Keating Quigley provides expert essay guidance
With the application deadline just a few weeks away, is your child anxious at the thought of writing “the essay”? No matter how much we enjoy writing, sitting down to craft an important piece like this can bring on a sudden case of writer’s block. That’s where we come in…
We are here to help your child break the essay down into manageable parts that can be conquered one by one. To help you get started, here are five critical tips to think about as your child gets ready to work on their masterpiece!
1. Story. Your child’s story is so important - it secures their place in the reader’s mind. Do they want to fade into the vast pool of candidates with a cookie-cutter response, or do they want to stand out from the crowd? Be sure your child can express themselves, be authentic, and not gear the essay toward what they think the reader wants to hear. You want the piece to reveal their character and traits, and how they think. So before they sit down to write, make sure you have a brainstorming conversation - help draw out their ideas and challenge them with topics.
If they can clearly communicate their message in a carefully thought-out, authentic story with appropriate levels of emotion and passion, they will stand out from the crowd.
2. Voice. We all have a voice that people close to us recognize. Is your child’s voice powerful, quiet, passionate, and clear? Writing limits us because we can’t give meaning by using facial expressions or gestures. Therefore, it is essential for your child to write in a voice that grabs and sustains the reader’s attention while finding a way to convey a passion for their chosen topic.
Be clear and powerful without going over the top.
Be concise - this doesn’t mean as few words as possible; it means using the words needed to get the point across.
Avoid jargon, redundant, and complicated language that could bury the essay response.
Don’t use fluff or filler!
3. Remember to answer the question. It may sound obvious, but sometimes we get caught up in the telling of the story and forget to answer the question. Your child wouldn’t be the first to do that! To avoid this, make sure:
Your child reads, and rereads the essay question.
The essay correctly answers the question asked.
4. Organized thoughts. Encourage your child to put their response topics into a graphic organizer that lets them break the essay down into sections. We recommend drafting the essay in Google Docs to allow for edits and rewrites.
Question/Topic
Introductory Paragraph
Essay Body
Conclusion
5. Finishing touches. As your child gets close to the finish line, check to make sure they:
Stay within the required word or character count, so they don’t have to go back in to cut critical content AFTER finishing the piece. To this point, use word count apps repeatedly along the way.
Refer to resources such as a thesaurus to finesse their vocabulary.
Consult grammar tools to check for critical grammatical errors.
Use smooth transitions between paragraphs.
Ask at least one person to read the essay thoroughly to check for story, voice, content, and spelling.
If you feel your child needs additional help, we are available for one-on-one coaching sessions. We can help them write a compelling essay that will genuinely represent who they are, and ultimately help them to shine! Click here to contact us.