How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

The college application essay is an essential part of the admissions process. However, when Prompt.com reviewed thousands of application essays, the company noticed that the average essay was rated C.  A report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that grades in college prep courses were the most important factor, followed by admission test scores. However, the application essay was ranked much higher than recommendations from counselors and teachers, class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities and many other factors. Since the college application essay is so important, ThoughtCo spoke with several experts to discover the best ways to write one that will win over college admissions officers. Why the College Application Essay is So Important So many elements are included in the application process that students may wonder why they need to worry about the essay. Brad Schiller, co-founder and CEO of Prompt.com, tells ThoughtCo that many applicants to the same schools may have comparable grades and test scores. â€Å"However, the essay is the differentiator; its one of the few pieces of an application over which a student has direct control, and it provides readers with a sense of who the student is, how the student will fit in at the school, and how successful the student will be both in college  and upon graduation.† And for students with an uneven profile, the college application essay may provide a chance to shine. Christina DeCario, the associate director of Admissions at the College of Charleston, tells ThoughtCo that the essay provides clues about a student’s writing skills, personality and preparedness for college. She advises students to view the essay as an opportunity. â€Å"If your profile is a little uneven, like you’re successful outside the classroom but your grades aren’t quite there, or you’re the valedictorian but you’re not a good test taker, the essay can push you from a maybe to a yes,† DeCario explains. How to Choose a Topic According to Schiller, such topics as the student’s goals, passions, personality, or periods of personal growth are all good areas in which to start brainstorming. However, he says that students rarely select topics in these areas. Cailin Papszycki, director of college admissions programs at Kaplan Test Prep agrees, and says the aim of the essay is to present the student as thoughtful and mature. â€Å"The key is to inspire using a personal story that captures this quality.† Papszycki believes that transformational experiences are great topics. â€Å"For example, did you overcome extreme shyness by shining in the school musical production? Did a family crisis change your outlook on life and make you a better child or sibling?† When students can tell a sincere and persuasive story, Papszycki says colleges believe they can bring distinct experiences to the college environment. Creativity is also a good tool to employ when writing the essay. Merrilyn Dunlap, interim director of Admissions at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"I still remember reading an essay about why the orange flavored tic tac is the best tic tac to eat.† She also recalls an essay that was written when the MasterCard â€Å"priceless† ads were popular. â€Å"The student opened the essay with something like: Cost to visit five college campuses $200. Application fees for five colleges $300 Moving away from home for the first time priceless In addition, Dunlap says she likes to see essays on why a student chose a particular field of study because these types of essays tend to bring out the student’s emotions. â€Å"When they write about something that they are passionate about, it is in their favor; they become real to us.† So, what types of topics should be avoided? Schiller cautions against any subject that could portray the student negatively. â€Å"Some common poor choices of topics we see are getting poor grades due to lack of effort, depression or anxiety that you have not overcome, conflicts with other people that went unresolved, or poor personal decisions,† he warns. Do’s and Don’ts to Writing a College Application Essay After choosing a compelling topic, our panel of experts offer the following advice. Create an outline.  Schiller believes that it’s important for students to organize their thoughts, and an outline can help them structure their thoughts. â€Å"First, always start with the end in mind – what do you want your  reader  to think after reading your essay?† And, he recommends using the thesis statement to quickly get to the essay’s main point. Don’t write a narrative. While Schiller admits that the college essay should provide information about the student, he warns against a long, rambling account. â€Å"Stories and anecdotes are an integral part of showing your reader who you are, but a good rule of thumb is to make these no more than 40% of your word count and leave the rest of your words for reflection and analysis.† Have a conclusion. â€Å"So many essays start off well, the second and third paragraphs are solid, and then they just end,† laments DeCario. â€Å"You need to explain why you told me all the things you wrote about earlier in the essay; relate it to yourself and the essay question.† Revise early and often. Don’t just write one draft and think you’re done. Papszycki says the essay will need to undergo several revisions – and not just to catch grammatical errors. â€Å"Ask your parents, teachers, high school counselors or friends for their eyes and edits.† She recommends these individuals because they know the student better than anyone else, and they also want the student to succeed. â€Å"Take their constructive criticism in the spirit for which they intend - your benefit.† Proofread to the max. DeCario recommends having someone else proofread it. And then, she says the student should read it out loud. â€Å"When you proofread, you should check for grammar and sentence structure; when someone else proofreads, they will be looking for clarity in the essay; when you read it out loud, you’ll catch errors or even entire missing words like ‘a’ or ‘and’ that you didn’t catch when you read it in your head.† Don’t cram for the essay. Start early so there will be plenty of time. â€Å"The summer before senior year can be a great time to start work on your essay,† Papszycki explains. Use humor judiciously. â€Å"It’s fine to use wit and imagination, but dont try to be humorous if thats not your personality,† Papszycki advises. She also warns against forcing humor because it can have an unintended effect.  Ã‚   Additional Tips For students who want more information on ways to write a stellar college application essay, Schiller recommends a persona.prompt.com quiz that helps students identify their personas, and also an essay outlining tool.

