As I prepare to write my college essays the two key ideas prominent in my mind are the beginning and ending sentences. I take writing a college essay as a maze. If I know where to start and finish, all I need to do is connect the two by filling in the missing pieces and creating a path. When considering how I want to start my essay, I need to think of an unique statement that will grab the readers attention as well as bring the reader into my story. Specifically when writing a college essay, the essay prompts are completely about the writers past experiences. Since these essays can be deal breakers/makers when it comes to the application review process, I need to create an opening sentence that holds my life amongst it's words.
If I follow my advice and start my essay with a grand opener, I need to make sure my essay is just as grand at the end. The concluding statement needs to summarize and state the main idea of the prompt. Not only does the concluding sentence have to bring the essay to a halt, but it also needs to leave the reader wanting more or feeling like they know me. By telling too much information the reader may be overwhelmed and wanting to leave, but by just giving a taste test of your past experiences to the reader you will have them always coming back for more.
What surprises me about my thinking is how much I consider it a story. I don't want the reader to just read the words on the page. I want the reader to fall into my story and live it as if they were there the whole time. I want them to see the world I've created around them and experience my life first hand. Growing up I always loved being told stories. What I really like about my thinking is over 17 years later I am no longer hearing these stories but creating them. I really enjoy how I've been able to take my past with me to build on my future as a writer. Although I do thoroughly enjoy my writing, I do wish I was less wordy in my essays. I constantly have to go back and check how many words I currently have in my college essay just to make sure I didn't surpass the limit. By being able to make my essays concise yet full of passion, my college essay would grab hold of my hand and fly me right through school.
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