Image courtesy of NDLA.
Julie Williams, a retired history and English teacher from Hillview Middle School, now coaches high school students through writing college essays. For 10 years, Williams volunteered as a Yale alumni interviewer and discovered what many interviewees and applications lack: authenticity.
“I noticed that the most successful applicants were not necessarily the ones with perfect scores or grades. What made the difference in college acceptance was whether those people could show up as authentic, reflective people who were ready for the challenge of college life,” said Williams.
Below are Williams’s three core pointers to prepare students for this year’s college season inspired by the frequent “mistakes” she’s observed as an essay coach:
1. Don’t get stuck in the “comparison channel”
The comparison channel is “that nasty broadcast that tells you how you are never going to be as good as Hotshot So and So,” said Williams. The comparison channel is a quick way to lose confidence in your personal story. Rather than scrolling through social media and comparing your achievements to others, “Tune your dial to your own life, and write your essay from there.”
Although reading other people’s essays can be inspirational, don’t take that purpose to be a blueprint for your essay. Your words depict both your voice and story, so it’s essential to not let other writing impact your style.
2. This is a narrative essay, not literary analysis
The premise of a good college essay is not to use a large vocabulary, but to craft a narrative. “Be patient with yourself, but also wise to the form: you are not proving a thesis. You are writing a nonfiction narrative about some aspect of your life, and reflecting on what you have learned,” said Williams.
The best way to achieve a naturally written narrative is to create a timeline of your achievements and write your essay as if there is no prompt. When free-writing, recall the experiences that you find yourself thinking about the most: this is your brain telling you what is most important to you.
3. Authenticity
“The best essays tell an original, honest story, use an authentic voice, and use strategic details that leave a lasting impression of a thoughtful, reflective young person’s growth,” said Williams.
One of the most impressionable essays Williams has read during her career is a story about her student’s relationship with her father prior to his passing of brain cancer, focusing on a Tolkien book he bought her and how she would read it when she missed him. “The essay was tender, real, and irresistable,” said Williams.
The goal of an authentic essay is to capture experiences outside of the classroom and highlight what the transcript cannot display. “You don’t need to be class president. You need to be real,” said Williams.
WIlliams can be reached at [email protected].
