Writing Your Personal Essay

1
Writing Your Personal Essay
"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.If
you can dream it, you can become it." -William
Arthur Ward
2
Why is the Essay so Important?

• Your essay is your chance to distinguish
  yourself from the thousands of other applicants
  who may have similar grades, extracurricular
  activities, and test scores as you.
• Use your unique experiences to help you stand
  out. For example, some of you may want to talk
  about the positive aspects of being bilingual at
  school or at a job in the United States.
• Your essay topic choice is a reflection of your
  preferences, values, mental processes,
  creativity, sense of humor, and depth of
  knowledge.
• Your writing reflects your power of persuasion,
  organizational abilities, style, and mastery of
  standard written English.

3
Brainstorming

• Devote at least one to two weeks to brainstorming
  ideas.
• Keep a journal- This will help you store your
  ideas and practice your writing.
• Think of the stories you like to tell your family
  and friends.
• Use a small story or anecdote that represents a
  prominent character trait of yours leadership,
  kindness, dedication, etc.

4
Brainstorming

• You are looking for a topic that will allow you
  to write well. Choose something you are
  passionate about.
• Remember, the person who reads your application
  (your reviewer) is exposed only to your short
  essay to get an understanding of you!
• While your topic is important, choosing the most
  creative, intellectual or unusual story is not as
  important as writing it well.

5
When Youre Writing First Draft

• Keep your focus narrow and personal.
• Write about yourself with specific examples that
  tell a story and demonstrate your point- be
  creative.
• Pick one incident, event or story to focus on.
  Instead of listing your good qualities, let that
  story show them what kind of person you really
  are.
• Give examples of leadership, commitment, drive
  and motivation, and ability to remain focused on
  goals despite obstacles and changes in life.
• Tell a story, paint a picture. Use imagery and
  colorful language to help convey your message.

6
When Youre Writing First Draft

• Prove It Let your point or idea unfold in the
  details Support your argument with examples.
• Okay I like to be surrounded by people with a
  variety of backgrounds and interests
• Better During that night, I whistled the theme
  song to Looney Tunes with a Spanish soccer player
  headed for championships, discussed Marxism with
  a little old lady, and heard more than I ever
  wanted to know about some woman's gall bladder
  operation.

7
When Youre Writing First Draft

• Be Specific avoid clichés and generalizations
  by using details.
• Okay I want to help people. I have gotten so
  much out of life through the love and guidance of
  my family, I feel that many individuals have not
  been as fortunate therefore, I would like to
  expand the lives of others.
• Better My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of
  sidelines 'til their shoes filled with water or
  their fingers turned white or somebody's golden
  retriever signed his name on their coats in mud.
  That kind of commitment is what I'd like to bring
  to working with fourth graders.

8
When Youre Writing 2nd Draft

• Proofread!
• Your computer's spell check will not catch all
  typos, spelling and grammatical errors, or bad
  writing.
• Have your essay reviewed and critiqued by other
  people who are good writers, looking for
• Good grammar
• Proper spelling
• That you have answered the essay question being
  asked
• Re-Write!
• - After writing one draft, let it sit for a
  couple of days without thinking about it. When
  you look at it again with fresh eyes you will be
  able to catch new mistakes.
• - Unlike an essay for school, this one will
  directly affect your future. If a few extra
  drafts could mean the difference between a good
  school and a great school, take the time to
  re-write!

9
Writing Donts

• Do not write a list of your extracurriculars, or
  how you aced your math class. They can already
  see that on your transcript, and want to know
  something more.
• Dont tell them what you think they want to hear,
  be creative.
• Most admissions officers read plenty of essays
  about the charms of their university, the evils
  of terrorism, and the personal commitment
  involved in being a doctor. Choose a topic that
  will make you stand out.
• If your transcript doesnt make you shine as
  brightly as you know you can, the essay is your
  chance to balance out their perception of you.
• Your essay is your opportunity to be personal,
  let them know something honest about you.

10
Writing Donts

• Do not be repetitive
• Things to avoid in your essay
• Anger
• Entitlement Attitude
• Political Issues
• Religious beliefs
• Generalities
• Lists

11
Good luck!
Have ideas or questions to share? Visit the
discussion boards at www.hispanicyouth.org/institu
te