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Brody's Guide to the College Admissions Essay
Brody's Guide to the College Admissions Essay is available at bookstores and at online retailers such as Amazon.com. The book was written by a college counselor and writer who has appeared on national television to discuss admissions-related issues, and a dean of law school admissions at a major university. It has been used in high schools and in after-school programs.
For those students who would benefit from professional help with their college admissions essays, we recommend EssayEdge.com, which has been praised by the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Lessons to take away from this essay:
1. It’s possible to write about experiences with those less fortunate than you without sounding self-important or condescending.
The author of this essay comes across as relatively humble, and seems to have truly appreciated the lessons he learned from his co-workers such as Jose and Manuel. However, far more common are essays that reveal the author to be condescending or overly proud of his or her relatively small contribution to the plight of the homeless, disabled, or otherwise less fortunate.
Especially for those who have led a privileged childhood and adolescence, it’s sometimes hard to recognize how skeptical others might be of your reflections on society (and rightfully so—it’s not until you head out into the world that you’ll really know what it’s all about). Write about what you learned, and what it meant to you, and how it felt to be a part of a positive experience. But don’t let admissions committee members think that you just put in a few hours of community service to bolster your resume, and that you naively think the world is noticeably better for it.
2. Those with “cultural diversity” should consider exploiting that advantage on their applications.
This lesson doesn’t apply to everyone. But if it’s relevant to you, you’ll want to pay attention.
Colleges want to admit students with different life experiences. One of the most common and identifiable ways for a high school senior to have such experiences is to have a particular cultural or ethnic background.
When you tell a story about immigrating to America, or growing up among immigrants, it adds an extra dimension to your application. Not only do admissions officers often assume that you overcame some difficulties (such as poverty, language issues, or a tricky home situation) in getting to where you are today, but they’ll also assume that you’ll have something to teach your classmates about your culture, heritage, different worldview, or immigrant experience. This puts you at a unique advantage in comparison with other applicants.
3. You don’t need to write about earth-shattering accomplishments.
While we encourage you to write about something impressive, it’s not necessary for you to have performed surgery, rescued a drowning man, or won a national tennis tournament. “Regular” people get admitted into all types of schools (even Harvard), and these people simply write about experiences that provide a window into who they are.
The above essay is about nothing more significant than a low-paying summer job. But the author demonstrates not only that he was able to get something valuable from his experience, but also that he is someone who learns from his world, is appreciative of what he has been given, and will likely make good use of educational opportunities.
This applicant could have easily complained that he had “nothing to write about.” Instead, he took an opportunity that would sound mundane to some, and wrote about it in an interesting and affecting way.
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