...Tips for a Great College Essay Why write an essay? The purpose of the essay is to convince admission officers whom you’ve never met, in less than ten minutes, that you would be a good match for their colleges. At the most basic level, it allows admission officers to evaluate your communication and writing skills. In addition, the essay allows admission officers to discover more about you as a person – a side of you not shown by statistics like grades and SATs. The essay gives information about your history, attitudes, interests and creativity; it gives a sense of your values and goals. What admission officers are doing is creating a community…looking to see how you would fit in that community, what would you bring to that community and what sets you apart. How the essay is evaluated • • • Is your writing mechanically sound? Is your writing style comfortable? Can you write a good sentence? Can you write a good paragraph? Do you address the question asked? Can you form a thesis? Can you discuss a theme? Is your argument logical? Can you get in and out of the essay with some finesse? Do you write with style, nuance and creativity? Do you write with a distinctive voice? Choosing a topic Choose the essay topic that appeals to you most. The topic is less important than your delivery Remember: there is no right or wrong answer. The college just wants to know who you are and how your mind works. Bad essay topics - there are bad essays, not bad topics; but be careful about the following:...
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...my life, but one in particular comes to mind: writing essays. For some people, writing is a chance to let their ideas and opinions flow on a piece of paper. Yet to others, like me, writing is difficult and I find it hard to let go and obtain a rhythm of words. As I write essays, I constantly stop to think of the best way to express my thoughts and use the right words to explain them; it doesn’t just come to me. That’s why when my English teacher, Ms. Poth, told us we’d be writing an in-class essay, I freaked. I immediately started to doubt myself and became frustrated because I told myself I wasn’t going to be able to do this. I kept thinking these thoughts until a few minutes later when I recognized how negative I was being. At that point, I decided to turn my attitude around and not give up that easily. I realized that with a positive mental attitude and some preparation for the task ahead of me, I could actually get through this essay with at least a B. After Ms. Poth had told us about our in-class essay, she explained to the class that she wouldn’t let us know the question on which we were to write about. However, she did give us some hints to what the topic would be about. She emphasized that we should review the stories of the Angle-Saxon Period and the Medieval Period. That was when the light bulb turned on in my head; I was going to review the literature of those time periods to better prepare myself for this essay. By doing this, I will know what I’m talking about and...
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...Dreaming Up My Persuasive Essay Her I sit trying to dream up my persuasive essay, nothing coming to my mind so I choose what I am doing at this exact moment and what I have learned. Sitting in my office chair and not allowing enough time to get my persuasive essay done. Three hours till my deadline and I am just getting started. I will have a persuasive essay by the deadline because I will sit here in my office chair every second till my task is complete. I ran through the writing process steps and I seem to be off to a good start. Using the writing process for previous essays has made the process familiar. I am starting the prewriting process by brainstorming and it had better be a hurricane. The planning has happened and helped keep me...
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...only occasionally see my dad since he now lives on the other side of the country, but I still feel very lucky to have a supportive, if spread out, family behind me. What makes me different from the rest of the crowd though is how I choose to fill my time away from school. I come from a middle income background so I knew I’d have to get a job in the summers and/or after school to help fund college, but instead of getting the easiest job I could find like many of my friends, I purposely sought work that would teach me new skills as well as give me a sense of fulfillment, which is why I turned to coaching soccer and working as a camp counselor. I know that every summer I am out there I’m helping the kids in my community, not only by watching to make sure they are playing with skill and determination, but also by helping them learn invaluable life lessons, like how to be a good teammate and friend, and how to settle disputes fairly and efficiently. I also have now added the title of waitress to my resume and while at first glance this job may not seem to offer me skills useful in pursuing a college degree, I have found it to offer incomparable training in multi-tasking, responsibility, money-management, perseverance and compassion for others. My grades have always been high and I am especially proud of this because I don’t naturally excel in all subjects. Writing has always been a challenge for me because I find grammar to often be confusing, spelling too, but I have learned through...
