College Essay Tips + Writing your Best College Essay | Real Advice from Harvard Admissions

Summary

Andrea, a Harvard psychology student, shares her insights on crafting the perfect college essay. She emphasizes the importance of choosing a unique topic that reflects personal traits, encourages breaking free from traditional essay structures, and advocates for free-form writing to capture one's authentic voice. Andrea also stresses the necessity of multiple drafts and proofreading, suggesting seeking feedback from trusted individuals. She invites prospective students to reach out to the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council for further guidance.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Andrea is a junior at Harvard studying psychology and will guide viewers on writing the college essay.
• 📝 The college essay should be unique and personal, not just a quirky or funny story to fit a stereotype.
• 🚀 The essay topic can be anything, as long as it fits within the 650-word limit and showcases the writer's personality or story.
• 🤔 Andrea suggests asking oneself what makes them happy to write, as this can help identify a strong essay topic.
• 📉 Breaking away from traditional essay structures, like the five-paragraph format, can lead to a more authentic and engaging college essay.
• 💡 Tools like word webs can help brainstorm and organize ideas for the essay in a free-form manner.
• ✍️ It's important to write multiple drafts, starting with rough ones, to refine the essay to its best form.
• 🔍 The essay should reflect the writer's authentic voice and perspective, allowing the admissions office to understand the person behind the application.
• 👀 After drafting, seeking feedback from trusted individuals like teachers, family, or friends is recommended to improve the essay.
• 📑 The final submission should be the writer's own work and something they are proud of, even if it means revising or starting over.
• 🔄 The college essay writing process is iterative, and it's normal to go through several drafts before achieving the final product.
• 📧 For further questions or advice, prospective students can reach out to the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council for guidance and insights.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Andrea?

The main topic of the video is about writing the college essay, focusing on choosing a topic, drafting, and proofreading the essay.

Why is the college essay different from other essays Andrea has written in the past?

The college essay is different because it allows for more freedom in terms of topic choice and structure, and it does not adhere to the traditional five-paragraph essay format.

What is the 650-word limit imposed on the college essay?

The 650-word limit is a restriction set by the college application for the length of the essay, requiring students to be concise and focused in their writing.

What is Andrea's advice on choosing a topic for the college essay?

Andrea suggests choosing a topic that is a specific story or trait about oneself that one is proud of and enjoys writing about, as it will make the essay more authentic and engaging.

What is the significance of writing bad drafts first according to Andrea?

Writing bad drafts first is significant because it allows the writer to get their ideas down and then refine and improve upon them, leading to a better final product.

Why is it important for the college essay to sound authentic?

It is important for the college essay to sound authentic because it helps the admissions officer understand the student's personality, voice, and unique perspective on the world.

What is the role of structure in writing the college essay draft?

The role of structure is to guide the writer in organizing their thoughts and ideas in a coherent manner, while still allowing for a more free-form approach than traditional essays.

What tools does Andrea suggest for encouraging free-form writing?

Andrea suggests using tools like word webs to free associate ideas related to the topic, and writing down all potential ideas to reference and revise later.

What does Andrea recommend for proofreading and submitting the college essay?

Andrea recommends asking a trusted person for feedback and advice, ensuring the submitted work is the student's own, and being open to revising and improving the essay through an iterative process.

How can prospective students get more advice on the college application essay or process?

Prospective students can reach out to the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council through their website for advice and to hear about the experiences of current students.

What is the final piece of advice Andrea gives to viewers regarding the college application process?

Andrea's final piece of advice is to engage with the content, ask questions, and not hesitate to reach out to the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council for more information and support.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to College Essay Writing

Andrea, a junior at Harvard studying psychology, introduces the topic of writing the college essay. She reflects on her own struggles with starting her essay, the challenge of creating a unique and compelling narrative within the 650-word limit, and the importance of choosing a topic that genuinely excites her. The video aims to guide viewers on selecting a topic, crafting a draft, and ultimately submitting a personal and authentic essay to college admissions.

🎯 Choosing Your College Essay Topic

This section delves into the process of selecting a topic for the college essay. Andrea emphasizes the freedom to write on any subject within the word limit and the significance of choosing a story or trait that showcases the applicant's identity. She suggests asking oneself what makes them happy to write as an indicator of a strong topic. The goal is to narrow down the vast possibilities to a focused narrative that is distinctly personal.

