On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice

by Harry Bauld

One of the most stressful aspects of the college application process is the essay. Most students worry about what an admissions officer looks for in a writing sample. But that’s the wrong way to approach this vital component, says former Ivy League college admissions officer Harry Bauld. At Brown and Columbia, he saw what prospective students often did wrong—and now tells you how to do it right. In this fully revised and updated edition of the classic guide to writing the best essay of your life, Bauld has written an insider's guide to writing an essay that will stand out from the pack. He advises you on how to find your authentic voice, gives you tools and ideas that will spark your imagination, and shows you how to approach themes with originality and panache to make even the most tired topics fresh. He’ll tell you straight out what admissions officers aren't looking another platitudinous variation on one of the following themes (if you see your initial idea reflected in this list, think again): Getting into the college of your dreams is tough. The competition is fierce. For more than twenty-five years, On Writing the College Application Essay has helped thousands of students improve their chances. Now, let it work for you.

Genres: Writing, College, Nonfiction, Education, School, Reference, Read For School

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1987

Reviews

[Parmida R. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was helpful. I, especially, owe this book for throwing my fears away.
Now I know college essays are not a great deal.
I am not nervous or puzzled much about them anymore.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read through this book in one day, so it wasn’t an in-depth read, but enough to get a feel for the book. It went into detail about the process of how admissions officers rate each applicant and just how the essay travels in admissions offices in general. Tells you to stay away from cliché life lessons and to do unexpected and original life lessons in your essays. Really good tips for the editing portion. Not as good tips for the brainstorming part. Interesting collection of examples at the end but I wasn’t able to relate to any of them.

[Zelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly didn’t hate it but minus points for how much stress this caused me. College😐

[Reese O’Malley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not necessarily a bad book, just boring because of annotations and not very entertaining. Very good point though!

[John Stepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful. It may be a bit dated in terms of current admissions practices and norms, but the writing advice is timeless and the examples from students are practical and relevant.

I highly recommend listening to podcast from the admissions office of colleges you are applying to if they have one. The podcast from Yale admissions is especially good.

[Camryn Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

i would be friends with this guy!

[eesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

realizing i’m kind of revealing my age (or am i…..) but. ah. well. sacrifices we make for great books

this was so sooo good. like one of the only things throughout the entire college application process that didn’t make me feel like a garbage can of stress, worry, and uselessness


mr bauld’s voice really shines through this like incredibly so it’s wonderful and full of humour and with that ofc i would trust him with my college essay, the one thing that needs to have my voice present. his lighthearted disparaging of the entire application process and the selectiveness of the ivy leagues and ivy-adjacent is so soothing and a balm to my soul.

this unfortunately took a while for me to get through only because i am so so busy and applying to college is truly a part time job (on top of my ACTUAL part time job) but i am so glad i finished this instead of simply it wasting space in every bag i carry everywhere.

but like truly this is full of GREAT information, especially for starting like earlier than senior year, and has so much personality that it didn’t even feel like a chore to get through, as most self-help (which this is like. adjacent to) are.

also also i am citing this as the inspiration that i had been needing for days and days behind the very last sentence of my [REDACTED] (one of my many many superstitious dont worry abt that)

overall, this book made me want a mr harry bauld as my teacher so thank you to him for writing this book and also to a matthew iwon’trevealhislastname for recommending this to me <3

[Guina Guina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of essays in my twenty years of teaching. Most student work is uninspiring--done under duress and at the last minute as so much of it is. There are gems, though, and those gems are usually the result of going through the process to make that writing dance.

This book is like dance lessons for student writing. As the title tells us, this is a book about writing the college application essay. Really, though, it is about how to write a good personal (or impersonal) statement of any kind. Think essay of your choice about anything and you are on the right track.

There are tips, tricks, exercises, prompts, student examples (great and really not), professional examples, and commentary from professional admissions officers on some student essays. All-in-all, this is a great book to read for those self-motivated students trying for a better personal essay for college or for those (like me) who are forcing that on a captive audience.

[Blaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of essays in my twenty years of teaching. Most student work is uninspiring--done under duress and at the last minute as so much of it is. There are gems, though, and those gems are usually the result of going through the process to make that writing dance.

This book is like dance lessons for student writing. As the title tells us, this is a book about writing the college application essay. Really, though, it is about how to write a good personal (or impersonal) statement of any kind. Think essay of your choice about anything and you are on the right track.

