College Essays With Great Details Stand Out

The Class of 2013 is writing away this fall; we want to share a few samples of great details we’ve found in this year's college essays.

• We first swarm over the boats like ants on sugar cubes, taking off the riggers, stretchers and seats.
• I told my very first fib in grade school at the tender age of six when my friend Grace accused me of stealing her crayons.
• No Nutcracker meant no tutu.
• At that moment, with my hands smothered in dirt, I was overcome with bliss.
• There were noises happening all around me, but I could barely hear anything except my own heartbeat. It was going off like bongos in my ears.
• I saw his face as he felt the leaves trickle down his back, and he did not look pleased.
• My fingers slowed down, softly coming to a stop on a major 7th chord, finishing my therapeutic song of healing.
• We sat together in a circle on the woven straw mat in the main room of the house.
• After I found out the grade, I ran around the house and danced, feeling like I had hit my first home run.

Each student's voice is unique; each story is heartfelt and genuine, which is what college admissions counselors want. Your job is to make the colleges like you, tell them something about you they will not be able to find out from your transcripts, activities and test scores. You can do that with genuine stories about YOU!

As you begin the college application process, don’t wait till you feel stuck before seeking help. Learn how to follow a tried-and-true process to get it done. Wow Writing Workshop offers classroom, private and small group workshops that will teach you how to craft a powerful story about YOU in your own words and in your own voice.

Remember, the best essays are the ones that sound like you.

Kim Lifton is president of Wow Writing Workshop.

STAY TUNED: Wow is headed to the National Association for College Admissions Counseling annual convention in Denver next week to launch Wow Online – College Essay, a self-guided online tutorial developed to make college essay writing easier. Counselors and college coaches, please stop by our booth if you are in Denver, and put your name in the fishbowl to win one free Wow Online – College Essay  license for a student of your choice.