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The competition to get into your college of choice has never been fiercer. Unfortunately, much of the application process is out of your hands. But one major aspect of the admission process is under your control--your personal statement. Your application essay provides you with the opportunity to let your true, unique and totally irresistible self shine through. College Admission Essays For Dummies is your total guide to crafting application essays that will make people sit up and take notice. It demystifies the authority figures who'll judge your work, helps you decide what to write, and then arms you with the knowledge and skills you need to write your essay on time and on target. Step by step, it walks you through the entire essay-writing process, offering priceless tips on how to: * Choose the best topic, tone, and structure for your essay * Capture the crucial stories that reveal who you are * Avoid common pitfalls that can sabotage your application * Overcome writer's block * Know how to respond to unusual and off-the-wall essay questions * Write successful short answers to specific application questions College admission guru Geraldine Woods punctures common myths about application essays and tells you what you absolutely must do to write a good one. With the help of many inspiring and instructive killer essays, she shows you how to: * Put yourself in the right mental state for writing well * Gather ideas, focus on a topic and choose the best structure for your essay * Use topic sentences, detail, and strong introductions and conclusions * Write a rough draft * Show rather than tell your story * Make sure your spelling and grammar are pitch perfect * Create smooth transitions and avoid repetitions Your college application essay is your chance to show the committee that you're more than just a statistic. Let College Admission Essays For Dummies show you how to write "admit-clinching" college essays.
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Seitenzahl: 488
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011
by Geraldine Woods
College Admission Essays For Dummies®
Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2003 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8700. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4447, or e-mail permcoordinator@wiley.com
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LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2002114847
ISBN: 0-7645-5482-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Geraldine Woods teaches English and directs the independent study program at a high school for gifted students. Throughout her thirty-year teaching career, she has guided a multitude of harried and anxious seniors through the process of writing successful college admission essays. She has written 40 books, give or take a few, including English Grammar For Dummies, and Research Papers For Dummies. She loves bookstores and libraries, minor-league baseball, Chinese food, and the novels of Jane Austen. The mother of a grown son (Tom, a lawyer), she lives in New York City with Harry (her husband of 30 years) and parakeets Alice and Archie.
For T. and K., beginning their adventure; and for H., continuing ours.
My sincere thanks to Stephen Singer, a college counselor whose encyclopedic knowledge of higher education is exceeded only by the generosity with which he shares his time and wisdom. I am also grateful to Tom Katzenbach and Barbara Tischler for their helpful advice, to Linda Brandon for her diligent editing, to Pam Mourouzis for her insight during the outlining stage of this book, to Turner O’Neal for his useful comments, and to Lisa Queen for her support. I am exceedingly grateful to the applicants who cheered me on and allowed me to include their essays in this book: Kristina Bennard, Ruthie Birger, Jordyn Cosme, Lindsay Danas, Shanah Einzig, Marc Philippe Eskinazi, Leonard Fishman, Danielle Ginach, Robert Gould, Horace Andrew Patterson, Justin Pattner, Mark Sanger, and Wontaek Shin.
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Linda Brandon
Acquisitions Editor: Pam Mourouzis
Copy Editor: Linda Brandon
Technical Editor: Turner O’Neal
Editorial Supervisor: Michelle Hacker
Cartoons: Rich Tennant, www.the5thwave.com
Production
Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees
Layout and Graphics: Amanda Carter, Stephanie D. Jumper, Michael Kruzil, Jackie Nicholas, Barry Offringa, Scott Tullis
Proofreaders: John Greenough, TECHBOOKS Production Services
Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services
Special Help
Michelle Hacker
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Brice Gosnell, Publishing Director, Travel
Suzanne Jannetta, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
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Title
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Putting Yourself on Paper
Chapter 1: Becoming More Than a Statistic: What the Essay Does for You
Painting a Portrait of You, the Applicant
Understanding Your Audience: The Admissions Officers
Timing Is Everything
Writing Admission Essays While Having a Life
Concentrating on Process, Not Product
Keeping Perspective
Chapter 2: Exploring the Subject of the Essay — Yourself
Mining Your Life
Collecting the Stories of Your Life
Getting Personal with Impersonal Questions
Identifying Themes in Your Autobiography
But Enough about Me: Overcoming the Taboo against Bragging
Chapter 3: Writing for the Tired, the Poor (The Admissions Office)
Meeting Your Readers: The Admissions Committee
Keeping Their Attention When Yours Is the 9000th Essay They’ve Read Today
Avoiding Writing Traits Guaranteed to Annoy the Admissions Committee
Writing What They Do Want to Read
Chapter 4: Keeping It Legal
Buying an Essay on the Internet and Other Things to Avoid
Finding the Right Sort of Help
Dealing with Parental Interference Assistance
Noting a Few Words about Plagiarism
Locating Help When You’re On Your Own
Part II : Getting Your Head Ready for Writing
Chapter 5: Writing as Process, Not Product
Writing with Process, Not Product, in Mind
Separating Your Inner Creator and Editor
Pre-Writing: The First Steps
Drafting: Not Just for the Army Anymore
Taking the Final Steps
Chapter 6: Storming Your Brain: Idea Gathering Techniques
You Can’t Build a Castle Until You Dump the Blocks
