The best college application essays I’ve read are about the student’s life experiences. What have you got planned this summer? Are you attending an academic program at a university for high school students? Are you working as a camp counselor? Or a sous chef? Are you studying abroad? Rafting down the Colorado River? Or taking an interstate bicycle ride for a cure? Are you playing saxophone in a jazz band that is touring Europe? Or serving an internship in New York City where you will be living on your own for the first time? Are you backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail? Volunteering for a beach cleanup? Or smashing atoms in a scientific lab?
Whatever you have planned, take note! And lots of notes! Get yourself a journal or notepad. I recommend keeping your journal the old-fashioned way on paper because there seems to be a deeper connection between pen and paper than fingertips and computer keys. Your journal should be small enough so that you can easily carry it with you wherever you go. Writing daily about your experiences and impressions will help you practice becoming aware of what's going on in your life, the people you meet, and the places you go.
The Five W’s and the Five Senses
When you write your thoughts in your journal, don't forget the details. Get into the habit of employing every news journalist’s standard tool: the Five W’s. Ask yourself, WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW & WHY, as appropriate. The Five Senses (TASTE, SIGHT, TOUCH, SMELL, and SOUND) can also come in handy when describing certain experiences like the savory sensations of a farm-to-table meal or the scent of your grandmother’s perfume.
As a teenager, you haven’t really thought about WHY you do the things you do; you just do them. Activities are fun or feel good, or they are a requirement. The college application essay prompts force many of you for the first time to think about WHY you like to garden or play hockey or study in the park after school. So, each day this summer, whether you’re sitting under a tree or waiting for a subway train or about to go to sleep, write a page or two about your day. Reflect on your experiences and how you feel about them. Your subject matter can be anything, from something you did to someone you met to something you learned about in the news.
By becoming aware and exercising the writer in you, you’ll unearth juicy details in things you might have previously considered to be trifle. You’ll be surprised by what you discover and learn about yourself…and you’ll also be exploring content for your college application essays.
Whatever you have planned, take note! And lots of notes! Get yourself a journal or notepad. I recommend keeping your journal the old-fashioned way on paper because there seems to be a deeper connection between pen and paper than fingertips and computer keys. Your journal should be small enough so that you can easily carry it with you wherever you go. Writing daily about your experiences and impressions will help you practice becoming aware of what's going on in your life, the people you meet, and the places you go.
The Five W’s and the Five Senses
When you write your thoughts in your journal, don't forget the details. Get into the habit of employing every news journalist’s standard tool: the Five W’s. Ask yourself, WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW & WHY, as appropriate. The Five Senses (TASTE, SIGHT, TOUCH, SMELL, and SOUND) can also come in handy when describing certain experiences like the savory sensations of a farm-to-table meal or the scent of your grandmother’s perfume.
As a teenager, you haven’t really thought about WHY you do the things you do; you just do them. Activities are fun or feel good, or they are a requirement. The college application essay prompts force many of you for the first time to think about WHY you like to garden or play hockey or study in the park after school. So, each day this summer, whether you’re sitting under a tree or waiting for a subway train or about to go to sleep, write a page or two about your day. Reflect on your experiences and how you feel about them. Your subject matter can be anything, from something you did to someone you met to something you learned about in the news.
By becoming aware and exercising the writer in you, you’ll unearth juicy details in things you might have previously considered to be trifle. You’ll be surprised by what you discover and learn about yourself…and you’ll also be exploring content for your college application essays.
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