myUsearch blog

The key to writing an application essay is finding your voice. You can imagine the massive volume of college application essays the admissions staff has to wade through every year, so make yours stand out! Even if the application essay prompt seems to be very specific, it is still possible, and necessary, for you to find a way to get an idea across that is unique and that reveals something interesting, profound, and different about yourself.

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The following guest post was contributed by Christine Howell who frequently writes about Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison website.

Writing college application essays can be intimidating for most aspiring applicants. College admissions can be competitive; it’s essential for students to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Extracurricular activities can be helpful, as can personal letters of reference, but most experts agree that college application essays are the best way for students to express their individuality and attract the attention of admissions officers at the college or university of their choice.

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Today we have a guest post from college admissions insider Gil Rogers, Associate Director of Admissions at the University of New Haven.

 So you are getting ready to finalize those college applications.  You have visited schools, met with counselors and students, read through every piece of mail sent to you and surfed on all of the best college search websites.  You are ready to go, right?  Wrong.

Filling out the application form is easy.  As long as you know your name and address, chances are, that part is done.  But what are you going to do to set yourself apart from all of the names and numbers on the papers going in to the admissions office at your top choice school?  That is where the application essay comes in.

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With another school year down and a new one just lurking around the corner, it is important for high school seniors to begin their college application process now. No, we’re not doing this to fuel the fire of competitive college admissions. And we’re certainly not doing this to pile on more stress and anxiety to the already-hectic life of a teen. What we’re doing is actually trying to alleviate some of that by planning — creating a timetable of sorts to make your life more orderly. Let’s face it, the junior year was tough because that’s what the junior year is supposed to be. Your senior year is equally as difficult in the classroom. Do you really want to add to that by doing nothing the summer before? So let’s figure out what you can do now that will save you time and worry during your last hoorah in high school.

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On April 4, high school juniors breathed a sigh of relief. They took the ACT, and it is now behind them.  They will have jumped over a major hurdle in the college admission process. Are the admission hurdles now a thing of the past for our college-bound seniors? Not quite yet…

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You have consulted everyone, right? You have asked your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, classmates, teachers, siblings, coaches and confidants to find out what you can do to make your college application essay(s) stand out. You don’t know where to start, how to narrow your options, whether you should try to make it funny or academic– or both? First of all, stop talking to everybody else. They will only plant seeds in your mind that may lead to an eventual writer’s block. I see it every year. This is a personal essay. It’s you. However, the essay is the most important aspect of any college application, so you must execute it well. If there are a few basic pointers that I could give any high school senior they would be:

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Last time, we discussed how to approach the college essay. Now, before you take a pen to paper (or keyboard to monitor), there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind as you write your application masterpiece.

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You’ve accomplished a great GPA, you’ve made hash of the standardized test, and you’ve managed to squeeze in some great extra-curricular activities. But suddenly, you come to a screeching halt as you stare at a blank page, facing the ultimate test.

The college application essay.

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