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...A-Levels vs. the GPA Having relocated to the United States from the Netherlands just prior to international orientation; I was caught off guard by an onslaught of rather drastic changes, which challenged me to establish an appropriate balance. I was able to utilize my interpersonal skills to quickly make friends within the international group, the football team and the local incoming freshman. I also found that I was ill prepared for the time commitment associated with playing sport at a collegiate level, despite having played professional youth level in Europe. Another challenge I faced was that of the academics themselves. The academics in the British school system focused on fast tracking each student to their desired career goals through the A-level system. This meant that by age 16 we had already selected 3 subjects for our final two years of high school. I had chosen to pursue Economics, Advanced Mathematics and Spanish. The A-level courses allowed me to test out of entrylevel economics and languages. This was beneficial in that I was able to focus on electives however it was detrimental in that it did not benefit my G`PA as it otherwise would have. My decision to come to the United States was to garner a more global education and expand my subject knowledge, however this came with its own set of hurdles. A primary difficulty was enrolling in religion, English Literature, American history and psychology courses that I had no previous exposure to. Despite a rough transition...
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...College Essay Cancer is something you don’t really take seriously until it hits close to home. You might hear stories of cancer here and there but what can you really do about it? Nothing, nothing until you or one of your loved one has it. When that’s the case you want to search the world for all the unanswered questions you have. Cancer might be a common disease among the population but it isn’t common once your loved one has it. My story begins with my birthday, however, this specific birthday was not the day happiness. On this typical school day, I couldn’t wait to get home and wait for all the wishes my family was going to give me. My fifteen-year-old self on the side curb waiting to be picked up by my father to take me home. As I get...
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...becoming successful in one way or another. Often people think about going to college, obtaining a job, and starting a family. Although easier said than done, it all begins with a college degree. In modern-day America; a college degree is vital in order to gain access to the majority of paying jobs. A college degree can open many different career pathways. Because students are given such a broad variety of skills, they often find themselves in careers that are not necessarily derived from what they have studied. Due to the high regard that is held on people with collegiate degrees, certain opportunities are presented to them that are not always as accessible to those who otherwise have not pursued a degree. As a result, if two people were pursuing a career in a large company, such as ExxonMobil, the individual with a college degree is more likely to obtain a position. This is because individuals that possess a college degree are reviewed as the most intellectual of the two candidates. Moreover, in today’s workplace, being in possession of a college...
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...College Education “College graduates with a bachelor’s degree typically earn 66 percent more than those with only a high school diploma; and are far less likely to face unemployment” (U.S. Department of Education 1). Think of it this way: A big family with a mother and father. The father has a college degree and is earning as much money as he can for his big family, while the mother struggles to find a job with only a high school diploma. The father’s income is barely enough for the family to live off of from month to month, and it puts great strains on the family. College education is worth the cost. A person’s mindset can vary depending on the resources they’ve had. Many people will argue that high school and parents should have already prepared a person for life on their own. Parents should be teaching their children how to spend their money wisely and give them advice, but not pressure them into taking actions. The cost of college is worth it because it will better a person’s...
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...Growing up, my parents never recounted their college days. Not once did they reminisce with fond, nostalgic voices about the memories of life on campus: cheering in the student section at a game, relaxing in their dorm rooms on a Sunday afternoon, sitting eagerly in the class of their most admired teacher, nor proudly donning their university’s regalia. Once it came time for me to embark on my own college search, I questioned my parents on their secrecy. They divulged to me that they never had the true college experience. They commuted to class, never spending more than a couple hours on campus. As a result, I more clearly defined what I was seeking- an university that not only would give me the tools to grow and prosper, but also the transformative adventures of student life....
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...Going to college is becoming a controversial topic. Is it actually worth it? It takes a significant amount of time, effort, and money. People who graduate make more money, but they also often have more debt that is carried over from going to college, and it is often difficult to find a job. Despite all of this, the advantages seem to be worth it in most cases. The wages and general quality and enjoyment of life tend to go up as the graduation rate rises. The most widespread concern about college is the issue of money. The cost of college keeps going up, and many people have a hard time affording it. Many people watch the wages of college graduates going down, and they begin to panic. However the gap between the wages college graduates and non-graduates make continues to grow. In fact the average college graduate makes 83% more than the average high school graduate (Leonhardt). In today's world where living costs keep rising, it is important to have any advantage you can....
