Home School College Counselor» essays

Essay Writing Resources

Home School College Counselor — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:39:37 +0000

Where can my student find helpful information about writing a college application or scholarship application essay?

The College Board offers some great tips on essay writing, geared specifically towards application and scholarship essays. Write Guide provides an individualized writing course for homeschooled students in grades four through twelve. You can review sample application essays at Just Colleges to see what other students have written. My 10 Step Guide to Stress Free College Planning has a whole section devoted to essay preparation, and I wrote a post on essay writing secrets which you can read here.

A couple other resources that I use in my own writing are Copy Blogger and Men with Pens. Although both sites are written for the blogger or copywriter, they offer some great tips and resources for improving your overall writing.

Do you have any other tips or suggestions that have proven useful in essay writing?

Essay Contest

Home School College Counselor — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:57:01 +0000

I just received a message from @homeschooling09 on Twitter about the upcoming Home School Legal Defense Association essay contest. This is a great opportunity to have your students practice their essay writing skills and have the incentive to win cash prizes as well.

Check out the Home School Network to learn more.

Essay Writing Secrets for Admissions & Scholarships

Home School College Counselor — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:30:43 +0000

Writing is a skill that everyone uses in one form or another, and it’s also a skill that can always be improved upon. When it comes to college admissions, the application essay carries a lot of weight, especially for a student that is borderline entrance material. A good essay will make him stand out from the pack, but a poor essay will essentially disqualify him from consideration. For many scholarships, the essay is the defining characteristic for the scholarship award. If writing is so important, why do so few people practice it?

Homeschoolers are notoriously good writers. Probably because we have the freedom to write on topics that we enjoy, and not just on those which have been assigned us. One of the best articles I’ve read on the art of the college application essay was written several years ago by Parke Muth, assistant dean of admission at the University of Virginia. Entitled “How to avoid the Big Mac syndrome,” it was originally published in U.S. News and World Reports. Here’s just a short snippet of his knowledge and experience:

“A good essay is not good because of the topic, though that can help, but because of the student’s voice as a writer. A good writer can make almost any topic interesting. A poor writer can make even the most dramatic topic boring. A good essay always shows; a poor essay virtually always tells. By showing, a writer appeals to all of the senses, not just the visual. To show means to provide an assortment for the eyes, ears, and, depending on the essay, the mouth, nose, or skin.”

You can read the entire article here.

Since I’m in the process of writing an all inclusive guide for homeschool students on college preparation from an admissions office perspective, I’ve been fine tuning my own writing. That’s part of the reason for starting this blog. Also a good reason you and your students should write a blog, it will help get your ideas out there and provide a forum to practice your writing skills.

So, a few quick tips for essay writing for college admissions applications and scholarships.

Be original, show who you really are. If you’re a naturally humorous person, then let it show, but don’t try to force it.
Make the story you tell interesting. Avoid generic topics; write about what you know.
Write from the heart and let your personality show through. Create an emotional bond with your readers.
Take risks and be creative. It will entertain, and everyone loves to be entertained.

If you want more tips on improving your student’s essay writing skills, check out Just Colleges for free tips and sample essays. For a more expensive option, Cambridge Essay Service has some great resources.