I know what you’re thinking. Essays. Introductions opening with rhetorical questions and ending in thesis statements. Three body paragraphs, each supporting a main idea. A conclusion that sums it all up with a bow on top.
Don’t you dare.
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For a full discussion of the surprising no’s and the absolute yes’s of writing the college application essay—see the rest of this article in Chapter 2 of our title How to Write a College Application Essay: Expert Advice to Help You Get Into the College of Your Dreams.
Photo by cesar bojorquez, Creative Commons, via Flickr. Post by Tania Runyan, author of How to Read a Poem and How to Write a Poem.
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Providing everything a student needs to go from draft to polished essay, the instruction in How to Write a College Application Essay is straightforward, easy to apply, and inspiring. Includes sample essays from students who got into the colleges of their dreams.
“How to Write a College Application Essay is a valuable resource that I enthusiastically recommend to my students and their families.” —Lisa Scanio, High School Counselor, Adlai Stevenson High School
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Bethany R. says
Love this pointer on locating your own voice: “If you took your name off the essay and left it on your friend’s or teacher’s desk, would he or she be able to identify the writer?”
Tania Runyan says
Thank you, Bethany!