✍️ Drafting the College Essay

Andrea discusses the drafting process, advising to break away from traditional essay structures like the five-paragraph format. She recommends using tools like word webs for brainstorming and encourages getting all ideas down on paper before refining them. She stresses the importance of writing multiple drafts and maintaining an authentic voice throughout the essay to reflect the applicant's personality and worldview.

🔍 Proofreading and Submitting the Essay

The final part of the script covers the proofreading stage, where Andrea recommends seeking feedback from trusted individuals like family, teachers, or friends. She advises ensuring the submitted work is the applicant's own and something they are proud of, acknowledging that the essay writing process is iterative. The college application essay is portrayed as an opportunity for self-reflection and storytelling, with the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council offering support and advice to prospective students.

Keywords

💡College Essay

A college essay is a written piece typically required as part of a university application, allowing the applicant to express their personality, experiences, and aspirations beyond the quantitative data presented in other parts of the application. In the video, Andrea emphasizes the importance of the college essay in showcasing one's unique qualities and experiences to the admissions office, noting the challenge of fitting a meaningful narrative within a 650-word limit.

💡Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, particularly those affecting behavior. Andrea introduces herself as a junior studying psychology at Harvard, which establishes her credibility and personal interest in the subject matter of the video, as well as her understanding of the thought processes involved in crafting a compelling essay.

💡Quirkiness

Quirkiness refers to the quality of being peculiar or unconventional in an endearing or intriguing way. Andrea mentions looking at 'quirky and funny' essays online, indicating that she sought to emulate the unique and engaging qualities she found in those examples, which is a key aspect of standing out in college applications.

💡Structure

In writing, structure refers to the organization of ideas and content within a text. The video script discusses breaking away from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure, suggesting a more free-form approach for the college essay that allows for a more personal and engaging narrative, as opposed to a rigid format.

💡Word Limit

A word limit is a restriction on the number of words allowed in a piece of writing. The script mentions the 650-word limit imposed by the college application, which is a critical constraint that requires applicants to be concise and thoughtful in their storytelling.

💡Draft

A draft is a preliminary version of a written work, often subject to revision. Andrea talks about the process of writing drafts as an essential part of creating a college essay, emphasizing that it's okay to start with a 'bad draft' and iteratively improve upon it.

💡Voice

In writing, 'voice' refers to the unique style or personality that an author conveys through their work. The script stresses the importance of maintaining an authentic voice in the essay, so that the admissions officer can get a sense of the applicant's character and perspective on the world.

💡Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of checking a written work to detect and correct errors in grammar, spelling, and style. The video script advises seeking an extra set of eyes for proofreading the essay, highlighting the importance of refining the work to ensure it is the applicant's best representation.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine or true to oneself. Throughout the script, Andrea emphasizes the need for the college essay to reflect the applicant's true experiences and personality, as this authenticity is what will resonate with the admissions office.

💡Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council

The Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council is presumably a group of current students at Harvard who provide guidance and advice to prospective students. The script mentions this council as a resource for additional questions or advice on the college application process, indicating a support system for applicants.

Highlights

Andrea, a junior at Harvard studying psychology, shares her insights on writing the college essay.

The college essay should be unique, quirky, and reflect the student's personality.

The challenge of starting the essay and finding the path to the desired end.

Choosing a topic is crucial; it should be something that fits within the 650-word limit and is personally significant.

Asking oneself what makes them happy to write can help in selecting an essay topic.

The importance of narrowing down the vast possibilities to a focused essay within the word limit.

Breaking away from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure for a more free-form approach.

Using tools like word webs to encourage free-form writing and brainstorming.

The necessity of writing bad drafts before achieving a good one.

The essay should sound authentic and reflect the student's voice and perspective on the world.

The iterative process of proofreading and seeking feedback from trusted individuals.

The recommendation to ask for advice or feedback on the essay from parents, teachers, or friends.

The importance of submitting work that is truly one's own and of which the student is proud.

The college application essay as an opportunity for self-reflection and providing an authentic story.

Encouragement to reach out to the Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council for further advice.

The Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Council is composed of current students eager to share their experiences.

An invitation for prospective students to engage with the council for insights into the application process and life at Harvard.

A light-hearted reminder to like and subscribe, embodying the spirit of a YouTuber.

Transcripts

Hi, everyone.

My name is Andrea, and I'm currently a junior

at Harvard studying psychology.