Matching Personality and Technique
Gathering Ideas: The Techniques
Reacting to a Specific Question
Chapter 7: Building a Structure to Support Your Ideas
Structuring Your Meaning
Meeting the Major Players in the Structure Game
Structuring the Career Essay
Chapter 8: Putting It All In Order: Creating an Outline
Outlining: The Logical Choice
Putting Your Thoughts in Order
Checking for Gaps
Staying Flexible
Taking the Final, Pre-Write Check
Part III : Writing the Rough Draft
Chapter 9: Showing, Not Telling Your Story
Getting Down to Specifics
Using All Your Senses
Choosing the Best Details and Ignoring the Rest
Selecting Strong Verbs and Nouns
A Little Metaphor Won’t Kill You
Chapter 10: Constructing Good Paragraphs
Punctuating Your Points with Paragraphs
Creating a Strong Topic Sentence
Placing Topic Sentences and Details
Setting Up a Transition
Chapter 11: Leading with Your Best Shot
Taking the Right First Step: What the Lead Does for Your Essay
Capturing the Reader’s Attention
Setting the Right Tone
Orienting the Reader
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Chapter 12: Going Out with a Bang: The Conclusion
Repeating Yourself and Other Non-Answers to the Conclusion Question
Concluding the Essay with Class
Chapter 13: Overcoming Writer’s Block
Understanding Your Block
Confronting Your Application Anxieties
Leaping Over Writing-Related Blocks
Part IV : I’d Like to Finish before Retirement Age: The Final Draft
Chapter 14: Making a List and Checking It Twice: Grammar and Spelling
Getting the Grammar Right the Second Time Around
Spelling It Rihgt Right
Deciding When to Break the Rules
Chapter 15: Smoothing the Rough Edges: Polishing the Essay
Picking the Best Words
Creating Stylish Sentences
Saying It Once and Only Once
Chapter 16: Leaving a Good Impression
Getting Your Point Across
Verifying That You’ve Answered the Question
Sounding Strong and Mature
The Top Ten Reasons Why Lists Are a Bad Idea
Checking the Essay One Last Time
Chapter 17: Final Answers: The Last Word on Format
Reading the Directions
Cutting to Fit and Lengthening to Suit: Hitting the Word Count Target
Dealing with Paper Forms
Applying Online
Faxing, Express-Mailing, and Other Panic Options
Part V : Analyzing Questions from Real Applications
Chapter 18: Composing Essays Starring You
And Then I Took the Oath of Office: Relating a Personal Experience
Explaining Your A+ in Recess and Other Academic Experiences
Envisioning the Future: When I Retire at 20, I Will . . .
Daydreaming Your Way into College
“Desperate” and Other Descriptions
Chapter 19: Describing Significant Strangers and Friends: Essays About Other People
Defining Others’ Influence: You Are Who You Know
Writing about Friends and Relatives
Relating Strangers’ Lives to Your Own
Entering the Fictional Universe
Chapter 20: Responding to Essay Questions in the Subject Areas
We Really Wanted to Teach English: Answering Literature and Writing Questions
We Stare into Space a Lot: Responding to Philosophy and Science Topics
We’re Paint-Stained but Happy: Expounding on Artistic Topics
We Love Timelines: Discussing Historical or Current Events
Chapter 21: Getting the Most Out of Short Answers
Saying a Lot in Little Spaces
Answering the Most Common Short-Answer Questions
Lassoing the Mavericks: Responding to Unusual Short-Answer Questions
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Ten Myths About the College Essay
Writing Style Doesn’t Matter
Finding the Right Topic Is No Big Deal
Focusing on a Certain Topic Guarantees Admission
Discussing Any Topic Is Okay
Following Instructions Isn’t Important
Talking about Ordinary Lives Is a No-no
Using Scholarly Language Is Impressive
Writing One Essay Is Enough
Seeking Help from Lots of People Is a Good Idea
Formatting Your Essay into the Standard Five Paragraphs Does the Trick
Chapter 23: Ten Great Essays to Inspire You
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Of Studies” by Francis Bacon
“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan
“The Search for Marvin Gardens” by John McPhee
“The Solace of Open Spaces” by Gretel Erhlich
“The Lives of a Cell” by Lewis Thomas
“Eastern Middle School” by Thomas Friedman
“The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” by Langston Hughes
“On Lying in Bed” by G.K. Chesterton
“On Keeping a Notebook” by Joan Didion
Chapter 24: Ten Absolute Musts for College Essays
Keeping It Real
Answering the Question
Following Directions
Being Specific
Getting Personal
Expanding the Basics
Holding Their Interest
Meeting the Deadline
Going Easy on the Eyes
Using Good Grammar
Appendix: Personal Inventory
Family Ties
School days
Community
The Future
Identity
People
The No-Category Category
“F irst class?”
“Yes, definitely definitely yes.”
The postal clerk prints a label, stamps the thick envelope, and tosses it into a bin. As the envelope lands on its side, one corner folds back. The customer winces, looks away, and then looks again. “Excuse me, you wrinkled my envelope.”
No, the postal clerk doesn’t describe the many machines the envelope will pass through before it arrives at its destination. Nor does he point out all that can go wrong with this particular letter, including jammed gears and misplaced mailbags. Instead, he glances at the address and smiles sympathetically. “College application?” he asks, gently repositioning the envelope on top of the pile.
When you send that all-important application to a college, grad school, or scholarship committee, you probably won’t ask the post office to deliver your envelope without wrinkles, as one of my students did. But I bet you sympathize with her panic! These days more and more applicants vie for the same number of slots at top schools. Yet much of the application process — from the way the post office delivers the mail to the way the application is viewed — is outof your hands. You can’t, for instance, predict how your qualifications mesh with the needs of your preferred university. If you’re a tuba player and the college orchestra is desperate for bassoonists, you may be out of luck when acceptance letters are sent out. And by the time you’re filling in little blanks on the application form with a list of your courses and activities, you can’t do much to improve your school record.
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!
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