Lesson Two: Brainstorming
a Topic
Introduction
Choosing
an essay topic can be one of the most difficult aspects of the entire admissions
process. Questions often ask you to think about your entire life, pick just
one thing, and talk about it in great depth. Even the most reflective writers
are left wondering: “How am I supposed to know the ONE event that has changed
my life or the one thing that represents my entire personality.” In all likelihood
there isn’t just one. But there probably is one that you can write about most
passionately and effectively. The most important part of your entire essay
is finding this one subject. Without a topic you feel passionate about, without
one that brings out the defining aspects of you personality, you risk falling
into the trap of sounding like the 90 percent of applicants who will write
boring admissions essays. Coming up with this idea is difficult and will require
a great deal of time. But whatever you do, don't let this part stress you
out. Have fun!
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EssayEge
Extra: One Essay, Multiple Applications
By
now, you have figured out that you can save time by submitting the
same or similar essays for the applications to various schools. If
you are creative, you will be able to plug in many of your answers
into some not so similar questions, too. It is fine to lift whole
paragraphs or even entire essays and apply them to different questions-as
long as you do so seamlessly. Be absolutely sure that you have answered
the question asked. Pay special attention to the introductions and
conclusions-this is where cutting and pasting is most evident. Thorough
proofreading is imperative if you take shortcuts like these. If a
school notices that you have obviously swapped essays without even
bothering to tailor them to the questions at hand, it shows them that
you are lazy and insincere. If the question requires an answer specific
to the school, you should show that you have read the college’s web
page, admissions catalog, and have an understanding of the institution's
strengths.
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From ESSAYS
THAT WILL GET YOU INTO COLLEGE,
by Amy Burnham, Daniel Kaufman, and Chris Dowhan. Copyright 1998
by Dan Kaufman. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational
Series, Inc. |
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