The Admission Essay

The Admission Essay She is quite possibly the smartest person I know, and she used to constantly critique the way I read. She reads very slowly, often reading three or four books at one time, and even stops halfway through to write about the books she’s reading. Maddie would berate me for bulldozing through books, not paying attention to the themes and nuances, which often forced me to read books twice to fully grasp them. She was shocked that I, a self-professed book lover, had no concept of sub-vocalization. I didn’t even try to hear the words in my head, I just plowed through sentence by sentence, speeding towards the end. But the bottom line is that I breathe constantly because my life quite literally depends on it. I have a similar relationship to reading, which is why the questions, “Wait, you read for fun? Reading is an integral part of my lifeâ€"without reading, I would be a completely different person. I read the way most people breatheâ€"constantly, voraciously, and so naturally that I hardly realize that I’m doing it. What I found so appealing about her character was how unapologetic she was about her oddities. When the other students at Hogwarts made fun of her and called her names she responded with kindness, because she knew in her heart she was brave and smart, and didn’t seek anyone else’s approval. Describe a moment where it may seem that nothing exciting was happening to an outside observer, but that meant a great deal to the student. The idea behind the essay is for colleges to be able to learn something about the student that they couldn’t have learned through the rest of the application. The essay is where the college can discover what makes this particular student unique and interesting. Sadly, many students tear their ACL each sports season and then have to rehab it. They need to think about those snapshots that have defined them. Another way to think about an essay topic is to think about those small moments that might even seem mundane on the surface, but that have had a big impact on their life. I drew on her strength often during the rough and awkward moments of middle school. At a recent student retreat, everyone in my class was asked to draw a timeline of our lives. There are a lot of ways I could break up my life timeline, from states I lived in to schools I’ve attended, but I could also break it up by my favorite book . In first grade, my mother bought me the first five Junie B. Jones books, and I was hooked. It is fine to help in the ways I suggested above â€" with brainstorming or breaking down the tasks. But, please, don’t think that you can write an essay that will sound like your teen. I assure you that every admissions department in the country can detect when an essay is written by a parent. I encourage kids to think about writing their essay as though they’re describing a snapshot in time. If you write about the effect of a death, divorce, or illness on your life, tell about but don't dwell on your bad luck and disappointments. When I readLes Miserablesit changed my entire relationship with reading. I have a very good friend at my high school named Maddie. My parents couldn’t figure out why I had suddenly become afraid of the dark until they realized that I was only asking they keep the closet light on so I could stay up all night and read. I loved Junie B’s adventurous spirit and offbeat humor. And most of all, I loved that she was a loud-mouth like me. Like Junie B, I knew what I wanted and I was always ready to ask for it. I like to practice deep yoga breaths before tests, and when I run my breath falls into a nice steady rhythm in time with my feet. In middle school my two favorite book series were Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I’ll admit, I was a strange child, and my parents called me spaced cadet because I spent so much time staring off into the air, unknown stories forming behind my eyes. Luna was weird, probably even a little weirder than me. She thought wrackspurts caused distracted thoughts and read the tabloid magazine of the Harry Potter word,The Quibbler. Many students have volunteered in various ways, even in other countries. Beware of the chronological list of events that produces dull reading. Remember, also, to accent the positive rather than the negative side of an experience.