Hello, friends! It's Caroline, here with your College Prep lesson for the day. But
before we get started, are you hungry? Want some pizza? Now, I know what you're
thinking. That's not a pizza. That's just a lump of dough! Well... you're right..
It's not fully pizza without the supplements like sauce, cheese, meat, veggies, and more.
And maybe, just maybe – I know it's controversial – pineapple? What do you think?
Hey, you know what? Your college application essays are kind of like my pizza. Yeah,
that sounds a little weird, but bear with me. Just as a pizza needs both the crust and the toppings,
most college applications need... two types of essays! The Common Application essay or
personal essay and your extra essays, supplemental essays and short answers. So let's get started!
Just like my delicious, doughy goodness, the first part of a successful collegiate application essay
is also a foundation. Let's check the recipe to learn more. The first ingredient is the dough
base of our pizza, the personal essay or Common Application essay. First, what is the Common
Application, or as it is more commonly known, the Common App? The Common App is an application
that about 900 universities and colleges use to evaluate applicants. The essay portion is based
on a prompt that the student selects from a series of seven prompts. The essay is your main personal
statement that delves into your interests, passions, experiences, strengths, and more.
Even universities that don't take the Common App will still require a personal essay. Oftentimes,
the prompts are the same or similar to the Common Application options. Now back to the recipe book
for the next ingredient for our collegiate application pizza. Like our delicious tomato
sauce, the next step for essays is also an extra: supplemental essays. Not every university asks
for supplemental essays, but many do. These are extra essay prompts that can ask about anything,
such as a specific program you're applying to, why you chose this university, or your favorite book!
And of course, we have to finish by chucking on some cheese, popping on the pepperonis,
and volleying on the veggies. It's a lot to put on the pizza,
just like the loads of short answers that you may have to compose. In collegiate applications,
you may come upon lots of boxes asking for short answers on a variety of topics. It can be easy
to just brush these off, but every response is important. Reviewers use these answers to learn
more about your personality and evaluate how you will fit in and contribute to their university.
Now that we know a little bit about both the main personal essay and supplemental essays,
let's look at the recipe's instructions.
For the first step, we must roll out the dough so we can shape our pizza.
Similarly, in our foundational personal essays, we shape our paper by choosing the correct prompt.
Let me start with a disclaimer: These prompts are from the 2021 to 2022 Common Application.
They could be different, or the wording could be changed in future years. However,
these prompts have been fairly stable over time. Typically, there are seven prompts that you can
choose between. They range from topics such as identity, past obstacles, challenging beliefs,
gratitude, accomplishments, captivating interests, and original topics. Please
look at this lesson's PDF to see the exact prompts with an analysis of each.
While practicing with the PDF, keep in mind the do's and don'ts of personal essays,
starting with the do's. Do pick the essay prompt that is best for you. It can be tempting to choose
the one that you feel the reviewers will prefer; however, your essay will be more
authentic if you choose the prompt that allows you to best reflect who you are.
Do use your space wisely. There is a limited amount of words for your essay.
Your first few drafts can flow naturally and freely with no thought towards the count,
but your final essay must stay within the word count, so on that last draft, forget the
tangents and rabbit trails and stay on the path towards glory! Do fill your story with details.
Even though you're being conscious of the space in your essay, make sure to choose precise words
that capture the full picture of your story. Adding those details will draw in the reader.
And now on to the don'ts! Don't mistake a rare topic for an effective one. Students may feel
drawn to choose the prompt that they think fewer applicants will select. However, it is less about
the topic and more about how you write about it. Don't use a stiff, academic tone. I know, I know,
you just learned all of those new, amazing, extensive vocabulary words for the SAT or the ACT,
and you can't wait to use them! Well, this is not the place. A conversational tone is
preferred over a more bombastic and passive one. Bombastic – how's that for an SAT word?
Don't use cliches. Specifically ask your essay editors to comb through your papers for cliches.
Avoid phrases like "think outside the box" or "one in a million" and "read between the lines."
And speaking of reading between the lines, let's peek back at our recipe book to look at the next
step, spreading that luscious sauce and adding all the extras! And just like our delectable dish,
we have to add supplemental essays and short answers to our collegiate application.
The sauce of the pizza helps define the flavoring. Are we going to use tomato, barbecue, or bechamel?
Similarly, in our supplemental essays and short answers, the prompts shape the flavor
or subject of the papers, so let's take a look. Supplementary essays and short
answers can have a wide variety of topics. A few universities, like the University of Chicago,
will have a new prompt every year, inspired by their current student body.
Others will ask about the specifics: why you specifically chose their school, what specific
program you're interested in, or how you can specifically contribute to their university.
Some will want to know about your extracurriculars, hobbies,
interests, and passions. Plus, there are always a few who have creative prompts,
such as asking you to create your own class or show how your identity connects to your community.
And just like our pizza would not be complete without the extra toppings,
our supplementary essays and short answers aren't complete without our
do's and don'ts. So without further ado, let's jump on the do's! Oh, I'm so punny!
Do research the school thoroughly. Because supplementary essays and short answers tend
to be more specific than the foundational personal essay, it is essential that your
writing is focused and detailed. Relate it to the exact university and their program.
Do talk about how well you will fit into the student body. Where can you
shine? How can you contribute to the school? Why will you be a good fit?
Do stay within the word count. This can be super difficult, especially because
supplementary essays usually have a shorter word count than the foundational personal essay.
The short answers have an even smaller word count! It is vital that you stay within the limit.
Universities want to see that you can follow the guidelines and write in a clear, concise manner.
And speaking of following instructions, let's look at a few more with some don'ts.
Don't discount the supplemental essays or short answers. If it says optional, know
that it is NEVER optional! You should always take the opportunity to show another side of yourself.
Don't be vague. It can be an attractive idea to just recycle your supplemental
essays and short answers for all of your applications. The issue with this approach
is that the essays become vague and unfocused so they can fit with multiple universities.
Believe me, they can tell when you're trying to make a one-size-fits-all essay. Don't repeat
what you included in your foundational personal essay. The supplemental essay and short answers
should contain new information that helps the reviewers discover another side of you.
Well, it looks like our pizza is ready now! Mamma mia, that looks deliziosa! If
you were following our recipe, you now know the importance of both the personal essays,
as well as supplemental essays. You also know the do's and don'ts when approaching both. Che bello!
It's time to dive into this pizza! I'll see you next time as we explore the structure of
collegiate application essays. Until then, keep constructing your College Castle in the Sky!