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Since junior year, the importance of the college essay has been repeatedly shared with you. You’ve heard it referenced in your meetings with your college counselor, in the too-many-to-count information sessions, and, of course, in family discussions at the dinner table. But where do you start? How do you dig through eighteen years of experiences and select the one that shares your voice, your vision, your passion? Or worse yet, what if you have already perused your lifetime of home videos and realize nothing big has happened to you? Now what?
Don’t panic. I promise there is a story in you that will embrace your voice, your vision and your passion. And it doesn’t have to be big. In fact, it is often the slivers in time that best share who you are.
Here are some tips to finding that story and writing your stand-out college essay.
1. The Interview
First stop, family and friends. Time to reconnect and relive all those wonderful and sometimes embarrassing childhood stories. Ask your parents, grandparents, best friend, and sibling a few simple questions.
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If you could tell the admission’s officer one story about me as a child/adolescent/high schooler, what would it be?
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What qualities do you think an admissions officer should know about me?
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What are some of your most cherished/embarrassing/funny/endearing memories of me?
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When do you remember me being the happiest? Most scared? Most determined?
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What were my favorite toys growing up?
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Did I have a special spot to sit, sulk, think, read?
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What was I like in middle school vs. high school?
These memories and perspectives are a wonderful place to begin. They may trigger your own memory or help you make connections between your present and past. Consider them the foundation of the house.
2. Vet it
The best way to hone an idea is to vet it. If it feels too personal or too stressful to share with a parent or friend, seek out a teacher, college counselor, or essay adviser and talk it out.
3. Write it
Now it’s time to connect the dots. Write it out. Give it a try. It may be THE ONE, or it may be the next document you delete, but you won’t know until you give it a try. So start writing. Leave the word count worries for later. Just get your ideas out.
4. Read it
This is the moment you read your essay aloud. Not ready to share just yet. No problem. Feel free to head to your room and close the door behind you. Whether your audience is a room filled with stuffed animals, your reflection in the mirror, or family and friends, it doesn’t matter. At this point, it’s just important to read your story out loud. Does it sound like you? Does it get across what you want it to say?
5. Revise, Revise, Revise
As an author, I can assure you that NO writing is complete with draft one. Even two or three. The ideas form during the first draft, but it’s the revision that makes the writing crisp, unique, and tight. This is where you add the details that make the story uniquely you. This is where your voice will find its way in. What did this moment feel like? Sound like? Look like? This is also the time to slice and dice – stay within the word count. Don’t rush. Take your time. Be patient.
6. Share
You’ve gone through the steps, now it’s time to share. No closed doors. Read it or give it to a trusted friend, essay adviser, or family member. Ask for honest feedback. Do they think it conveys to the college the message you intended? Does it sound like you? Does it answer the question? Are there spelling mistakes? Is the name of the school correct? Listen, edit, and share again. When the glitches are gone, you are ready.
Now you can congratulate yourself. You did it! You found the story that shares your voice, your vision and your passion.
The post From Blank Screen to Stand-out College Essay: 6 Tips appeared first on TeenLife.