How to Write an Exceptional Essay for College Applications

How to Write an Exceptional Essay for College Applications

by Gina Catanzarite

As the end of another school year approaches, kids’ thoughts turn to a summer of sleeping in and lazy days spent lounging by a pool . . . unless you’re finishing your Junior year of high school, in which case your stress level is rising like mercury on a sunny day because (insert ominous music here) IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT APPLYING TO COLLEGES!!!

Without a doubt, one of the most stressful parts of the college admissions application is completing the essay. (More ominous music. . .) Essays have become extremely popular as an educational tool in our country, and young people frequently need to write them for applications for college or for scholarships and other competitions.

What do you think college admissions officers want to learn about you from that essay? Proper grammar? Proof that you can write a thesis statement? How intelligent you are?

Nope!

Take a look at some of these actual essay questions from college applications:

“Describe yourself as fully and accurately as possible in 140 characters.”

“Anna Quindlen says that she ‘majored in unafraid’ at Barnard. Tell us about a time when you majored in unafraid.”

Don DeLillo, Libra, said, “This is what history consists of. It’s the sum total of all the things they aren’t telling us.” What is history, who are “they,” and what aren’t they telling us?

The essay questions are prompts to help you reveal your personal philosophies and personality. They are meant to showcase your critical and your creative thinking skills, as well as your ability to make abstract connections. They require a deeply personal tone with a theme that unfolds largely through personal observations, recollections, and reflections on the writer’s life and experience.

Unfortunately, that rarely happens when so many people “help” the college applicant polish an essay before submitting it.

These people who try to help are well-intentioned to be sure, but what happens is that the student writes a very academic-sounding term paper—thesis, body, conclusion. Parents read it, guidance counselors read it, English teachers read it—and everyone makes comments and edits until it gets distilled, even duller and more generic than it was to begin with!

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), their number one tip for writing effective college admissions essays is to be yourself. You can achieve that by following these guidelines, used in Luminari’s popular Teen Writer! camps:

TIPS TO WRITE BETTER COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAYS:

·       Relate it to a deeply personal and significant experience and the life lesson you learned.

·       Explore the value of the life lesson you learned. How did/will it change your future?

·       Use precise details and descriptive writing to paint a vivid picture in the readers’ mind.

·       Include research or data to support your opinions.

·       Consider using the “YOU” voice to engage the reader more personally in the essay, e.g. Everyone probably has a clear memory that involved the school bully, and I do, too. VS. You probably have a clear memory about the bully from your high school. So do I.

Most importantly, let the answer grow out of what you want to say, not what you think someone else may want to read. When you write from your soul, the essay will be meaningful, personal, and a reflection of someone with the maturity and self-awareness who is ready to embark on the next phase of life... as a successful college student!

Looking for more tips to create more great writing? Check out Luminari’s 2016 Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction camp running from June 27 – 30. Learn more about Teen Writer! camp activities and scholarships we offer for reduced tuition!

AND. . . read even more unusual college essay questions here:

Buzzfeed | 22 of the most creative college essay questions

Washington Post | Unusual College Essay Questions

***

Gina Catanzarite, owner/operator of Arania Productions, and an award-winning television producer, author, media consultant and teacher who has worked both nationally and locally in her fields since 1987.

Gina is the instructor of Luminari’s Teen Writer! camps, being offered June 27 – 30, 2016, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Teen Writer Beware: How to Spot a Scam

by Gina Catanzarite

Thanks to the Internet, young writers have more access than ever before to find exciting writing competitions and scholarship opportunities. Now that school is back in sessions, you can be sure that many of them will be heavily promoted to teens seeking scholarships, prizes, and chances to be published.

Unfortunately, many disreputable organizations prey on eager teen writers-- promoting sham competitions with high entry fees and meaningless "publishing credits" as prizes.

Before entering any teen writing competition, follow these words of advice.  And, see our list below with links to competitions run by reputable organizations.  

Sources for Reputable Teen Writing Competitions

• ALWAYS review contest guidelines and promised prizes very carefully. Have a parent, guardian, or school guidance counselor review the competition rules with you if you are unsure if the contest is reputable.
• Reputable writing competitions rarely charge large entry fees.
  NEVER enter competitions that charge substantial fees.
• Beware of “anthology schemes.”
  In short, these schemes ask you to submit your work for a “competition” and “winners” will be “published” in an anthology. Sometimes they charge entry fees for each piece of writing you submit. If your work is “chosen” as a "winner," it will be “published” -- and then, of course, you can buy a copy of the anthology. This is a money-making scheme! Everyone who submits writing gets “chosen” to be in the anthology. The organizations that run these schemes make their money from submission fees and sale of the "winners" anthology.  These schemes are very common, and no industry professional sees them as credible samples of “published” work. Do not waste your money or your time on these anthology schemes.

