RIGHT MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY

Gacharná, an English and writing instructor at the University of Phoenix, presents a hands-on workbook on how to write an effective essay for a college application.

The author notes early on in this detailed guide that her essay-crafting instruction focuses on three main aspects of the writing process: “Communicate. Navigate. Punctuate.” In this day and age, the competition for college entry is fierce; it may seem that every student needs to be a prodigy, or at least have an extensive resume by the age of 18. As a result, writing an essay to impress admissions officials can be a daunting undertaking. However, Gacharná reminds readers that academic essay writing is, at its heart, a technical skill, and it’s one that follows formulas that can be learned. Rather than beginning immediately with a draft, she says, one should step back and truly consider what one wants to write; the biggest part of the puzzle, she asserts, is communication. She goes on to discuss rhetorical and organizational modes, and steers students away from writing uninteresting “hamburger”-style essays in which the introductory thesis statement and conclusion are the two halves of the metaphorical bun, and the burger is the author trying to prove the thesis. The workbook also clearly defines the difference between revising and editing and shows how outlines are key to successful writing. What colleges are looking for, she says, are “noncognitive variables” such as confidence, long-range goals, or leadership skills. Gacharná breaks down an array of such variables with charts and illustrations.

Many of the lessons here are likely to feel familiar to students—such as the difference between thesis topics and topic sentences, for example—but Gacharná manages to present them in new ways by supplying practical tips, graphics, and relevant examples, including successful essays from actual students. The latter, in particular, will provide readers with strong models to guide them. The author looks at rough drafts and finished works, showing in specific detail how applying her principles can help shape a strong essay. As readers progress through this work, they will also find it useful to read the provided examples of college essay drafts that didn’t work; the author shows how to transform them into essays worthy of acceptance. One of the most useful sections in the book is a list of common mistakes students make, such as simply talking about one’s passion: “Please don’t use the word passion in your college essay. Period. Instead, show me what passion led you to do.” In moments such as these, Gacharna’s conversational frankness is refreshing. The last section includes several sample essays that address specific prompts and a list of ideas and topics to jumpstart the writing process; these practical tools are likely to give students the confidence to start drafting their own essays. The last five pages of the book contain testimonials from students and parents, expressing their views on how Gacharná’s advice set them up for success.

A straightforward guide that makes use of the author’s extensive experience.