Family Decline vs Family Change - 3666 Words

The world has been undergoing great changes in different spheres of life just in the past several decades. One of the most amazing and quick changes seems to be happening within the institution of the family. I have a special interest in this topic, as soon as I witness the radical change going on literally before my eyes: my home country, which was a country with traditional society, after the collapse of the Soviet Union went and is still going through the process of transformation, which introduces completely new phenomena to the Albanian society and changes the traditional relationships sometimes to the opposite. Hence my interest in this topic. And therefore I aim this essay to delineate the â€Å"family decline† versus â€Å"family change†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦On the other hand, these different kinds of units make it difficult for all to fit into a solid definition of the family (Goode, 2007). Apart from the debate on the clear definition, which still leaves space for different assumptions, there has also been a long debate going on about whether the modern development of the family should be defined as â€Å"decline† or â€Å"change† of the family. Popenoe (1993) believes that family decline has been astonishingly sharp since the beginning of the 1960s and regards its social outcomes as very serious and threatening, particularly for children. Many factors can be cited here that lead to the argument that the family is declining. For example, the ease, quickness and lower cost of the divorce, more families cohabiting, legal abortion, increasing number of single parents, illegitimate births and women having many more possibilities to work. If we accept this point of view on the family decline, then these factors contribute to the idea that the principles of people are collapsing and the institution of family is in crisis. It is agreed that â€Å"decline† as a term originated forcefully from the conservatives who still believe that there is an ultimate need to go back to the traditional nuclear type of family and who correspondingly see all social changes influencing theShow MoreRelatedThe Number Of Adults Over The Age Of 651551 Words   |  7 Pagesindependently and continue to maintain a close relationship with friends and family. Then there are those seniors that experience changes in their life that prevents them from being unable to live independently. The common age-related changes include hearing impairment, weakening in vision, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The most extreme impairment is when older adults experience cognitive changes that are associated with mental processing. (citation) The need for assistanceRead MoreFamily Stability within the Hispanic Culture Janiece Cantu Our Lady of the Lake1000 Words   |  4 Pages Family Stability within the Hispanic Culture Janiece Cantu Our Lady of the Lake University For over centuries, the term family has been specifically used to mean a group of people that consist of two parents and their children. The word is originally from the Latin word Familia, which means household or family. Although this word is known all over the world, it can have a different context to each person. 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HOME HEALTH CARE DOMONIQUE JACKSON COM/170 ELEMENTS OF UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 6, 2014 DEAN DOWLING Running head: NURSING HOME VS HOME HEALTH CARE 1 NURSING HOME VS HOME HEALTH CARE 3 Nursing Home vs. Home Health Care INTRODUCTION Either young or old, we love our family members dearly, and disabilities does not focus on a specific age group. We would love to feel assured that they are being taken care of the best way possible. As we all know, time does not allow us toRead MoreWhy Texas Race Racial Discrimination Is Because Of The Size Of Its Population Essay836 Words   |  4 Pagesmillion), of which 70 percent from Latin America and 20 percent from Asia. One of the partial reasons why Texas dominating racial discrimination is because of the size of its population. 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Understanding these changes can help late age adults better cope with the challenges and opportunities that arising during advancedRead MoreUninsured Rates of Hispanics Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagescould be factored in for the lack of health insurance coverage in the U.S. The correlation among variables such as, â€Å"income-level,† â€Å"employment status,† â€Å"citizenship stat us,† â€Å"language spoken,† â€Å"educational level,† â€Å"region,† â€Å"marital status,† and â€Å"family size† explains variations in health insurance status among Hispanics. This research should also enlighten as to how the new Healthcare Reform Act will help aid in the large group of uninsured in the future once ObamaCare is passed in 2014. RQ1a:

