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Common Application Essays - Part 2
Posted by on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 10:10 AM (PST)
The Activity Essay
With the personal statement done, the next type of essay you'll see on the Common Application is the "activity essay." This essay is a brief 150 word (max) piece that all your Common App schools will see. Here's the prompt:
"In the space provided below, please elaborate on one of your activities (extracurricular, personal activities, or work experience) (150 words or fewer)."
While this piece won't be weighted nearly as heavily as the personal essay, it's a great chance to add a little texture to your application. A few pieces of advice:
- Write the personal essay first. It's your primary "brand ambassador," and should definitely include the strongest aspects of your story. Once that's completed, you can use the activity essay to complement the personal essay. You don't want to focus on something you've already discussed in detail, but it's great if the activity essay can somehow underscore your brand. For example, suppose you are an artist and choose to write your personal essay on your unique, new approach to sculpting. The activity essay would be a great opportunity to discuss a specific art competition and the piece you entered.
- If you can't think of a good way to make the two essays complementary, utilize the strongest activity in your arsenal not discussed in the personal essay.
- Be as specific as possible. It's much more interesting to read about a specific accomplishment than about a broad, generic pursuit. In other words, DO talk about the exciting battle of the bands in which your band won first place. DON'T write an essay that reads: "I'm in a band. We play rock music. It's fun."
- Once you have your topic, think carefully about the most important points to hit. 150 words isn't very many, and most students struggle to keep it that short. Be sure to cut the fluff and include only the most impactful information. If your essay is too long, it's probably a good idea to get someone else - a parent, teacher, or counselor, perhaps, to take a quick look and provide feedback on the best things to cut. Oftentimes, we work so hard on each point that we become overly attached to our writing, and an outside observer can help us see the big picture!
- And as with all essays, EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!!!
Check in soon for part 3 of this blog entry, which will cover school-specific supplemental essays!
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