On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice [Paperback]

Harry Bauld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1987

Vital information for every college applicant. A former Ivy League admissions officer provides tough and funny advice on coming up with the best essay possible.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Writing the college application essay can be frightening, exciting, and laborious (much like writing a book review). The desired result is to make the essay stand out from 1000 othersto make the college admissions officer blink his or her heavy eyelids. Bauld gives entertaining and thought-provoking methods of accomplishing the task. His use of examples and corresponding responses from admissions officers is excellent. Despite the title, this book has value for anyone preparing to write. Annelle R. Huggins, Memphis State Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference (August 27, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064637220
• ISBN-13: 978-0064637220
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > College Entrance
  • #34 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Study Guides

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and serious; useful for post college, too, August 26, 2000

By 

Jim Carson "http://www.jimcarson.com" (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice (Paperback)

Though it would initially seem aimed at applying to undergraduate schools, "On Writing the College Application Essay" is excellent for essay writing in general (including MBA applications :-).

The first half emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience. Although we're inclined to think nobel laureates will pore over our applications, the reality is they're screened by the Sarah Bleary and Henry Haggards of the world: real folks who see so many applications, that they struggle to differentiate them.

Knowing your audience is only one part of the equation. In the essay, you must convince the reader that you're YOU. Instead, many applicants portray themselves based on what they think the admissions committee wants, often to the extent of sweeping banalities. Bauld explores several of these with his sharp wit. Perhaps the funniest is Pet Death: "As I watched Buttons' life ebb away, I came to value the important things in this world."

In the second half, Bauld suggests you take a chill pill, then start keeping a notebook of any ideas an observations -- anything. Eventually you'll start to relax enough that your writing will come alive. However, before it can come alive, you must get something on paper.

You'll continuously refine and tighten your opus, and the author gives several suggestions of how to approach this, with examples of first, second and third drafts.

Finally, Bauld includes several different essays, a few from college applications, and most not. Each of these conveys a different style but illustrates the crux of the book: you gotta be you.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource and easy to read, March 20, 2002

By 

monkuboy (Temple City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice (Paperback)

I've read several books on the college application process and it is clear that the essay plays a major role in determining whether or not an applicant is accepted. Mr. Bauld has written an entertaining, informative and very easy-to-read book that is also thankfully short. No long-winded, self-congratulatory filler here! It gets right to the point and is generous with excellent examples. In fact, this book is a great resource not only for those prepping to write a college application essay, but it contains great advice for writers in general. This book is well worth its reasonable price for the ideas, motivation and examples it provides. Now I need to get a clue from Mr. Bauld and keep this short and to the point. Bye.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand essay process & write one that shows the real you, June 7, 2003

By 

ElizabethB (Los Gatos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice (Paperback)

This book gives an excellent and easy to read look at writing your college application essay. If you are just going to read a book and not do the exercises, this is a great choice - it doesn't have any exercises. Instead, the emphasis is on finding your own voice and telling your story. For example, he gives a list of the most overused, deadly topics and then shows how you can write a really good essay on one of the "forbidden" topics. He also includes a number of sample essays with comments from real college admissions officers - so you can see for yourself the difference between good, bad and mediocre.