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

When I write something important, I read my drafts and ask myself if my readers will see what I'm trying to share. I find plenty of mistakes. Every writer does.

 

Maybe I failed to share a piece of context. Or I jumped from one idea to another, asking readers to connect dots that are just too far apart. Or I forgot that readers might need specific information in order to see what I want to show them. Or I provide that data, but I provide it too late. 

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These oversights all share something in common: the failure to put myself in my readers' shoes. 

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There's always a gap between what we hope our readers take away and what we’re actually equipping them to take away. Before we begin writing, we have our best opportunity to minimize that gap.

 

In this tip, I recommend that you review your outline and think about your essay from your readers’ point of view. This will save you time as you write and edit. And more importantly, it’ll help your readers see the key elements of your identity a little more clearly. 

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Empathize with Your Reader

 

Again: the purpose of your essays is to help admission officers see the elements of your verbal sketch. We want your readers to take away from each essay one or two specific aspects of your identity.

 

All the work you've done so far can help you make that happen. Before you start writing your first draft, take a look at your verbal sketch, the material you've collected to illustrate it, and your outline. 

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Ask yourself questions about the essay you’re planning to write:

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• What do I want my readers to take away from this essay? Have I built a structure that makes that clear? 

• Does my outline clarify the facts, events, forces, and other context that make my material meaningful to me? 

• Does my outline arrange the content in an order that helps the readers absorb the elements of my verbal sketch? 

• What additional info or structural changes will help my readers see the element(s) of my verbal sketch that I’m focusing on in this essay?

 

Adjust your outline to ensure that it helps your readers clearly see your verbal sketch. 

 

Bring in Your Volunteer Readers

 

Readers can offer valuable, time-saving feedback on your outlines. Ask your readers to help you fine-tune the structure of your essays. Share or describe the outline of the essay that you've built. If you're trying to decide between multiple outlines, ask them which is the clearest illustration of the element(s) of your verbal sketch that you're sharing in each essay. 

 

Their reactions can help you decide which outline, which structure, and which content most clearly convey the element(s) you want this essay to show your readers.