3 Common College Essay Mistakes To Avoid

3 Common College Essay Mistakes To Avoid The reasons why you should go to college go beyond getting a solid education. That’s because the opportunities available inside and outside the classroom will help you take the important next steps into adulthood and your future career. CFNC.org has great tools to help parents and students explore college options. There are also resources to help you apply and pay for higher education. Let us help you figure out how to get the college, now that you understand why you should go to college. You don’t have to know the answer to that question before going to college. Most schools don’t require a student to declare a major until the end of their sophomore year. That gives you two whole years to work on general courses and explore different majors. If you’re interested in psychology, take a couple of classes to see if it’s right for you. They know you best, sometimes more than you know yourself so they may have good suggestions. However, you do want the essays to sound like you; it should be your voice. There should be some consistency between the essays and interviews. But for the most part, it’s better to avoid subjects that could reflect poorly on your judgment and morals. After all, you don’t want colleges to think you’re someone they’d rather not have on campus. If you do write about someone who influenced your life, make sure that you only briefly describe them. Spend most of the essay focusing on yourself and how your personality or choices have been shaped because of this person. In some cases, it depends how you frame the topic. The emphasis must be on “help” and not, “take over.” Parents, with only the best intentions, will often offer lots of input and comments, which their child will gratefully accept. The danger there is that the essay starts sounding more like a forty something adult, instead of a high school senior. There is a certain “voice” that defines a young person about to start college and if it is lacking in an essay, Admissions Directors will quickly pick it up. But resist the urge to rewrite everything in the way you might express it. If your essay is filled with lies and exaggerations, then you’ve missed the point entirely. It’s possible that college admissions officers may suspect you’re lying, which is a poor reflection on your ethics and morals. Even if they don’t suspect you’re lying, you’ve missed your chance to showcase the real reasons that you’re a good fit for this school. Sometimes, applicants write about obstacles they’ve overcome or illicit/illegal topics including arrest, sexual experiences, drugs, and alcohol. In a few cases, these topics have been addressed effectively. For instance, if church was a major part of your upbringing and is very meaningful to you, you could mention this aspect of your identity in a college application essay. However, it’s important to do so without implying that your religion is better than others or attacking people who don’t practice your religion. College application essays are often the most challenging part of the application process. And while they may not be the most important part of your application, they can differentiate you from similarly qualified applicants. Some professors will allow you to audit a course, to find out whether you will enjoy that major. You won’t get a grade or credit for auditing a course, it’s just for academic exploration. The unemployment rate for college grads is also about half the jobless rate of high school graduates. Getting a good-paying job is one of the top reasons why most people go to college. Beyond financial rewards, there are other ways college can change your life. College graduates have more earning potential on average than people who only have a high school diploma. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2018, people with a college degree made around $1,198 a week. More than any other element of the application, the essay gives insight into who a student really is. So it should “sound” like the applicant, revealing personality, interests, quirks, personal style, and voice. Some parents can act as a sounding board without taking over the project, while others cannot. In fact, it’s important to write in your authentic voice and avoid using “fancy” vocabulary just to impress admissions officers. Remember that the purpose of a college admissions essay is to help admissions officers get to know you. However, the key is to edit, not to write them for you. They can help with typos, grammatical errors, and help you to be clear, concise and compelling.