Description
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1
Part 1: Putting Yourself on Paper 5
Chapter 1: Becoming More Than a Statistic: What the Essay Does for You 7
Chapter 2: Exploring the Subject of the Essay — You 21
Chapter 3: Beginning to Self-Reflect 33
Part 2: Organizing Your Thoughts 47
Chapter 4: Writing as Process, Not Product 49
Chapter 5: Storming Your Brain: Idea-Gathering Techniques 59
Chapter 6: Steering Clear of Potential Landmines 81
Part 3: Writing the Rough Draft 95
Chapter 7: Writing for the Tired, the Poor (The Admissions Office) 97
Chapter 8: Building a Structure to Support Your Ideas 111
Chapter 9: Showing, Not Telling, Your Story 129
Chapter 10: Leading with Your Best Shot 149
Chapter 11: Constructing Good Paragraphs 159
Chapter 12: Going Out with a Bang: The Conclusion 171
Chapter 13: Overcoming Writer’s Block 183
Part 4: I’d Like to Finish Before Retirement Age: The Final Draft 193
Chapter 14: Leaving a Good Impression 195
Chapter 15: Smoothing the Rough Edges: Polishing the Essay 207
Chapter 16: Navigating the Submission Process 219
Part 5: Analyzing Questions from Real Applications 229
Chapter 17: Composing Essays Starring You 231
Chapter 18: Describing Significant Strangers and Friends: Essays about Other People 253
Chapter 19: Focusing on More Essay Question Types 265
Chapter 20: Getting the Most out of Short Answers 277
Part 6: The Part of Tens 289
Chapter 21: Ten False Beliefs about College Essays 291
Chapter 22: Ten Great Essays to Inspire You 297
Chapter 23: Ten Absolute Musts for College Essays 303
Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Writing Supplemental Essays 307
Appendix A: Well-Written College Essays 313
Index 327
