself. The admission essay is a strange beast, requiring the expression of personal thoughts, demonstration of your comfort with the craft of writing and a polished style. Once you're ready to start the brainstorming process, these tips can guide you along the way. Gelb also offers some advice for you once you've finally decided on an idea and completed a first draft.
1. Ask yourself some good questions. What is the worst advice you've ever received? What object has the most meaning for you? Don't worry about making anything sound good for an essay reader--just have fun free-writing. "I want it to be a sort of conduit to the unconscious," Gelb says of this writing time. A few sentences now can provide an essay topic later.
2. Read good stories. Reading sample essays can get creative juices flowing, but reading a good book can offer the same benefits. "If you read a short story by Ray Bradbury, than you can see how those narratives comprise those features, then you can get a sense of some currency around that form and you can apply that to your own narrative," Gelb says. Pack some fun novels in your beach bag and get a handle on how a great narrative is constructed.
3. Think of a twist. You know those crime dramas where it turns out the butler didn't do it? Employ similar twists in your college essay. "More likely, you're going to tell a story that has been told many, many times before and that will be told many, many times after you've had your turn," Gelb notes. Think of ways to make the admissions officer sit up and take notice.
4. Write everything down. As Gelb quips, "Take it from this writer: if you don't write it down, you're bound to lose it." Carry around a notepad and record your college essay ideas as you think of them. You might come up with a perfect topic while waiting in line for an ice cream cone, or while spacing out at work. A few lines in a notebook can save you hours of frustration when you sit down to work on the essay.
5. Banish a few vocabulary words. Picture a college admissions advisor with a mountain of admissions essays on both sides of her desk. Now imagine all the words in all the essays, and how possible it would be to repeat certain common phrases. Gelb advises you forget about words like potential, goal, success, transformation, opportunity and growth. "If we have a strong narrative, that steers us away from the cliché. Strong narratives are full of life," Gelb says. Think of better ways to say these well-traveled words and you'll give your reader a much-needed break from the same-old thing.
6. Get feedback, but not too much. "It's absolutely critical that you get feedback," Gelb says. You may have plenty of good candidates for essay readers in your life: avid readers, good writers, thoughtful speakers and intelligent individuals, in general, can all be a good help. However, be sure you're not showing your essay to everyone. When you have more voices on a piece, you could risk losing your own voice in the process. Instead, ask a few trusted individuals for their eyes on your work.
The most useful of all college essay tips? Enjoy it.
This might be the hardest tip to truly follow: enjoy the challenge of writing your essay. Given how important this essay is to your college application process, it's easy to approach it with apprehension, anxiety and straight-up fear. However, it's important to try to replace these feelings with optimism and excitement. Try to talk about your essay-related issues with friends, co-workers, mentors or supportive family members to help you reduce any stress you're feeling.
Above all, take heart in the fact that you're starting early. Plenty of applicants spend their summer months doing no preparation at all. Even reading this article counts as a step in the right direction--you're on the right track already.
