Tackling the college admissions essay

So you’ve toured the campuses, taken the SATs, and filled out a mountain of paperwork. And yet…the dreaded personal statement/statement of purpose/epic essay remains. Whatever its name, the college admissions essay is crucial for an application to just about any school. Many times you can use (or at least tweak) the same one for several applications that have fairly basic prompts, while other schools might pose a more specific question. Whatever the case, a few basic rules of thumb may help smooth the writing process… 1) Be yourself It’s a cliché for a reason. Now is not the time to insert random polysyllabic words you just looked up or adopt the voice of your favorite author. The admissions essay is your chance to break away from the standardized test scores and tedious forms—be yourself, but take the opportunity to be your best self. Just strike a balance between striving for [...]