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...The cost of college has several different contributing factors. These factors consist of personal loans, relationships, part time/full time job, scholarships, and time management. All of these examples are major contributing factors to the cost of college. The personal loans are a factor because they show some of the true costs of college. Personal loans are the first step when going to college without money from other sources. These different sources can consist of parents, grandparents, scholarships and etc. These costs are some of the key things that contribute to the cost of college. The second factor that contributes to the cost of college is relationships. Relationships have numerous costs that play a role in the cost of college. These costs can consist of things like expenses for the other person, choosing where to go to college, choosing to take or disregard a scholarship to leave or stay with that person....
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...When I look at this picture of myself, I realize how much I've grown and changed, not only physically, but also mentally as a person in the last couple of years. Less than one month after this photograph was taken, I arrived at the [school' s name] in [school' s location] without any idea of what to expect. I entered my second year of high school as an innocent thirteen year-old who was about a thousand miles from home and was a new member of not the sophomore, but “lower-middle” class. Around me in this picture are the things which were most important in my life at the time: studying different types of cars and planes, following Michael Jordan' s latest move, and seeing the latest blockbuster show like “Phantom of the Opera” or “Jurassic Park”. On my t-shirt is the rest of my life- tennis. Midway through my senior year at the special [school' s name] school, the focuses in my life have changed dramatically. If there is one common occurrence which takes place for every single person in the diverse student body at [school' s name], it is that we all grow up much faster for having lived there. I do not know whether this speeding up of the maturing process is generally good or bad, but I definitely have benefited. The classroom has become a whole different realm for me. Before, the teachers and students alike preached the importance of learning, but it was implicitly obvious that the most important concern was grades. At [school' s name] teachers genuinely believe that learning...
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...1-309-582-4200 My life has changed and there’s a huge aspect that has made it that way; that aspect being Black Hawk College. Black Hawk College has given me knowledge, perseverance, compassion, and a strong-minded personality. I know that making this decision in going to school at this community college was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It has prepared me for further education at a four-year university. It has opened up my mind to new possibilities of people and the way that they think. It’s not a college that should ever be talked down about. It has prestige in the fact that I know with my associates from Black Hawk my life is going to change for the better to push me to be the best person that I can be. Community college is an experience that I think that all people should take. It gave me the chance to be able to go to school after I thought I wouldn’t have the money or knowledge to attend. The advisors and administrators helped my mom and I further my education and acceptance into Black Hawk and it’s been the best thing so far to endure my life choices. My senior year gave me a lot of challenges with my biological father passing away and losing the man whom which was my stepfather leaving. I gave up on school because I didn’t think I could do it and I knew that my mom and I hadn’t the funds to make it possible for me to attend school. Black Hawk College changed that for me. The advisors helped me plan my classes and schedule’s according to my specific needs. They...
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...been thinking about and planning for college for a very long time. During this time, I have changed my major several times from Business Administration to International Relations, and the list goes on and on. This search that began sometime during third grade did not include tuitions until recently. Tuitions have always been important, but I have never worried about them. I grew up being taught that if you do your work and make good grades, money will fall into your lap. The reality, however, is that it is not that simple. Last year I settled on wanting to become a lawyer. During the summer, I was afforded the opportunity to be an intern for a public sector attorney. Through this experience I learned a lot about potential debt specific to my profession. It became clear to me that while undergraduate tuition may not be a problem, paying for law school just might kick me in the rear. Essentially, I could be in debt for years unless I become a General...
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...How are Hispanic, Black and American Indian students doing in college? The American Council on Education, which bills itself as "the major coordinating body for all of the nation's higher education," has just released its 24th annual report on the subject, titled Minorities in Higher Education. It provides valuable information, but the interpretations of the data do as much to obscure as to illuminate the central issues. The fifty pages of tables provided in an appendix reveal that these students, designated as "underrepresented minorities," made enormous progress in our colleges and universities in the 80's and 90's, and that these advances have continued in the past decade. For example, total white enrollments in institutions of higher education rose by just 12 percent over the decade 1997-2007. The figure for African Americans was 49 percent, by contrast, and for Hispanics 67 percent. When we distinguish undergraduates from students in graduate or professional schools, the picture looks the same, with minority numbers rising much more rapidly than white rates of gain, though of course from a much smaller base. The same is true when the measure is degrees earned at various levels from Associates to Ph.D.'s.--with some exceptions we will consider later. Unfortunately, though, few readers are likely to examine the data for themselves, and most will content themselves with reading the Executive Summary, or perhaps just a news report. If so, their understanding will be limited...
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