There are tips, tricks, exercises, prompts, student examples (great and really not), professional examples, and commentary from professional admissions officers on some student essays. All-in-all, this is a great book to read for those self-motivated students trying for a better personal essay for college or for those (like me) who are forcing that on a captive audience.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Rather informative advice for the setting for which it was written (1986!), but a little dated for our time. In particular, the difficulty of the admission essay has become slightly overshadowed over the years. You can read this book if you'd like, but do NOT cause yourself to underestimate the challenge that comes with the college essay.

[laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

my mom bought this for me and i saw it was pretty short so i picked it up cuz why not? turned out to be pretty much what you'd expect, but i found the sections on brainstorming ideas and the example essays to be somewhat helpful. mostly, this book reminded me of what i should be aware of when writing and revising my own essays. not terrible, not groundbreaking.

[Emily]

Had to read this for AP Lang to help me write my college essay. Honestly it wasn’t too boring and the chapters were pretty short and easy. It was fairly helpful but also I did not ENJOY reading it or any book like this ever. So I’m not gonna bother rating it.

Definitely recommend though if u need help writing a college essay but I think almost all my friends on here have already done that 😭

[Guavicorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bauld writes with a delightful sense of humor that I hope to convey in my essays. His careful walkthrough of the college essay and thoughtful range of examples provide a great guide as I begin to navigate the college application.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really felt like this book kept contradicting itself. I was required to read it, and at the bare minimum it was a fast read.
The name Harry Bauld feels more than a little like an oxymoron.
I liked all the jokes with the last names of made up characters.

[Amy Ivyleagueguide · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a college counselor, I’m so grateful for this book On Writing the College Application Essay and how Harry paints the admissions audience of the Temps and lifers! I love how he applies his own advice in his writing like using an obsession list to brainstorm poem topics!

[phylicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars for a college essay tips book? um honestly it definitely made the writing process a lot clearer to me. i just finished a few first drafts for a scholarship application and this has been immensely helpful - i need to start working on rewrites/edits!

[Tiyi Ayeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative book while still being quite entertaining! not at all what i was expecting lol

[Huy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, go into detail on how to write an effective essay. I would definitely apply the tips when writing college essay.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of useful hints to help one write a better college essay.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few college essay books at this point... and this one is the real deal. Highly recommend.

[A. Stampfli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sole college admissions advice book that was actually interesting.

[Makeila Hannemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

anxiety anxiety anxiety. oh college… this wasn’t bad it just felt dated to me (published in the 80s) and a lot of points elaborated on feel irrelevant to the process now.

[mallory kayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda boring but helpful i think

[Hannah Zepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very boring…but I think it will be helpful

[jordan sang · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book had some great tips! i read this in one sitting and its a good thing i did bc all of my ideas would have sucked.... definitely feeling a little more prepared to write my college essays

[Thomas Consultants]

including discovering colleges

[Hail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot to post that I finished this. I kinda didn't finish it but I had to read this for school so I'm counting it a finish for the pain it caused me. It was written very well I just hated it.

[Clara Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

good info

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

helpful

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this novel, I had so foolishly thought I could actually write something decent. Mr. Bauld has shown me the light! Even though I still have three more years until I would actually have to write a college essay, his advice is applicable in almost all forms of essay writing. I've never read the 1987 version as the renewed edition has information that applies to current times in which, as stated in Jacques Steinbergs "The Gatekeepers", "Colleges makes their admissions decisions behind a cordon of security befitting the selection of a pope." Mr. Bauld takes you through the applications process briefly and humorously, whilst diving in depth to the intrepid art of essay writing. He is frank and gets to the point quickly, something I wildly appreciate as past college how-to books I've read are bland and filled with unnecessary mush (the number of times I've read the line "Just be yourself" in these books is simply ridiculous.) From how to write a hook to how to edit, the whole process is clearly detailed. Furthermore, he not only offers genuine advice on how to write an essay but also provides numerous examples to other great pieces of work, my personal favorite being "Advice to Youth" by Mark Twain. Moreover, as Mr. Bauld was a former admissions officer, he gives insight on how applications are actually viewed and who is the audience college applicants are so desperate to impress. I think my essay writing has improved if not only in structure but in potency. Therefore, I recommend this book to all high school students and adults alike who yearn to write a truly great essay. This guide is witty yet instructive, and is a quick read for college applicants under pressure. Additionally, students who wonder what writing an application is like should also give this novel a read.