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.
On Writing the College Application Essay, 25th Anniversar...
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Book Description
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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.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
What does an admissions officer look for in a college application essay?
You. It's that simple. There's no formula, no trick, no strategy, says Harry Bauld, a former Ivy League admissions officer. But with acceptance rates at all-time lows, just being yourself in an essay means understanding your readers and the unique form in which you are writing. In this fully revised and updated edition of the classic guide to writing the best essay of your life, Bauld reveals the big clichés (The Trip, The Jock, Miss America, Pet Death) and helps you discover ways to come alive on the page as a real person instead of applicant number 13,791.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
89 of 92 people found the following review helpful
By Jim Carson
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By ElizabethB
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book with a great perspective on the admissions process.
This book provides the perspective of the admissions counselor who reads your essay and the relative importance of the essay in the whole admissions process. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joseph A De Muyt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superbly written, witty, enlightening
I bought this book for a friend who is applying to graduate school, and ended up reading it myself out of curiosity and found it a pleasure to ready (It is probably not the best... Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Jamal
4.0 out of 5 stars
review
I gave this book to my children who are in the college process.I hioped it would help them to write a better college essay for scholarships. Thank you.
Published 3 months ago by alicia hilton
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
it's easy and fun to read! I would definitely recommend it for people to have an copy in their home
Published 3 months ago by jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saved my college essay.
As I went into my college application process as an anxious senior, I was going to write my personal statements like I wrote my essays for AP English since those seemed to work... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Haverfordian2017
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book
This book is pretty well written and really help you understand the materials better. This book is pretty well organized and very easy to follow. This book really helps
Published 3 months ago by zentriton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful
This is a short but concise book. It is written in a conversational, easy-to- read style. The author dispels some admissions-essay myths, gives good tips on writing the essay that... Read more
Published 4 months ago by kojak
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be more like yourself than ever
With entertaining insights into the writing process and self-branding, Bauld guides each teen to find his/her "voice" and develop not only as a student and writer, but as a person. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cathy A. Nocquet
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Common App. State Schools, not so much.
The book is wonderful for Private Colleges that focus on the way the special talents of the applicant and the way he thinks which this book teaches you really well to emphasize. Read more
Published 7 months ago by jackalope
5.0 out of 5 stars
not for the weak at heart when it comes to the whole college...
this book will tell you everything you need to know, in very direct language, about what you need to do to write a good essay on an application to a competitive college. Read more
Published 8 months ago by boomz
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