This week, the NY Times published this piece on a University of Chicago Dean of Admissions who sent out a successful college essay to other applicants. Some students and adults complained about the sultry tone of the essay, but mostly, I think kids found that reading others essays so close to the deadline left them second-guessing their own abilities.
As deadlines loom (and there are still quite a few schools whose applications are due in the next few days!) students sometimes find themselves doubting themselves or feeling overwhelmed when they read the work of others. After all, most people on a tight deadline would second-guess themselves as it is, and teenagers probably fare far worse.
My advice to my students is generally to start early (in the early fall), come up with a several potential topics, and then read a few sample essays from a book like Edward Fiske’s Real College Essays That Work. I like Fiske’s book because students tend to find the essays approachable and real.
Some of the best essays I’ve read have been on seemingly small, slice-of-life or moment-in-time pieces – a conversation at a Day Worker’s Center, thoughts on driving one’s sister to ballet class and the challenges of listening to a tone-deaf brother play the drums. I can’t say there is no wrong topic, but there are many more right ones than students (and parents) tend to realize.
Tags: Book Recommendations, College Applications, College Essays