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case Free Essays

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy of December 3, 1984 is one of the most hazardous industrial accidents in history. The exposure of around 500,000 people to 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate gas was a nightmare come true for all resulting in deaths in numbers that could never have been imagined from industrial accidents. All this and the after-effects could have been prevented if proper precautionary measures had been taken beforehand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Despite of an accident on such a large scale, initially the company was in a denial mode about the whole matter and later compared the whole thing just to be a ‘tear gas like’ situation. Moreover they failed to provide any immediate antidote for the poisonous gases which had spread all over Bhopal affecting many more than initially imagined. The blame lies as to why no measures were taken regarding huge amounts of water entering tank 610? Why wasn’t there a person to look over the pressure and temperature statistics and control the pressure inside the container once the water had entered? The container should have been designed keeping in mind the sudden increase of pressure due to any such situation. Some margin must have been there to account for sudden such rises. But the industry never had such precautionary steps in mind which eventually led to this. Moreover, the industry should have practiced drills and should have been prepared for such an incident beforehand. They should’ve been aware of methods to control the spread of the toxic gas once it had leaked from the main container. Such a control measure would have restricted the spread. The tank’s alarm had not been working for the past 4 years. A timely check on all such measures would have been helpful for its prevention. The steam boiler used to clean the pipes that caused this leakage had been out of order since a long time. The responsible authorities should have been vigilant on such important issues. Timely cleaning of these pipes would have never caused such a major leakage. Water jets should have been set up in such an industry dealing with hazardous materials so that any toxic leakage’s concentration would have been reduced by spraying water at a high speed while it was still confined within the industry. Carbon steel valves were used in spite of the fact that they easily corrode when exposed to acids. If such a realization had been there amongst the authorities and the valves would have been replaced before, such a tragedy could’ve been prevented. The very fact that the industry was located very close to a densely populated area directs towards ill-planning. The prevention of danger to the civilians should have the utmost priority of the planning authorities. The approving of such a plan by the state is also to blame. Even when the authorities had realized the leakage, they should’ve started working on evacuation plans. This would have prevented the mass suffocation. The police authorities should have been informed at the earliest so that they could have carried on evacuation in the residential areas. But they were kept in the dark for a long time. Also the meteorological data was not monitored properly. Due to the absence of strong winds, the lakes in Bhopal influenced the local circulation significantly and caused northwesterly flow near the surface. The modified flow pattern resulted in the transport of the toxic gas directly into the city area of Bhopal. If proper planning from the meteorological point had been done and the location had been determined such that the flow of toxins was in a different direction, away from the residential areas, then its affect on such a massive scale could’ve been prevented. Tragedies of the scale like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy can only be prevented if the concerned authorities fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. Being prepared with the preventive measures to all the imaginable problems beforehand is always helpful in controlling accidents to transform to disastrous levels like this one. Proper check of all the safety devices and monitoring all equipment on a regular basis is essential if such accidents have to be prevented in future. A lax by even a single official can prove to be fatal to many. The police and government officials in such areas must approve the plans only after thoroughly checking all equipments and plans and must remain vigilant at all times. Surprise checks must be conducted at these industries to monitor whether the working is being carried out according to the approved methods. It must be ensured that no scope is left for error of any kind which can lead to a disaster. How to cite The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case, Essay examples

