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First, please complete our
Brainstorming Worksheet. The
worksheet is a .PDF file and requires
the
free Adobe Acrobat viewer. If you do
not yet have the free viewer, please
click here to download it.
After Completing
the Worksheet...
You should
now have a large number of potential
essay topics. The next step is to narrow
this list down to the topics that are
most suited to an admissions essay. For
each topic, answer the following
questions. Some of your ideas may reveal
themselves as dull, while others will
yield plenty to discuss.
For each of the personal characteristics
or skills you have listed, ask:
-
Does it distinguish me from
others I know?
-
How did I develop this
attribute?
For each of the activities you have
listed, ask:
-
What made me join this activity?
-
What made me continue to
contribute to it?
For each event you have listed, ask:
-
Why do I remember this
particular event?
-
Did it change me as a person?
-
How did I react?
-
Was the event a moment of
epiphany, as if my eyes saw
something to which they had
previously been blind?
For each person you have listed, ask:
-
Why have I named this person?
-
Do I aspire to become like this
person?
-
Which of this person's traits do
I admire?
-
Is there something that this
person has said that I will
always remember?
-
Did this person challenge my
views?
For each of your favorites and least
favorites, ask:
-
Why is this a favorite or least
favorite?
-
Has this thing influenced my
life in a meaningful way?
For each failure, ask:
-
What did I learn from this
failure?
-
What good came out of this
failure?
In answering these
questions, you will probably find that
you have a great deal to talk about for
at least five to seven topics. You must
now confront the primary challenge of
the admissions essay: finding the one
topic that will allow you to synthesize
your important personal characteristics
and experiences into a coherent whole
while simultaneously addressing your
desire to attend a specific institution.
While most admissions essays allow great
latitude in topic selection, you must
also be sure to answer the questions
that were asked of you. Leaving a
lasting impression on someone who reads
50 to 100 essays a day will not be easy,
but we have compiled some guidelines to
help you get started. |
