The College Application Essay

by Sarah Myers McGinty

Revised edition of a classic bestseller, previous editions have sold over 100,000 copies, that helps college-bound students write great application essays.

This new edition of the classic bestseller is a treasure for students who want to write vivid, distinctive essays and personal statements to support their college applications. The College Application Essay builds on what students have already learned in high school to strengthen their writing skills, and then applies those lessons to college applications in particular. In a friendly, conversational tone, the guide helps students find their voice and be "heard" on paper by emphasizing both the thinking process and the technical work of writing.

This revised edition includes dozens of current essay questions and topics, with multiple response strategies; advice from admissions directors and guidance professionals, who offer wisdom and insights about how applicants' essays are evaluated; and sample essyas written by real students. A new guide for parents shows how they can support - without interfering in - the writing process.

Genres: College, Nonfiction

174 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1997

Reviews

[Brianna Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh? Pretty good suggestions but I honestly should have read it before I already applied to college.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

i just finished this book. my teacher forced it and now my entire is sitting in a circle sobbing. this book was bad. after reading this i wont be applying to college

[Laurel Overstreet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though helpful, this guide may cause a bit more anxiety than is necessary. For the most part, however, the strategies described are helpful to anyone writing essays for college applications, and even for those writing essays in general. Much of the book is mainly review of writing techniques taught in high school English, but there are still some hints that can help with the process.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was helpful in making me feel more at ease while writing my essay for my college application. It made me feel like the essay is the one thing that I have complete control over in this process. I'd recommend it, but it's an old book that I probably shouldn't have used for today's college application standards

[~Akweley♡Mazarae♥~★☆★oblivion★☆★~I CAN'T BREATHE~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.3*

Not a bad book, gave some really decent advice, especially with such a broad target audience, but some aspects of it seemed a bit unrealistic to me...a lot of people don't have an extensive amount of resources when applying to college; it's highly limited, and I feel as though she should have kept that into account a little bit more. But still not all that bad of read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a must-read for all parents embarking on the dreaded Season of Writing the College Essay. Really helpful examples and a good overview of what the essay is supposed to be.