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Common Essay 究竟要怎麼寫？題目背後所探討的又是什麼？

以下由編譯老師 Colum 帶同學們一探究竟

大學入學 Common Essay 寫作重點 / Common Essay Writing Tips

By Colum Bowyer, Sep 21, 2018

The Common Application essays are designed to grant admissions committee members a more personal, in-depth understanding of you as an individual. The common essay is not a resume nor is it a list of activities and accomplishments. It’s important to keep this in mind as you decide which questions to answer and which topics to write about. Common essay prompts are designed to be general and broad – meaning you can write about almost any topic and make it fit the prompt. However, pay careful attention to what each question is asking and tailor your essay to the prompt. Each prompt asks for two things: first, describe a quality, event, subject, relationship, etc. that is important to you. Second, present a thorough, logical explanation of the significance of this experience, person, skill, etc. and any resulting character development or lessons you learned. If, for example, you are writing about a memorable family vacation, your goal should be to demonstrate the impact it had on you, either what you learned or how you changed as a person. You should write about traits or qualities that you want to highlight to the admissions committee.

First and foremost, as obvious as it sounds, choose a topic of personal importance. You should write about something you genuinely care about. It’s much more difficult to write about a topic you aren’t personally invested in. However, write about a topic that is accessible to a range of institutions. For example, if you are applying to an engineering program at one school and for a liberal arts program at a different school, write an essay that is suitable for both. That means you want to write about a more general topic and avoid geeking out too much about your favorite subject – however, and this is important, avoid, at all costs, writing about a generic or broad topic. Instead, narrow your focus. Essays that tell about a specific event are stronger for a couple of reasons. For one, your essay is far more original and unique if you can speak to a specific instance and include vivid detail. Although plenty of people have failed a test or forgotten their lines during the school play, no two people have had the same experience in these scenarios. Furthermore, when you select a narrow topic, it is much easier to use interesting and dynamic language and paint a clear picture. This makes your essay interesting and memorable.

When writing your essay, remember that you do not have to follow the traditional, five-paragraph essay model. Showcase your creativity by using dialogue and including rich descriptions. There is a lot of freedom when writing these essays, so don’t limit yourself to a stuffy, homework-style of writing. Remember, “show, don’t tell”: allow the reader to experience your essay through action, thoughts, senses, and feelings rather than relying on exposition, summarization, and description. However, your essay must be logically organized, and one idea should smoothly flow to the next. Establish major points in the story arc and demonstrate cause and effect. Finally, use the active voice. Rather than saying, “The car was driven by Alex,” try, “Alex drove the car.” Using active voice rather than passive voice lends to clarity and brevity, which can be especially useful when you have a tight word limit. Speaking of word limits – if the limit is 650, do not see this number as a goal! Do not be tempted to add in unnecessary information to increase your word count.

While writing Common Application essays can be daunting, think of it as a great opportunity to showcase experiences or skills that make you a unique individual. Do your best to write an entertaining essay, one that is memorable, charming, and reflects your personality and style.