My students grappled with some tough topics in their college application essays this year, often centering around timeless themes of love, death and money – and lighter topics such as late-night Taco Bell runs with friends and their favorite playlists.
Their writing helped to launch them into prestigious undergraduate and master’s programs in systems engineering, cybersecurity, nursing, sports psychology, technical theatre, and animation arts at schools ranging from Cornell to the University of Michigan. Several earned significant scholarships, teaching assistantships, and admission into selective majors.
I’ve asked them to give their best advice to students just diving into college essay writing this summer. Here are their thoughts:
• Remember to express humility. Don’t come across as cocky or arrogant.
• Be a storyteller.
• Don’t be a fake.
• Write the truth, not what you think they want to hear.
• With AI, put in a prompt and then ignore it. Try a different direction to keep it real.
• Adjectives and adverbs cause cancer. Verbs are more impactful.
• No moment is insignificant when it comes to telling your story. Little moments set you apart from others.
• Use an abundance of specific details.
• You have a tiny window to grab the audience’s attention. Make your first sentence count.
• You don’t have to go in chronological order to tell a story.
• Think like a movie director. Set scenes to engage the reader.
• Be concise—less really is more.
• Chew gum when writing!
(Anita’s note: some research shows that chewing gum can increase focus and reduce anxiety. My students swear by it. But make sure it’s sugarless!)
Anita's Way 
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