Essay Advice from Admissions Directors

Greg is embarking on his admissions essay journey so I've gathered some advice from what I think is a really credible source -- admissions directors. These are the folks that have to read thousands of these essays every year. Who better to give advice on how to impress and stand out from the crowd?

Interestingly they all have similar suggestions in the articles that follow. These same points have been echoed by many other admissions directors during our college visits. This consistency, and the source, gives me great confidence in this advice. In the links below you'll learn:

• Show, don't tell.
• Keep the essay narrowly focused and detailed.
• Let your own voice shine through.
• Take risks. Make it interesting.

Writing an application essay is a hassle, scary and prone to procrastination. But these admissions directors point out that it's your best opportunity to talk directly to the admissions staff and to make the case why they should accept you -- instead of the thousands of other applicants with similar qualifications.

These are all quick, easy reads and I highly recommend you invest a half hour internalizing their advice before you embark on that outline and first draft.

John C. Conkright, Dean of Admissions, Randolph-Macon College

Parke Muth, Senior Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, UVA

Thom Golden Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Vanderbilt - Part 1

Thom Golden Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Vanderbilt - Part 2

Seniors, Get Started on 2008 Application Essays

As the summer winds down I'm reminded of some good advice I've read for rising Seniors (if I remember where I'll update this with the links). "...use the summer to start writing your application essays". Obviously this saves having to do them in the midst of Fall AP Classes, football games, etc. It also helps minimize that stressful mad rush to get applications done in December.

Since it may still be unclear to which schools you're going to apply, a relatively safe way to start is to check out the one required essay for the Common Application. Over 340 colleges (here's the list) accept the Common App now, so it's pretty likely you'll be filling it out (online) soon.

If you're applying to a selective college it's possible that they will require 'supplemental' essays (and other materials). You'll need to check the admissions sites for each college to see their requirements. (If someone is familiar with a site that has collected this supplemental information for a number of colleges, please leave the link in comments). Here are Stanford's additional essay requirements (three 250 word essays), along with a reprint of this year's Common Application essay choices.