college application essay

This week’s assignment is to write a college application essay. Most colleges require applicants to submit an essay as part of the application process. Some colleges, in fact, require more than one. These essays can vary, but many will include instructions similar to this:

Write about an experience you've had, an achievement in your life, or someone who has been significant to you. Show how this experience, achievement, or person has helped to shape your life.

Follow these directions and write as though you were applying to this college. Admissions personnel read many of these essays looking for students whose writing skills, capacity for thought and reflection, interests, and experience make them strong candidates for their college or university. Be creative if you like — there are no strict guidelines for these essays — but remember the basic principles of good writing —grammatical and mechanical correctness, structure, clarity, unity, vividness, etc.  Have something to say and say it well. This is more important than making a dramatic impression.

Length: Minimum of five paragraphs, two to four pages.

Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines.