College Prep: Writing a Strong Essay

Course details

Given today's competitive college admissions process, a strong essay is critical. It can be the difference between acceptance and rejection. In this course, writing instructor Leigh Ann Chow covers planning, drafting, editing, and polishing an unforgettable college essay. She explains how the essay is used in determining acceptance and reviews good and bad essay examples. These lessons will not only help improve your chances of getting into a top-choice school, but also make you a better writer once you get there.

Learning objectives
Understanding the essay purpose and audience
Reviewing common and unusual essay prompts
Starting with a strong opening statement
Showing, not telling
Adhering to word limits
Organizing the essay
Varying sentence structure
Revising the essay
Communicating sincerity and enthusiasm

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know before starting your essay
03 - How to use the exercise files and sample essays

1. Exploring the College Application Essay

04 - Understanding the purpose of the essay
05 - Knowing the audience for the essay
06 - Deciding whether or not to write an optional essay

2. Examining the Types of Essay Prompts

07 - The Common Application, Universal College Application, and the Coalition Application
08 - School-specific supplements
09 - The personal statement
10 - Unusual essay prompts or supplements

3. Maximizing Your Chances of Success

11 - Starting out strong
12 - Showing not telling
13 - Providing specific details
14 - Coming up with a compelling title
15 - Adhering to word limits
16 - Saying a lot with a few words

4. Writing the Essay

17 - Selecting your prompt and prewriting
18 - Getting started with drafting
19 - Finding an organizational structure
20 - Using direct, precise, and active verbs
21 - Choosing appropriate words
22 - Varying sentence structure
23 - Revising
24 - Editing and trimming
25 - Polishing and publishing

5. Distinguishing Yourself in Your Essay

26 - Demonstrating introspection
27 - Conveying voice
28 - Communicating sincerity and enthusiasm

Conclusion

29 - Tailoring your essay for other purposes
30 - Transferring your writing skills to academic tasks
31 - Next steps