Mark McGwire (913 words) Essay Example For Students

Mark McGwire (913 words) Essay Mark McGwireHes 65, and roughly 250lbs, and for the most part he is about as average asyou or me. Almost except for one major thing, he is the record holder of themost prestigious record in all of pro sports. His name is Mark McGwire and therecord is his 70 homeruns, shattering the old record held by the Minnesotanative named Roger Maris. On the Major League Baseballs final day of the seasonMark McGwire hit two mammoth homeruns to give him 70 on the year, an astonishing1 home run in every 7.3 at bats. Mark started this quest for the record early inspring training, setting his mind on accomplishing this one goal to be the kingof all homerun hitters. On the first day of the season Mark hit his firsthomerun of the season. On a 1 ball no strike count in the bottom of the fifthinning with two outs and the basses loaded Mark hit a Grand slam off of The LADodgers pitcher Ramon Martinez. With that Grand Slam he became just thetwenty-first player in Major League history to hit a grand slam in the seasonopener. Now the quest was on, he was now 61 homeruns from beating the record. Overall Mark hit eleven homeruns in the seasons first twenty-seven games, Markreally turned it on in the month of May. In his next twenty-five games in themonth of May, Mark hit sixteen homeruns giving him twenty-seven homeruns so far. With his sixteen homeruns in May, McGwire tied Mickey Mantle for the mosthomeruns in May. Then, out of nowhere a familiar enemy of Marks shows its uglyhead, Mark misses three games with back spasms, injuries are something that hasplagued him most of his career. On June 5th Mark is now healthy and ready toplay, In the first inning Mark came to the plate with a runner at second and oneout. Mark lines the 1 ball 2-strike pitch into the Centerfield Bleachers atBusch stadium. On June 18th Mark sets a Major league Record with histhirty-three homeruns, giving him the most homeruns before July 1st in anyseason. Mark was now becoming the biggest draw all around the majors, teams whonormally couldnt give tickets away were now selling out there stadiums whenMark came to town. The Minnesota Twins couldnt get 50,000 total people to showup for three games, and now for the three games Mark was in tow they drew over150,000 people. Everyone was swarming to ballparks all around the league to geta chan ce to see Mark hit a homerun. Mark was on a tear but now he was not theonly chasing the record. Sammy Sosa for the Chicago Cubs was on a tear hittingtwenty homeruns in July to get him close to McGwire in the Homerun race. Now therace was on Sosa and McGwire were now playing a game of cat and mouse as Sosatried desperately to catch McGwire. On August 19th Sammy finally catches andpasses McGwire hitting his forty-eighth homer of the year. However Sammys leadwas short lived Mark not only tied Sammy in the eighth inning against the Cubsbut he takes the lead in the tenth inning of the same game. Mark was back incontrol of the homerun race. This would go on for the next month or so, Sosawould take the lead and McGwire would come back on the same day and reclaim thelead. On August 22nd Mark sets another record when he hits his 162nd homerun inthe last three seasons beating Babe Ruths record of 161. On September 5th Markfinally hits his 60th homerun of the year joining Maris and Ruth as the onlyplayers in League history to hit sixty or more homeruns. Now the Stage was setthe Cubs and Sammy Sosa came to town for a three game series with the Cardinalsin St. Louis. In the Stands there were some very important fans, Roger Marisfamily came to watch Mark beat their fathers record. On September 7th Markstepped up to the plate in the first inning, Mike Morgan of the Chicago Cubs wason the mound he had retired the first two Cardinal hitters and now he had topitch to McGwire. The first pitch Morgan throws to McGwire is in there for astrike; the next pitch was just outside for a ball. With the crowd on their feetcheering Morgan threw the 1-1 pitch, CRACK, Mark crushed the pitch into thecenterfield stands hitting the ball 430. Mark had now tied Roger Maris recordand he still had eighteen games to hit just one more homerun to set the record. .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .postImageUrl , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:visited , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:active { border:0!important; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:active , .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498 .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf85c81726f11eee722500cf3c0010498:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Bioethics EssayOn September eighth, in the forth inning facing Steve Trachsel of the Cubs; Markcame to the plate once more. Trachsel threw a pitch to McGwire; Mark hit a deepline drive into left field. The ball was hit deep but everyone including Markthought the ball wasnt going to leave the park, but then it was gone justclearing the wall. The fans went crazy yelling and cheering for Mark he had justbroke the most unbreakable record in all of baseball. After all was said anddone Mark hit 62 homeruns in 145 games, his homeruns traveled a total of 26394feet or 4.99 miles, for an average of 427.7 feet per homerun. Even though Markset the record with 70 homeruns Sammy also br oke Maris record with 65 homeruns. That was truly the best season in along time, Mark and Sammy put Major LeagueBaseball on their backs and resuscitated it. Making baseball the talk of thetown all over the country.