Here is a partial list of reputable organizations:

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

http://www.principals.org/Content/158/2010_Natl_Ad_List_101210.pdf

Continually updated list of approved contests and scholarship opportunities for young people. Almost all require an essay of some kind.

SCHOLASTIC, INC. ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS AND WRITERS AWARD

http://www.scholastic.com/artandwritingawards/enter.htm

This is the SuperBowl of student writing competitions – and you can choose your preferred format, from poetry to fiction to short story. It also has categories for visual arts awards. This is an excellent and respected competition to enter.

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST    http://www.spj.org/a-hs.asp

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF PRESS WOMEN

http://www.nfpw.org/competitions.htm#highschoolcommunicationscompetition

NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION

http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/contests.html

National Pacemaker Awards are awards for excellence in American student journalism, given annually since 1927. The awards are generally considered to be the highest national honors in their field, and are unofficially known as the “Pulitzer Prizes” of student journalism.

Poetry Out Loud competition – National student recitation competition

http://www.poetryoutloud.org/

RTNDF -- High School Broadcast Journalism Project

http://www.hsbj.org/Announcements/5freedoms/

Journalism Education Association -- Aspiring Young Journalist Award

http://www.jea.org/awards/aspiring.html

Voice of Democracy essay contest

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=150

2015 Luminari Award (Teen Writer) Winning Entry

Written by Charis Allen

Merriam-Webster defines diversity as “the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.” Although, Webster dictionaries have been highly accredited, this definition is not entirely accurate. In this century, the word diversity has become synonymous with the word “ethnic” and therefore people associate the word diversity with racial differences. However, I would argue that diversity is not limited to race. Rather, diversity is differences in language, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, community origin, or any other entity in which people can be different in.  With this definition of diversity, it is clear to see why diverse perspectives are significant in public creative writing. Diversity in opinions and ideas are important because they can raise awareness about an issue, shape public opinion, and expose people to other perspectives. I would like my writing to do all of these things.

Poetry, one of my favorite art forms, is often used creatively to communicate a political or social issue. In a poem submitted anonymously to the Dare2Care Poetry Competition, the poet tackles the issue of parents accepting their children for who they are. The poem titled “With Roses in Hand” talks about the emotional difficulty of telling your parents, who has assumed you were straight, that you are not. This creative writing exposes readers, like me, to the perspective and experiences of another individual. This poem has given me a deeper empathy for gay teens, who may be dealing with this. Also, the view expressed in this poem is different than my experiences and of the experiences of other authors that I have read. The diverse opinion expressed is significant for multiple reasons. Specifically, for me, this poem had the power to evoke within me a new feeling, educate me on the issues faced by other people, and has made me more sensitive.

2015 Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction

After the Civil War, former slaves were emancipated and tensions arose between white supremacists, who sought to maintain a hierarchy, and African Americans who wanted to reclaim their rights. In efforts to make white supremacy felt, lynching was used to kill African Americans. This national phenomenon was written about by authors who condemned lynching.  For example, Ida B. Wells, born in Holly Springs Mississippi, was a strong advocate against lynching. Her books On Lynchings and The Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynching in the United States sent reverberations through the nation.  It informed the national audience about lynching, the hatred that caused it, and how often black Americans were murdered for exercising their rights.  It caused people to think critically about the social consequences of white supremacy and made them reevaluate what the phrase “all men are created equal” meant, for all citizens. In this way, Wells was able to shape public opinion about lynching. With this book she was also able to expose Americans who were not aware of lynching, to the issue. “Her assessments of facts on lynching were then interpreted by a national audience and they then were able to craft their opinion, around her writings.  Her diverse opinion was a significant contribution to the anti-lynching movement. Ida B. Wells had a different opinion on lynching, than the majority population of Mississippi. Her creative yet factual portrayals of lynching were a potent shaper of Walter Francis White’s position on lynching, who later was a strong voice in the Brown v. Board of Education Case. I want my writing to have same influence on American history and opinion that Wells had.