And today we'll be talking about writing the college essay.

So when I was writing my college essay,

I remember looking online and seeing

all these picture-perfect essays that were quirky and funny,

and they sound really smart, and all these really amazing

characteristics.

And I was like, OK, I want my essay like that.

The issue, however, is that I just

didn't know how to get there.

I knew where I wanted to end, but I

didn't know how to start or any of the path in between.

And so, hopefully, that's what we're

going to be helping you address in this video today.

Part one, choosing your topic.

So unlike an essay that you might have written in the past,

the college essay is a little bit different

in that you can write about quite literally anything

as long as it fits into the 650 word limit

that the college application imposes.

This means that it's up to you to really figure out,

is there a specific story that you want to tell?

Is there a specific trait about yourself

that you want to make sure that you show to the admissions

office?

What is it exactly that you're trying to get across?

A really critical question that you can start asking yourself

is, what makes you happy to write?

If there's a story or a quality or trait

that you think that you can really

talk about that makes you really proud and really

happy to write, that means that is probably a really good sign

that this is something that the admissions office should

see about you.

And so once you start getting into this general realm,

then there's this feeling of like,

OK, now there's so much that I could write about.

How do you really focus it back down to the 650 word limit,

and make sure that again, at the end of the day,

this is very uniquely your own essay?

Part two, writing the draft.

So once you figure out what it is that you want to say,

the question is, how do you actually go about writing it?

A big thing that you're going to have to think about

is structure.

So unlike things that you may have written for class before,

you really want to try to break out

of that five-paragraph essay structure, where you have

the introduction, the conclusion,

and three-body paragraphs that match one-to-one

with your thesis.

In this case, you want to be a little bit more free form

And to help encourage a sort of free-form writing,

there are a bunch of different tools, including,

but definitely not limited to things like, word webs,

where you start with one word and sort of just free associate

a bunch of different ideas of words that are really like,

in any way, just related to the word that you or the topic

that you have in hand.

Another thing that you could possibly do,

which is something that I actually

had chosen to do myself, is essentially just get down

all the ideas that I could potentially

have about this idea or this topic

onto paper, just so that I could come back later

and reference it again and potentially reiterate

and maybe even revise it to the point

where it'd be good enough to actually submit.

Something that I have always really stressed

when I'm thinking about these sort of essays

is that you have to write the bad drafts first before you

can get to anything good.

Everything that's online, for example, none of those

started out the way that they are,

when you see them online as the accepted essays, blah, blah,

blah.

So another thing that you want to think about

is just your voice.

You just want to make sure that your essay sounds really

authentic to who you are, that this is a story that you

can only tell in your way.

Your admissions officer should be

able to tell what kind of person you are

and how you like to approach the world in a greater sense.

Part three, proofreading and submitting.

Now that you've done your draft, you might be at a point

where you just need an extra set of eyes on it.

And so something that we always recommend people do

is to ask someone that they trust

to take a look at your essay and offer any advice or feedback

that they might have.

So this could be a parent.

This could be a teacher, a sibling, or a friend, anyone

that you think would be able to offer you

honest feedback on what you've written and hopes

of making it better.

That being said, you want to make sure

that what you're submitting to the admissions office

is your own work, and it's something

that you're really proud of.

And if that means scrapping your first draft

or your first essay, that's also completely OK.

This is meant to be an iterative process.

And, again, no one is going to get there

to the final product within a moment

or within just one draft.

At the end of the day, the application essay

is an opportunity for you to reflect on yourself

and provide an authentic story to the admissions office.

If you follow these steps, you'll

be well on your way to perfecting your college

application essay.

If you have any other questions, or want any more advice

on the college application essay or around the college

application, in general, we highly

encourage you to reach out to us at the Harvard Undergraduate

Admissions Council on our website, which

you can find at the link below.

We at the Undergraduate Admissions Council

are made up entirely of current students,

and we love talking to prospective students

both about our own application processes, why

we chose Harvard, and then also our experiences here.

So if you have any questions at all, please, please

feel free to reach out.

And we're so excited to hear from you.

Thank you for watching.

Good luck with your application and make

sure to like and subscribe.

I feel like such a YouTuber this is really exciting.

You're not a true YouTuber until you tell

them to smash the Like button.

Oh, yeah, yeah, you're right, you're right.

Smash the Like button.