Begin well in advance, at least 4 weeks before the application is due.

Add another week for each essay you have to write, even if you plan to adapt another basic essay.

Read examples of personal essays in newspaper columns or literary anthologies.

Do not worry about where to start. Just start writing.

Don’t be afraid to stare at a blank piece of paper. Plunge in and describe the person, place,

thing, or concept you’ve chosen to write about.

Try to include: Your feelings on the subject Concrete details about what people said or how

things looked and felt A far-fetched idea A metaphor Invented dialogue

Write or type Whichever you feel comfortable with

Work in an uninterrupted decent block of time. At least an hour to get your first draft on

paper

Sometimes an idea out of left field can turn an ordinary essay into an extraordinary one.

Do not be afraid to follow an idea even it if seems like it is getting you off subject. Be creative. It may be leading you to a new

subject that’s even better than your initial one. Think of your writing as a letter to an

acquaintance that does not know you so well.

Committees look for students who have potential for growth. Contribute to the quality of life on campus

The best approach to an open-ended question is to treat it is as if it were a specific topic. Person/book/incident that has deeply

affected you

Figure out how to answer all open-ended topics with the same basic essay, reworked a bit to fit each application.

Among specific topics, isolate similar ones and make one essay serve for both. For example: Two that ask about a person or place

If an application lists more than one topic, read the directions carefully. Do you need to answer all or just one?

Pick the one that most resembles the essay you’re already writing, perhaps for another application.

Work on the essays with specific topics first. You may be able to modify it to fit another

application’s open ended topic. Write about something that matters to you. Avoid controversial topics such as religion,

politics, or money. BORING!!!

Summer trips to Europe Dying pets Relationships with grandparents

Be cautious, but do not smother your creativity.

Enthusiasm can make even boring topics come alive. Look through old scrapbooks or yearbooks

to recall different people or events. Keep a journal. Look through magazines and newspaper

articles that profile your interests.

Do not worry about style at this point. Use words and expression that are

comfortable to you. Alter later. Put each essay through at least three

revisions. Revise! Revise! Revise!

Lay your first draft aside for a week.

If the essay is a story, does it move chronologically?

If it is informal, does it still follow a formal outline? Does it have a distinct beginning, middle, and end?

Separate scenes – Are they clearly linked?

Dialogue – Does it move from topic to topic and end clearly?

Decide what you are trying to say, then organize.