Yo, I'm kinda lost when it comes to the format of college admission essays. Can you guys share some format examples that worked for you? I want to make sure it's easy to read and well-structured. Thanks in advance!
Hey! A well-structured essay is crucial for showcasing your unique story to the admissions committee. Here are three common formats that can bring clarity and organization to your essay:
1. Narrative format: This format involves telling a story from start to finish. It's effective for conveying personal growth and evoking emotion. You can start with a hook (an intriguing opening line), establish the setting and characters, build rising action, reach a climax (the turning point), and conclude with a resolution that emphasizes the lessons learned or personal growth achieved.
Example: Start with an anecdote of a personal challenge (hook), explain the background context, detail how you tackled that challenge, narrate the turning point, and conclude with what you learned and how you've grown from that experience.
2. Montage format: This approach uses connected vignettes or scenes to represent different aspects of your life, values, or personality. It can be a great opportunity to flex your creative muscles, as you weave these seemingly unrelated moments together to create a coherent theme or message. The connection could be a repeated phrase, running metaphor, or central idea.
Example: Share snapshots of moments when you exercised empathy and compassion, by highlighting different situations, people, and lessons learned. Tie them together using a recurring phrase or shared theme (e.g., "In each encounter, I found that...").
3. Compare-and-contrast format: This structure allows you to highlight a shift in your perspective, values, or interests by comparing two different time periods, viewpoints, or experiences. This format can showcase personal growth or a pivotal moment when you changed your mindset.
Example: Compare your previous disinterest in a subject (like environmental issues) with your current passion for it. Discuss what triggered the change, how you became involved in related initiatives, and the impact it has had on your life and future goals.
When using any of these formats, remember to maintain a strong voice that reflects your personality and provides insight into who you are. Additionally, ensure you have a clear and concise thesis or central idea that's easy to follow.
If you want specific examples of full essays, which utilize a range of different structures, you can check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/common-app-essay-examples. These essays were written by real students, and the post also contains analysis of what they did well, as well as suggestions for any elements that could have been even stronger.
Good luck with your essay and the admissions process!
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