DO’S: (#6 is most important)
YOU HAVE A PURPOSE
- 1) UNPLUG from technology. This means no internet and no phone–put it face down or in another room. (If you are disciplined, you can have your laptop or phone nearby to look up definitions or descriptions that propel your writing forward. Sometimes simply looking up a word’s synonym will spark ideas.) However, if you’re like me, your mind may drift amidst your thoughts. You may glance down at your desk, see your Paper Pro Stapler and wonder who invented the staple. Then you may google it because you know nothing about your stapler’s history. The next thing you know, you are reading the stapler’s Wikipedia page… You see where I’m going? You may need to remove the temptation.
- 2) CHOOSE THE PROMPT that is most appropriate for you. It should enable you to highlight your strengths as well as your aspirations and purpose (Everyone has a purpose, and a story to tell). You may want to tell a chronological story or weave together a series of vignettes thematically. (See included exercises).
- 3) FIGURE OUT YOUR APPROACH. Are you an outline-kind-of-person who begins with broad strokes and then fills in the details or are you the person who starts from the middle and works your way out?
- 4) BRAINSTORM FREELY. When the writing begins, there should be no editing. You can play music if that helps loosen you up. You can have your drink of choice nearby as pleasant scents waft by (the more senses that are engaged, the better for this process). Breathe (remember oxygen is nature’s valium). Stretch. Sit. InBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott says that nearly every professional writer begins with a “shitty first draft.” You can’t get to your second, third, or final draft without it.
- 5) TRY NOT TO PRESUME what the admissions officers or counselors want to hear or read. Remember the advice public speakers are given: imagine your audience naked? Well, don’t do that because that’s just weird, but also try not to write to impress someone you know nothing about. Instead, imagine you are writing to someone special in your life (or someone you hope to meet), and you are telling them something personal and consequential.
- 6) THE MORE SPECIFIC you are in your essay, the more relatable you are to a general audience. It seems counter-intuitive, but it’s not. If you write… I want to help humanity and make a difference in the world by significantly contributing to the field of education, it’s a lovely sentiment, but not memorable. However, if you say: I can’t imagine a world without words. No meeting Harry Potter in print and sharing him with my little sister in our homemade blanket tent. No secret texts or public tweets of encouragement from my cousin. No driver’s license. It would be like wearing a permanent blindfold with just the tiniest slit. That’s how my first friend and next-door neighbor, Beatrice, described it when she confided in me that she couldn’t read. She had been hiding that secret for 59 years. I was determined to help her, so I went online and found a community literacy program and signed her up. I went through the junior counselor training classes and tutored her after school three days a week. My intention was only to support Beatrice, but when I learned how many adults had this hidden disability, I was shocked. We also learned that Beatrice was dyslexic. Her brain was simply wired differently than others. It’s the same thing she tells me about my autism. I thought I was helping Beatrice, but she was actually helping me find my purpose: bringing the world of words into the beautiful minds of those who are missing them. I want to work in adult education, specifically literacy. (This is ~200 words that are memorable and tells us a lot about the applicant: Determined, Caring, Loyal, Trust-worthy, Thoughtful, Problem-Solver, Resourceful, Pro-Active, Industrious, Open-Minded, Community-Minded, Altruistic, Persistent, Strong Work Ethic, Empathic. Some of these strengths are not always positively associated with someone who has autism, but she has used her atypical neuronal wiring to truly make the world a better place.)
- 7) USE ALL YOUR WORDS and make every word count. You are creating a vivid portrait and the keyboard is your paintbrush. Every word is a gift. You are trying to capture a moment (or series of moments) that are meaningful and embody you. This is the ‘show, don’t tell’ part. The reader needs to see you, the you who is in-progress. At this stage, don’t worry about the actual number of words (that happens in the editing process.)
- 8) TAKE A BREAK and put your essay away. Taking a break between drafting and editing is important for your mental and physical health. Watch a movie. Do some yoga or run track or play basketball—something physical. Exercise is the great regulator and equalizer—it can bring your energy level up when you’re feeling low, but it can also calm a hyper or frenzied state.
- 9) WHEN YOU FEEL you have your essay pretty much done, you can start editing. You can look at your language and tighten up your prose. You can also look for misspellings, typos, or incorrect auto-corrects (so, sow & sew convey very different meanings). Also, be aware of the word limit and do not exceed it because the words after 500, 650, etc. will not be read (computer programs may not even allow you to upload essays that exceed their college’s limits). Then have at least two sets of eyes view it for feedback and proofing-reading. Ask yourself, would you like to meet the person in your essay?
- 10) SUBMIT and know that regardless of what happens, you will be okay. You and your purpose are in progress and you will continue to evolve. Your path will widen. You may go into unchartered territory. You will absolutely have opportunities in your future you cannot fathom right now.