To my high schoolers: How to overcome the pains of writing (from a former high schooler)...
Jack Beecher, here.
One phrase above all plagued me as a highschooler: "you have an essay due."
It wasn’t that I hated writing either; it was just always so hard for me to express what I thought were my "great ideas" clearly. It took so much willpower to write for only a couple of hours.
So imagine my fear during my sophomore year when I learned that college admissions is non-stop essay writing. Also, imagine my fear when I realized senior year I was applying to 22 different schools all with different prompts.
Turns out everyone has that fear. It’s not going to go away. Other kids let their fear of writing define them as they complain about writing as a weakness. No, not you. Lean into the fear and set yourself apart.
Here are my best tips to make writing a strength:
Understand writing is hard, like really really hard
Few people enjoy writing and even fewer find it easy. Even the best authors approach writing as a daily battle to win, not a space they’ve already conquered. Famous author, Kurt Vonnegut described his process as, "When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth." When you write, you’re creating something out of nothing, trying to show other people the thoughts in your head. Have patience. Writing is hard. Accept that and move forward.
Read
The more you read, the better you’ll write. It doesn’t matter what you read either. I constantly find my writing style drifting to the last thing I read. It’s a fascinating phenomenon. If you’re looking for a book to improve your writing, check out On Writing Well.
Write Daily
It’s summer. I know the last thing you want to do is write, but trust me, if you don’t use the skill, you will lose it. Especially for the rising seniors who will write college essays soon, practice now, and reap the rewards later. You will write so much in the fall. Ease into it now. And I’m not saying to write papers every day. Maybe just journal a few sentences. Do anything that involves the written word every day. You’re senior self will thank you.
You’re writing to a real person
When I wrote my essays, I thought of it as writing to an algorithm that ranks essays and points out every grammatical error. No, not at all. You’re writing to a human, just like you, a human that wants entertainment, a story, and a glimpse into your personality. Make your writing entertaining. Rules are meant to be broken. Practice this in your lead-up to senior year. Formal writing is an over-taught skill. College essays aren’t graded, they’re read.
Show not Tell
Maybe your high school teacher uses this phrase too, but if not, engrain "show, not tell" into your memory. No one wants to be told something. They want proof. Don’t say, "I love math and would love to study it at your university," show them that with a story. Studies show that people remember stories far better than facts, and all of college admissions boils down to being remembered by the admissions officers so they vouch for you. Please, please, please use stories. Again, it’s a real person you’re writing to—a person who has read boring essay after boring essay. Don’t bore them again. Tell them stories.
Avoid Overstatement
The university you’re applying to is not unique. But practically every single college essay uses that word somewhere. The definition of unique is being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else, so use the word sparingly. College admissions officers lose trust when applicants overstate things.
Be Concise
Don’t make a point in five sentences when five words can do. Words are a luxury you don’t have in college admissions.
If you only take one thing away from this blog, understand that everyone dreads college admissions essay writing, and that feeling won’t disappear. However, don’t worry. This feeling is an advantage to those who embrace it and push through anyway.
For all the rising seniors, best of luck. You got this.
For everyone else, your time will be here soon enough. Hone in your skills. Embrace the difficulty of writing. Make it a strength.
Best,
Jack Beecher
P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.
P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!" The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).
