b'35Write Your College EssayThe college essayor personal statementlets you tell your story in your own words. This is your opportunity to express who you are beyond yourWATCH US Virtual Interviews: Applying to Collegegrades and test scores. Your college interview may be virtual, conducted over video Know Your Audienceconferencing software such as Zoom. To prepare:Your essay is intended to demonstrate your writing Install and test the software in advance.skills. Give yourself enough time to craft your essay, Make sure your Wi-Fi is secure.proofread and edit it, and show it to several otherPractice beforehand with a friend or family member.people. Start it the summer before your senior year.Find a quiet space with good lighting and no distractions.Admissions officers read hundredssometimesthousandsof essays each year. The way to stand out is to write honestly, clearly, and authenticallyFocus on the content first and save grammarabout yourself. and spelling for later. For help, see Revise and Know that admissions officers are looking for Proofread Your Essay on p. 37.students who can and will succeed at their school.Ask for honest feedback on your essay from yourYour essay should convince them you are a studentcollege prep team.they want to acceptsomeone who will be a goodAfter each draft, set your essay aside for a dayfit for their school. or two, then reread and revise.There is no right topic to write about or rightvoice to use. The best topic to write about is one Proofread for grammar, formatting, and typos. that matters to you and conveys what makes you Read it out loud to hear how it sounds. Print it out to a unique applicant. The best voice is yoursbecatch mistakes missed on the screen. Ask someoneyourself, use language that feels comfortable to else to proofread your essay to catch any errors you you, and tell your story. may have missed. Read it one more time to make sure your grammar and spelling are perfect.Conquer the Blank PageAvoid These Essay Topics Getting started is the hardest part. Follow these steps to write a strong essay:Your admiration for a role model, family member,or celebrity. The essay should be about you.Brainstorm topics, letting ideas flow. Use the activity A traumatic experience, such as the illness or deathon p. 36 to help jumpstart your essay. of a family member or friend, unless you write about Organize your ideas in an outline. how it affected you and the resilience you gained Allow your first draft to be just thata first draft.from the experience.Do not stress about it. Just write and know you will revise it later.Take a break from writing and then return to your draft. Reread and revise it. Be creative in tellingyour storystart with an anecdote or find a wayto relate your story back to the college.Look for unnecessary words that do not add to your story. Make sure your details matter and arenot just taking up space. The best essays make every word count. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology'