When someone gives you five hundred words to define your strengths, hopes, skills and qualities, it can seem completely overwhelming. At Jacqueline Education Group, however, we have the experience to bring out your essential qualities while showcasing the strengths that Ivy League schools are looking for. There are many different ways to write engagingly and to show the committee your unique abilities and motivations, and we will work with you to expertly direct your efforts towards producing an outstanding statement that will memorably reveal the personal color that SAT scores and grades necessarily miss.
As you know, it’s not hard to find many examples of successful essays online, along with lots of advice on how to replicate their success. However, this search-and-repeat strategy is not actually the best technique for writing well. At JEG, we recommend you don’t dive into comparisons as a starting point. It can be intimidating to read your “competition’s” best efforts when you’re just beginning, and worse, it can influence and limit your own writing process. Instead, we suggest starting with a very loose brainstorm that will expand your ideas of what is possible. Write down all the experiences you’ve had that might contain the seed for a good essay. Don’t limit yourself to grandiose events, either. Keep in mind that a quotidian subject can work perfectly well if what you have to say about it showcases your individuality and draws out authentic writing.
At this point, also think about what qualities you think make you a good candidate yet do not appear in other parts of your application. The topic, theme and tone are the most critical aspects of your essay, because they will show the committee your unique perspective. JEG can brainstorm with you to define and clarify all the wonderful things you already know about yourself. Are you curious? Hardworking? Do you find it easy to empathize and work with others, or are you good at forging your own path without much support? Use the experiences you think of to reveal your best qualities, and use qualities you want to showcase to help you remember times you demonstrated those qualities.
It can be difficult to parse out the stories and qualities that schools are looking for most. Choosing the ideal topic requires a full understanding of your accomplishments, interests, abilities, aspirations; knowing how to complement the rest of your application while keeping this in mind is JEG’s specialty. Remember not every idea you come up with now has to end up in the essay, and that we can help you pick the strongest parts of your brainstorm. In the end it’s best to focus on one or two character traits that you feel the other elements of the application don’t demonstrate well, and that best define you as a student.
Once you have some general ideas about what you might write about and what you want the subject of your writing to convey to the admissions board, give some thought to the tone and style you intend to use. Do you want to write a serious, formal essay, or a more colloquial one? Take the work seriously, of course, but keep in mind that a little humor might help your essay stand out. In the end, it’s best to write in a style that comes easily to you and feels natural, rather than pretending to be a person you are not.
Now, after all that thinking, comes the time to actually put pen to paper– or more likely, fingers to keys. Don’t pick just one of your ideas to work with, write out at least two. When you are producing your drafts, don’t over-think the process. Remember that this is only one step of the process. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even good. Just get your ideas down; doing so will clarify what you want to say, and you may find that what you write is more useable than you thought. You have already written many good essays in high school to be considering Ivy League acceptance, and this statement is not that much different. If you usually outline, outline. If you usually free-write, do that. The point is to create material you can work with, not to have a finished product spring full-formed from your forehead.
Now that you have your drafts, you can start reading advice and samples online and at the library. Do your essays still seem unique? Is there something other essays have that you wish you’d thought of? Adjust your drafts accordingly. It is useful to take breaks between writing and editing, so you come to your own work with as clear a mind as possible. Remember to focus especially on a strong beginning and end. The readers will be going through many essays in a short period of time, and you need to give them a hook that will keep your work fresh in their mind.
When you feel that you have two or three workable essays, the real work starts. As well as taking the advice of JEG’s specialized editors, ask your parents, teachers and even friends to read over your pieces and give you opinions. Remember that the choice of what to do with the advice is yours alone. On the other hand, remember that if everyone who reads the essay has the same problem, they are probably right. Revise, and revise again. If you’re feeling burnt out, take a break before coming back to editing. Pick a favorite essay, or blend the best parts of two different pieces to create the strongest possible final essay.
At this point, all that is left is proofreading. We cannot stress enough how quickly a reviewer’s opinion of a piece drops if it is not grammatically impeccable, typo-free and well-written. Don’t rely on yourself alone: A professional editing service, like JEG, can catch things that you’ve been unconsciously skipping over. We don’t think this needs stating, but will remind you that you must get the process of writing started early to avoid skimping on revising, editing and proofreading under a looming deadline.
Throughout this difficult process, JEG will collaborate with you to ensure your best possible effort goes to the admissions committee. We will share our specialized knowledge and judgment about the specifics of college admission, enabling you to refine your efforts. Yet in the end, the work and the accomplishment are your own. The statement is your audition to be an independent adult, responsible for your own learning; the time for following rote instruction is over.
But don’t forget to proofread.
