It’s quite the process to allow your child to write an essay that reveals their true personalities, inexplicable passions, weird talents, favorite foods, sickest playlists, and undeniable quirks. We believe the best college essay convinces the reader that she/he would make a great roommate.
Our best advice for parents: step away from the keyboard. You do not have an essay to write. We got this with just 3 steps:
1. START AT THE VERY BEGINNING
Your child may have worked with their guidance counselor to brainstorm essay topic ideas. We’ve learned that’s the wrong approach. The essay topic is secondary; the subject (your child) is most important. Start them at the beginning, with reflection. A great topic will emerge more freely if your child starts in the right place. What experiences, not accomplishments, makes your child unique?
You can take a few things off the table for them: Politics, Religion, Why you’re SO lucky, Sports victory or defeat, Death of loved one, Volunteer hours.
Write Coach tip: College essays are similar to life and, in life, nobody likes a braggart.
2. OFFER TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT
Be supportive, like a cheerleader on the sidelines, not critical like a New York Times theater reviewer. It can be harder than you think. It means taking your fears out of the equation. So the question is “does this essay make you proud?” Not: “Is this your best work?”
When it comes time to start writing, encourage your child to use his or her own voice and words. No one needs superpowers or power words to get into college. Write Coach helps students to hear their own voices and feel good about their word choices, and their final essays reflect that confidence.
Write Coach tip: Trust your student through the process … by listening!
3. BE REALISTIC
Sometimes well-meaning parents (just like you!) expect more from a college application essay than admissions officers do. We know that colleges don’t expect perfection from kids.
You might feel pressure to do more, rather than less. The pressure may come from outside influences like your own feelings of sadness and anxiety of letting our kids go. Instead, put the focus on finding the school that best “fits” your child.
Write Coach tip: Encourage your student to reach out to admissions officers. Not you. Them. Why? It reveals their winning personality.
Whatever your parenting style may be, or how studious or engaged your child is about college, Write Coach believes you’ll like working on the reflection process so much that you’ll forget about the outside noise and trust yourself and your child.
You don’t have to go it alone. Write Coach helps students make their dreams come true … without parental help! Schedule a free initial consult here. It’s 15 minutes for years of peace of mind.
