"The scariest moment is always just before you start." Stephen King on writing.
If there is one thing I hear from every parent or applicant I speak with from now until December it's this: "How do you even start to write the Common Application Essay?" It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask when staring at a blank computer screen trying to come up with a story which will help that applicant get admitted to the school of their choice. Inherent to the question is a certain amount of panic. This is an important essay to write - there's a lot riding on it. I felt the exact same way when I sat down to write my college application essays. My job as a college application essay consultant is to calm nerves and be a voice of reason. I see myself as an editor, tutor, shrink, and cheerleader. My role is to tell students in no uncertain terms, "You have nothing to worry about, everybody has a good story to tell. You are no exception."
To help navigate the treacherous waters of the college application process stress-free, I've come up with five steps every applicant should take before working on their personal essay. Starting with these five steps will ensure their essay will be a memorable one - one which will make admissions officers say, "Wow! We need to admit this applicant!"
1) Read the prompts! Don't rush through them. Take your time. Read them carefully. Read one prompt per day. Let each one sink in. Talk it through with someone you know. Try to understand what the prompts are asking for. The number one complaint admissions officers have is: "They didn't really answer the prompt." Answer the prompt!
2) Think about some seminal moments in your recent past. Did you have an experience which resonated with you? Was there something that happened in which you were challenged, transformed as a person? It doesn't have to be big and showy moment, it just needs to be meaningful to you. Can the telling of that story be conveyed in 650 words? Write it down! Take good notes. Where were you? Who were you with? Details are vital to making a story interesting and memorable.
3) Read as many Common Application Essays as you can find! Ask your friends from the year ahead of you if you can read their essays. There have been numerous books published about application essays and you'll find many examples there. The New York Times solicits application essays every spring and publishes what they feel are the best. These essays worked! The authors of them were accepted to the best schools in America. You'll see what works.. Be inspired by them. Learn from them.
4) Talk to your friends and family! Because often times friends and family have insight into who you are and what makes you special - focus group your life. An inquisitive outsider has a perspective you don't have. You'll hear, "remember the time..." They'll jar your memory bringing to the forefront experiences you had which you had forgotten. A little brainstorming goes a long, long way.
5) After you have done 1-4, DO NOT start writing! You heard me right. Do not start writing! Let all of the research marinate in your brain for a while. Think it all over. Ask friends and family what they think of your ideas. Let them advise you on which one they feel would make for a memorable personal essay. Unless you look at the calendar and see November 1st bearing down on you, there's plenty of time. No reason to choose a prompt and a story if you're not committed.
That old adage that it's all in the preparation is apropos here. Your Common Application Essay is likely going to go to every school to which you are applying. Don't rush it. It's not as daunting a process as you think. The more time you spend thinking about the story, the greater likelihood you will have an original and unforgettable essay.