http://collegeapps.about.com/b/2011/12/18/new-sample-college-admissions-essay...

It is important to understand your options when it comes to the Common Application essays.  Below is a discussion of the six essay options.

Option#1:  Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

The key word here is evaluate.  You aren't just describing something, the best essays will explore the complexity of the issue.  When you examine the "impact on you" you need to show the depth of your critical thinking skills.  Introspection, self-awareness and self-analysis are all important here. 

Option #2:  Discuss some issue of personal, local, national or international concern and its importance to you.

Be careful to keep the "importance to you" at the heart of the essay.  It is easy to get off track and start ranting about global warming, abortion, starving children in Somalia.  The admission folks want to discover your character, passions and abilities in the essay, not a political lecture.

Option #3:  Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

A good essay on this topic does more than describe.  Dig deep and analyze.  Remember, a "hero" essay has been used many times before by other students.  Realize the "influence" of this person does not have to be positive. 

Option #4:  Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music science etc) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. 

Be careful with the word describe.  You should really be "analyzing" this character or creative work.  What makes it so powerful and influential?

Option #5:  A range of academic interests, personal perspectives and life experiences adds much to the educational mix.  Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to this diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

Realize that this question defines "diversity" in very broad terms.  It's not specifically about race or ethnicity (although it can be).  How do you contribute to the richness and breadth of the diversity of the campus community?

Option #6:  Topic of your choice.

Sometimes you have a story to share that doesn't quite fit into any of the options above.  However, the first five topics are quite broad with a lot of flexibility, so make certain your topic really can't be identified with any of them.  Do not use this to write a comedy routine or poem.  Essays written for this prompt still need to have substance and tell the reader something about you.  You can submit other interesting writing pieces under "additional info" in the application. 

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Excerpted from About.com, written by Allen Grove

Your student is about to write one of the most important essays of her life.  Don't panic.  A great college admissions essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of your student to the admissions staff.  It will round out the rest of the application and help your student stand out from the rest of the applicants. 

In order to stand out from the crowd, the essay must elicit an emotional response from the reader.  The focus of the essay should be narrow and personal, authentic, not superficial.  The essay must prove a point or thesis.  The reader should be able to find the main idea and follow it from beginning to end. It should be developed with vivid and specific facts, events, quotations, examples, and reasons.  The student should write as she speaks and use a relaxed conversational style. 

Be original.  Too many essays use the same tired themes.  Remember, what bores the writer will generally bore others.  Show genuine enthusiasm.  The student should pick a topic that genuinely excites her.  The enthusiasm will show through.  The writing will be invigorating and the reader will enjoy reading the essay.

Create some mystery. The introduction that surprises the readers and makes them want to read past the first paragraph will grab attention and help the essay stand out from the crowd.

Use stimulating action verbs.  They make the essay much more lively than passive voice, which comes across as cold and detached.  Use short sentences and simple words. Use simpler, concise language.  The student want the readers to understand the essay.  Using obscure terms needlessly, will not impress. Vary sentence structure.  Intermingle long sentences with shorter sentences to keep the reader from getting bored.

Avoid acronyms and abbreviations.  They have no place in your essay.  For example, use "and others" instead of "et al.," "California" instead of "CA." Avoid using exclamation points and parentheses.  Avoid asking questions or setting off words and phrases with quotation marks.  Avoid gimmicks.  Don't use puns, definitions, famous quotations, flowery descriptions, or overdone wordplay to get the point across.  Avoid controversy.  Avoid offensive tone or language.  Avoid sexist language.  Substitute asexual words for sexist words.  For example, use "chairperson" instead of "chairman" and "pioneers" instead of "founding fathers".

Be careful using humor.  It's more important to tell an interesting story and let any humor be inherent.  Write tight.  Choose nouns and verbs that are as specific as possible.  Use as few words as possible. 

Revise until it is perfect.  The essay will go through several drafts before it is ready.  Keep in mind that the essay must be more than interesting--it must be captivating.  Let the enthusiasm show through.  Adhere to the word limit. 500 word limit does not mean 600 words is okay. Proofread.  Don't rely solely on the computer's spell check. 

Show the essay to someone who can be objective.  To produce the best possible essay, the student needs a good editor. Use someone who knows English well but can also give the writer constructive feedback on how the message is coming across. 

Writing a successful college admissions essay is not a simple task.  Your student should plan on spending a lot of time writing, reviewing, and polishing so that it is just right.  With perseverance, your student will end up with an outstanding essay that will capture the reader's attention, reach an emotional conclusion about the student, and get that letter of acceptance.  

This blog is based on excerpts from "Tips for Writing Your College Admission Essay" by Gregory Lloyd and The College Application Essay by Sarah Myers McGinty.