Tip 1:  Start with Purpose (not with the Essay Questions)

Here’s something I see in most early drafts of admission essays: An applicant starts a paragraph describing their daily life. Then for no clear reason, that same paragraph shares a discovery the applicant made in a study group. Then it veers again to discuss an athletic achievement.

 

They haven’t arranged and shared these facts in a way that paints a clear portrait. 

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I call this wandering. It happens when an essay loses focus and fails to give readers a clear narrative thread to follow. Of all the problems that obscure the self-portrait that admission essays try to convey, wandering is the most common.

 

The most effective way to ensure your readers see the key elements of your identity -- the most effective way to make your essays fulfill their purpose -- is to outline them before you start writing. 

 

Why Write an Outline?

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An outline is a thoughtful plan for sharing the elements of your verbal sketch. It helps you consider your options and build a structure specifically to help your audience see your self-portrait. It provides a clear roadmap for keeping your essays focused. It creates a clear, accessible narrative your readers can follow. And as you’re writing and evaluating a draft, it helps you catch the spots where you’ve wandered. 

 

Also, outlines do much of the planning up front. They help you consider your options and avoid the ones that are less effective. They spare you a ton of trial and error. They save you time.

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When I support students on their admission essays, I always, always urge them to start each essay with an outline. 

 

Sample Outline

 

I recommend building your outline paragraph by paragraph. I offer a sample below.

 

In this example, I’m not recommending any given content or structure for your essays; I’m just illustrating one way to build an outline that clarifies exactly what you want to achieve in each paragraph and how: 

 

Purpose of Essay #1: 

• Help my readers see Element #1 of my verbal sketch

 

Paragraph One

• Purpose: Grab readers’ attention; prepare readers for the story I’ll tell in this essay

• Content:

  • Essential context for Element #1, such as my family, culture, heritage, gender, favorite activity, community, academic interest, etc.

  • A short detail that illustrates Element #1 of my verbal sketch

 

Paragraph Two

• Purpose: Illustrate Element #1 of my verbal sketch

• Content:

  • An anecdote, perspective, or idea that illustrates Element #1 of my verbal sketch 

 

Paragraph Three

• Purpose: Illustrate Element #1 of my verbal sketch in a different way

• Content:

  • Another anecdote, perspective, or idea that illustrates Element #1 of my verbal sketch

 

Paragraph Four

• Purpose: Demonstrate that I’m a thoughtful student who is ready to make the most of my education and help those around me do the same; hold the readers’ attention

• Content:

  • An interesting perspective about the preceding three paragraphs, or

  • A thoughtful take on something that matters to me and that’s related to the previous three paragraphs, or

  • An insightful discussion of Element #1 of my verbal sketch 

 

Test and Refine Your Outline

 

After you've built an outline, save it as version 1. Then envision other versions of your essay by tinkering with your outline. Save each one that feels promising.

 

Try to illustrate the element(s) of your sketch with a range of anecdotes and perspectives. How clearly does the different content show the element(s) you’ve chosen to share in this essay? How does the essay work if you change the order of the content? What’s the clearest way to spotlight the key elements of your identity?

 

Your outline will equip you to explore these and other important questions about the content and structure of your essay. Experiment until you have a structure that clearly conveys the element(s) of your sketch that you’re focusing on in this essay.

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As you consider options, remember: the best version of your outline is the one that helps your readers clearly see the element(s) you’ve chosen to focus on.