Question: How to write a good college essay? Answer: Be true to yourself

Preparing to write your college Essays? The excerpts below are taken from an article written in by Laura Diamond, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 30, 2010.

Students applying to college should prepare to write honest essays that will highlight their character and strong interests. Beyond the Applause

AJC Article Excerpts by Laura Diamond
“Welcome to the college admissions essay, which high school seniors are scrambling to write this fall. The essay is an opportunity for students to share something about themselves that cannot be found in any other part of the application. Admissions officers try to gain insight into the applicant after reading 150 to 500 words.

Students applying to the University of Georgia write four essays, each limited to 200 words. Topics include selecting a musical piece that represents the student’s “theme song” and the open-ended “tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself that you have not already shared in your application.”

“The essay is not something that gets you admitted or denied,” said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at UGA. “It can help you get in, but it can also work against you.”

When McDuff and her team read the essays, they’re looking at how well students communicate their ideas and describe the information they’re sharing.

“If I want to read a great literary work, I’m going to read Faulkner,” McDuff said. “What I want to do is read the students’ words. I want to get to know the students.”

A strong essay shows what students are interested in and what they’re committed to, said Jean Jordan, dean of admissions at Emory University.

If students turn in essays rife with errors or failed to answer the questions, it shows they’re not serious about the college, Jordan said.

“We don’t expect perfection,” McDuff said. “We know 17- and 18-year-olds are a work in progress. That’s why they’re applying to college.”