College Essay Myth #3

College Essay Myth #3 When I was eight, my younger brother Fernando’s birth complicated things even further. As my step-dad slipped away, my mom continued working, and Fernando’s care was left to Jose and me. I cooked, Jose cleaned, I dressed Fernando, Jose put him to bed. This is a great way to figure out the “bones” (i.e. structure) of your essay. A rectangular black and red sticker displaying the theme of the 2017 event. Take special care to complete the Feelings and Needs Exercise, as it will help you outline your essay. Say you’re interested in becoming a doctor but you’re applying to a medical program with a supplemental prompt asking why you want to become a doctor. If you want to avoid repetition, you might not explicitly mention becoming a doctor at the end of your personal statement. You may also choose to write about the struggles you’ve faced without getting into all the details. Saying, for example, that you experienced verbal abuse from your father, for example, may be enough; you don’t necessarily need to share the specifics. Living without a father meant money was tight, mom worked two jobs, and my brother and I took care of each other when she worked. For a brief period of time the quality of our lives slowly started to improve as our soon-to-be step-dad became an integral part of our family. He paid attention to the needs of my mom, my brother, and me. But our prosperity was short-lived as my step dad’s chronic alcoholism became more and more recurrent. For years I’ve been interested in the street artists and musicians in downtown Austin who are so unapologetically themselves. As a result, I’ve become more open-minded and appreciative of unconventional lifestyles. TED gives me the opportunity to help other youth understand new perspectives, by exposing them to the diversity of Austin where culture is created, not just consumed. Once you’ve written down your qualities, examples, and at least 1-2 insights, try outlining your essay. For this essay type, I recommend the Montage Structure. A montage is, simply put, a series of moments or story events connected by a common thematic thread. Complete the brainstorming exercises, as these will help no matter which structure you choose. The Type D essay section delves more deeply into other ways of weaving thematic threads. Well-known examples from movies include the “training” montages from Mulan, Rocky, or Footloose, or the “falling in love” montage from most romantic comedies. In just a few minutes, we learn the entire history of Carl and Ellie’s relationship. One purpose is to communicate a lot of information fast. Another is to allow you to share a lot of different kinds of information, as the example essay below shows. I never fully escaped war; it’s evident in the chills that run down my spine whenever an untimely call reaches us from family members in Pakistan and in the funerals still playing on Geo News. But I’m working towards a war-free life, internally and externally, for me and the individuals who can share in my experiences, for my family, and for the forgotten Pashtun tribes from which I hail. War has taught me to recognize the power of representation, to find courage in vulnerability, and best of all, to celebrate humor. Within a few weeks, my panel and interview were accessible worldwide, watched by my peers in school, and family thousands of miles away in Pakistan. Although the idea of being so vulnerable initially made me nervous, I soon realized that this vulnerability was essential to my growth. For the Type A essay, give us a sense of your vision, even if you don’t name your precise career. In The Birth of Sher Khan essay above, for example, you can track both. To keep things simple, one example and one insight per paragraph. Help the reader understand which experiences have shaped the qualities you’ve listed. First, it’ll make for a much more interesting story; second, it’ll show that you’ve truly developed these qualities. Ask three people in this profession what unexpected qualities, values, or skills prepared them for their careers. Please don’t simply use their answers as your own; allow their replies to inspire your brainstorming process. Go to a college's website and click on a major or group of majors that interest you. Sometimes they’ll briefly summarize a major in terms of what skills it will impart or what jobs it might lead to. Students are often surprised to discover how broadly major-related skills can apply. But if you choose this path, you’ll likely need to use either an uncommon structure or next-level craft to create a stand-out essay. A montage essay can come together in many different ways. For the purposes of this section, your future goal or career is the theme that connects all the parts of your story.