College Essay Help

The personal statement is your child's opportunity to transform his or her application package from a pile of stats into memorable rendering of a real person. Admissions officers read hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications each year. A great personal statement will convey your child's personality, explain circumstances behind a low set of grades, or illustrate a unique quality about him or her.

Helping your child with this essay doesn't mean writing it. However, there are many other ways for you to bring out the best in your child's personal statement.

Select a familiar topic.
Don't write about something solely to impress the reader.

Stick to the topic.
Provide personal anecdotes that make the essay come to life.

Begin the essay early.
Make sure your child gives herself time to mull over potential topics. Allow original ideas to spill out before tightening the writing.

Have one or two key people to review the essay.
Usually an English teacher and the college counselor offer a good balance. Don't demand to be one of the official readers. You're too close to the process, let alone your child, and your advice will probably not have the necessary objectivity.

Be concise.
Weigh each word, avoid redundancy, and weed out what is insignificant.

Present ideas logically.
Admissions committees want to see that your child can think clearly, as well as express herself or himself eloquently.

Proofread the essay.
Spelling and grammar errors are serious flaws.

Know the audience for whom the essay has been written.
This is an introduction to an admissions official, not a casual note to a roommate. On the other hand, it is not meant to be sent to a professor of philosophy who will interpret the student's most profound ideas expressed in scholarly language.

This article was adapted from The Parent's Guide to College Admissions. Pick up your copy at the kaptest.com bookstore today!

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