I would like my readers to have the same kind of emotional response that I had, when I read “With Roses In Hand”. Not only did the poem make me more aware about the struggles other people face, but it also caused me to reflect on my role in that issue and what I can do to help. I want my works to evoke emotions and make the reader feel an obligation to the issue and the people affected by it. Similar to Ida B. Wells, I want my historical writings to be factual, yet present information in a creative way that engages the reader. Both of these authors were luminary individuals who had honest convictions about what they were writing about and had profoundly distinct writing styles. In order to have the same power that their writing yielded, I need to find out what makes me a luminary.

CONGRATULATIONS 2015 TEEN WRITERS!

Luminari is happy to announce the winner of the first annual Teen Writer! Luminari Award: 

  
Charis Allen, 17, of Penn Hills wrote the winning essay; she wins a full scholarship to attend the Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction camp being held July 6-10, 2015. The judges were very impressed with the quality and sincerity of the essay and commend her for her thoughtful and thought-provoking entry. 
  
Ms. Allen is the daughter of Cassandra Allen and Oliver Allen of Penn Hills. Charis will be a senior at Winchester-Thurston School, where she has been a member of the track team, the Black Students’ Union and the Social Justice League.  Charis became interested in writing in 8th grade, when she wrote a poem for her grandfather’s funeral. 
  
After high school, Ms. Allen hopes to study medicine, and plans to use her love of writing in her career. 

---

Luminari is also pleased to recognize Katrice Stallworth as the runner-up in our First Annual Teen Writer! Luminari Award. 

Once all the judges’ votes were tabulated, we found that the results were extremely close, and all judges noted the high quality and sincerity of Katrice’s essay. We felt that Katrice’s entry was worthy of being recognized. She will receive a scholarship to attend the Teen Writer! Opinion Workshop on July 10, 2015. 

Miss Stallworth, 13, will enter 8th grade at Sacred Heart School in Shadyside. While a student at Trinity Christian in Forest Hills, Katrice was a forward on the basketball team, and has earned a green belt in karate. Katrice has organized book drives in her community, donating more than 400 volumes to youth organizations. She is the daughter of Karla Stallworth and Thomas Stallworth of Penn Hills.  
 

---

Teen Writer! Series 

Fantastic Fiction Writing: 4-Day Summer Camp for Teens  is a 4-day summer workshop for teens (rising 8th to 12th graders) that generates original works by teaching how to craft a logical storyline, structure scenes for maximum impact, and devise realistic conflicts with satisfying resolutions. July 6 - July 9, 2015 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (daily) 
WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 
Tuition Fee: $395.00 

Journalism and Opinion Writing Workshop is an intensive one-day workshop for teens (rising 8th to 12th graders) on how to turn unique observations into thoughtful and thought-provoking writing. July 10, 2015 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (1-day) 
WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 
Tuition Fee: $159.00 

For more information, please call ( 412) 877 - 1888  or email  luminari@luminari.org .  

DEADLINE EXTENDED for TEEN WRITER! Scholarship

Calling all teen writers!

The deadline for our Teen Writer! Luminari Award scholarship competition has been extended! Entries will be received through midnight June 20, 2015. The winner will be announced by June 26, 2015.

The Luminari Award is a merit-based scholarship. It is designed to recognize teen writers who display noteworthy commitment to academics and community issues. This scholarship competition is open to teens who will be in 8^th – 12^th grade in Fall 2015.

One entrant will be selected for a full scholarship to attend the 2015 Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction camp held in Pittsburgh from July 6 – 9, 2015. This scholarship is valued at $395.00.

To submit an entry for the Teen Writer! Luminari Award scholarship:

• Write a 500 - 700 word essay on the importance of contributing diverse opinions and ideas to the public through creative and journalistic writing. Also state how you, personally, want your writing to broaden the minds of readers.

• EMAIL YOUR ENTRY essay to:  Luminari.inspire@gmail.com and in the subject line, write "TEEN WRITER LUMINARI AWARD ENTRY."

• In the body of the email, please INCLUDE your name, your parent or guardian's name, and contact information.

Essays will be read and judged, and one winner will be selected, by a panel of writers and academics.

From coming up with story ideas to developing great plotlines to building characters and writing with style, Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction is an exciting four-day workshop based on techniques the pros use to build skills and get published! Learn more about the 2015 Teen Writer! camp and the many exciting activities planned for this year by visiting our website http://www.luminari.org/Teen_Writer!_Series.html 

Don’t miss out on this exciting scholarship opportunity!

