Recently, I read an article by an admissions representative from St. Mary’s College of Maryland regarding the college essay. Their advice seemed worthy of repeating so here it goes. When asked about the length of the essay, the representative explained that “the ones that got read at our college, the ones that really showed the admissions committee the real person, and the ones that jumped out at us and caught our attention were the ones that:  1) were from the ‘heart’, 2) were ‘student-written’ (you would be surprised how many have ‘adult hands’ on them…and you can tell the difference when you read them), and 3) told us why they are special; not necessarily if they were special.  If students can do that and it happens to be a little over 500 words, don’t sweat it.”

So, remember it is important to start early, be familiar with your topic, be yourself, be original, include information that may set you apart from other applicants, check to be sure you answered the question asked and follow the directions for each essay (some online applications count the number of characters allowed), and proofread for grammar and punctuation. It can’t hurt to have another set of eyes review your work.

The admissions departments at Bates and Vassar Colleges have compiled a list of bloopers from their admissions essays, including the following:

•       “If there is one word to describe me, it would be profectionist”
•       “I was abducted into the National Honor Society”
•       “I have never been to New England, but I hear it is a beautiful country”
•       “I want a small liberal in the northeast part of the country”
•       “I’m very excited about watching football games in the fall at Emory”
•       “I function well as an individual and as a group”
•       “I can speak, read, and write fluently in Greek. My other two sports are volleyball and tennis”
•       “I have taken many curses in literature and writing”