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Lesson Two: Brainstorming a Topic
Introduction
Choosing
an essay topic can be one of the most difficult aspects of the entire
admissions process. Questions often ask you to think about your entire
life, pick just one thing, and talk about it in great depth. Even the
most reflective writers are left wondering: How am I supposed to know
the ONE event that has changed my life or the one thing that represents
my entire personality. In all likelihood there isn't just one. But there
probably is one that you can write about most passionately and effectively.
The most important part of your entire essay is finding this one subject.
Without a topic you feel passionate about, without one that brings out
the defining aspects of you personality, you risk falling into the trap
of sounding like the 90 percent of applicants who will write boring admissions
essays. Coming up with this idea is difficult and will require a great
deal of time. But whatever you do, don't let this part stress you out.
Have fun!
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EssayEge
Extra: One Essay, Multiple Applications
By
now, you have figured out that you can save time by submitting
the same or similar essays for the applications to various schools.
If you are creative, you will be able to plug in many of your
answers into some not so similar questions, too. It is fine to
lift whole paragraphs or even entire essays and apply them to
different questions-as long as you do so seamlessly. Be absolutely
sure that you have answered the question asked. Pay special attention
to the introductions and conclusions-this is where cutting and
pasting is most evident. Thorough proofreading is imperative if
you take shortcuts like these. If a school notices that you have
obviously swapped essays without even bothering to tailor them
to the questions at hand, it shows them that you are lazy and
insincere. If the question requires an answer specific to the
school, you should show that you have read the college's web page,
admissions catalog, and have an understanding of the institution's
strengths.
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From ESSAYS THAT WILL GET YOU INTO COLLEGE, by Amy Burnham,
Daniel Kaufman, and Chris Dowhan.
Copyright 1998 by Dan Kaufman. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's
Educational Series, Inc.
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