Technology Leads to More Teen Writers

by Gina Catanzarite, Program Director, Lumiari TEEN WRITER! camps

According to a Pew Research Center study titled Writing, Technology and Teens, a whopping 93% of teens say they write for their own pleasure . . . however, much of their personal writing consists of instant messaging, phone text messages, emails and material written on social networking sites.

Here’s the problem: Most teens also say they don’t consider that material to be “real” writing.

I disagree!

Those informal text communications consist of personal messages to friends re-telling events of the day, and that displays storytelling skills, opinion-writing skills, and even basic journalism skills (who/what/where/when/why/how). Teens bloggers are writing about social issues and personal experiences. Other teens are writing material ranging from journal entries to fan fiction to music lyrics --creative formats that inspire both the writerand the reader.

Sure, young people usually ignore the rules of capitalization, punctuation and grammar in those electronic and digital communications and I’d like to see that change – but let’s not overlook the victory and significance of so many teens engaged in writing!

Key research shows personal writing about life goals makespeople happier; creative writing leads to improved academic, social, and emotional intelligence; and strong writing and communications skills were rated by 97% of executives as‘absolutely essential’ or ‘very important’ in a study about skills employers value.

As the French novelist Gustave Flaubert once said, “The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.”    

So, parents… don’t get discouraged if your kids are constantly on those handheld devices because there really is some valuable skill-building going on.

And kids, I’m talking to you now, and I can’t stress this enough: Don’t devalue that content you’re creating!!

Those personal communications and creative “scribblings” really do count as “real” writing. And there are plenty of us out here you can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Read the full results of the Writing, Technology and Teensstudy here and discover what teens are writing, how parents feel about the topic, and what schools can do to feed the teen writing habit!        

AND… indulge your teen’s love of writing by checking out this year’s Teen Writer! camps, Fantastic Fiction! and Journalism & Opinion Writing!

Looking Forward to 2015

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 we welcome the Year of the Goat. Chinese New Year is an annual event that marks the beginning of the Lunar calendar with a spectacular 15-day celebration observed by many Asian cultures as a time of reflection, renewal, and most importantly reformation – embracing change and looking to a new and prosperous year ahead!

To ensure our growth and continued success in 2015, Luminari is pleased to announce that three of its long-time partners have pledged their support for this year’s summer programs including Schell Games, an award-winning, Pittsburgh-based game development company; Berner International, Corp., a leading manufacturer of air curtains and doors headquartered in New Castle Pennsylvania; Brown Brothers Harriman, a banking institution with more than 200 years of experience in investment services; and UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion, which promotes dignity and respect in the workplace and cultural competency in patient and family care.

We are extremely grateful to these outstanding organizations for their belief in our mission and continued support. If you would like to join them in supporting Luminari, or would like to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities, please visit our website or call (412) 877 - 1888.

Looking ahead we have big plans for the I Want to be an Ambassador! camp, and under the leadership of our new director Gina Catanzarite, we will be incorporating more new media in the camp this year. Luminari is all about the “ripple effect” of positive change and throughout the camp, our teens will be sharing inspirational images, quotes, video clips, and advice for being an “ambassador” at home, at school, in the community and beyond. Be sure to follow Luminari on Facebook and Twitter for instant updates and to witness first-hand the progression of our new ambassadors.

In addition, we have an exciting change for our Teen Writer! Fantastic Fiction camp too. In the past, our teen writers frequently told us they wished the camp lasted even longer – and we heard you. Luminari is happy to say that this year’s Fantastic Fiction camp has been extended to four days!

More good news! For the first time, Luminari invites Teen Writers to apply for a scholarship to its Teen Writer! camps. Students who want to submit entries for the Teen Writer/Luminari Award can write a 500 - 700 word essay on the importance of contributing diverse opinions and ideas to the public through creative and journalistic writing. They should also state how they, personally, want their writing to broaden the minds of readers. One student will be selected for a Teen Writer Luminari Award, which includes a full scholarship to attend a Teen Writer! camp in 2015, a $395.00 value.

To learn more about the Luminari Award, other available scholarships or to apply, visit www.luminari.org.

Luminari Award winners will be announced beginning in February (beginning with our ESL Award) – so stay tuned!

Sincerely,
Team Luminari