The Big Secret to SAT Writing Strategies to Excel

The Big Secret to SAT Writing Strategies to Excel SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've noticed that the SAT Writing section seems to be confusing, that's becauseit's intentionally designed to be that way. But we're going to let you in on something that the College Board doesn't want you to know: there area few key secrets that will help you understand this part of the SAT,and knowing them makes itmuch easier to crack.Read on to learn how to take this section of the SAT into your own hands. In this article, I am going to show you: How the SAT Writing tries to trick you with "normal"-sounding English How the SAT Writing testsunusual grammar and style rules that your English class may not have focused on The top concepts that the SAT Writing testover and over and over again Why this predictability matters and how to use it to your advantage Without further ado, let's dive into one of the number one ways the SAT Writing counts on making you mess up. Everyday English Is a Trap Did you know that the English you speak every day is probably grammatically incorrect?The College Board does,and in fact they were counting on that when they designed the SAT Writing.Each of the sentences below has at least one error. Can you spot them? Kim and me attended the civil rights conference that was held at school today. We discussed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, debated different modern-day issues, and were talking about freedom of speech. We learned that if someone is different to you, you should respect them for who they are. The SATtests everyday incorrect English to see who knows what "sounds" right, and who actually knows the different grammar rules. There are two main strategies that the test writersuse to do this. The first is that they will give you a deceptively simple-looking sentence that sounds normal but actually has a tricky grammar error. The second is to give you a ridiculously convoluted sentence that hides a simple grammar mistake. They are testing you: can you see through their sentences to the grammatical structures underneath? Let's look at an example. Here is something I recently heard on a well-known televised cooking competition: She sliced the Wellington, and gave it to Nick and I to garnish. Though a lot of people talk this way,it's not correct. Why?"Nick and I" are both objects of the preposition "to", and therefore "I" should be in the objective case- "me". In colloquial English use, you will often hear peoplemisusing pronoun cases. This is one of the many "everyday English" mistakes that the SAT will throw at you. Not sure what a pronoun case is?There’s a guide for that. At other times, the SAT will hide simple grammatical errors in a very wordy sentence. Example The lamb is not properly cooked, and having to apologize to the guests for his mistakes are the most embarrassing thing about participating inHell's Kitchen. If the above sentence just read, "Having to apologize are the most embarrassing thing," most people would immediately spot the error. The SAT adds extra unnecessary phrases and clauses to make these simple error more difficult to spot. Good news! Now that you know the main way that the SAT Writing tries to trick you, you canuse it to your advantage. Remember that you cannot just use your ear to know if a sentence is correct or incorrect. (Unless you have an exceptionally-trained ear, of course! But most people who speak everyday English do not. Remember that the SAT cares about correct grammar over awkwardness.Just because a sentence is phrased very oddly doesn't mean it's incorrect. Look for the same things that you would look for in a more normal-sounding sentence (like subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, etc.) to see if it's grammatically correct. Remember, the SAT doesn't care if something is awkward. This is why it's so important to understand what the SAT thinks is grammatically correct, as opposed to what you think sounds good.Many of these grammar rules you will be familiar with, but other may come as a surprise to you, and that's because... SAT Writing Doesn't Always Test Normal Grammar Rules Some of the rules they test you on seem downright arbitrary, and, in fact, they are. In theory, you will have learned many of the more "normal" rules in your high school English class. As discussed above, though, this doesn't mean that these concepts will be covered in as straightforward a way as you are used to. Other times, however, you will need to learn the SAT's weird "grammar" rules, which mostly focus onstyle, and what the SAT thinks sounds correct!Don't be fooled by these just because they are not the same as what you have covered in class. Here are some of the top stylistic rules the SAT Writing favors: 1. Pronouns must have a clear antecedent. The antecedent is the noun that the pronoun is replacing. On the SAT, the antecedentmust actually be referenced in the same sentence, or a very nearby sentence in the case of Improving Paragraphs. If it not 100% clear - and spelled out - what the pronoun is referring to, it's incorrect in the SAT's eyes. Let's look at an example: Melissa hurried into the theater and tried to find her seat, relieved that it had not already started. Most people would have no trouble understanding this sentence. It's clear from the context that Melissa is relieved that whatever show she is seeing in the theater has not started yet. However, in the SAT's eyes, this sentence would beincorrectbecause we don't have an explicitly-stated antecedent for "it". According to the SAT, the only things that "it" could refer to are either "theater" or "seat" - and neither of those makes sense! 2. Always use "and" instead of other connecting words The SAT Writing also tests you on your ability to state something in themost straightforward and concise way.By their standards, "and" is the most straightforward way to join things together. So, if you see a sentence trying to replace "and" with another connecting word - such as "plus" or "as well as" - it is incorrect. Note that this does not apply to joining independent clauses together for compound sentences. OnlyFANBOYS conjunction can be usedfor that task. Let's look at an example: Amanda took one job in a restaurant plus one in a hotel. This would be consideredincorrect. Instead, try this: Amanda took one job in a restaurantand one in a hotel. 3. Only similar things can be compared We have a whole article on this topic if you want to go into it in more depth. The basic idea is that the SAT only wants you to compare two similar things. Obviously this has nothing to do with being grammatically correct English- it's just the SAT's preference. For example: John's car was newer than Jerry. Grammatically this makes perfect sense: Let's say that Jerry is 30 years old, but John's car is only 5 years old. However, in the SAT's eyes this is a mistake because a car and a person are too dissimilar to be compared. Let's look at another: Kim Kardashian was jealous because her selfies were not as popular as Khloe. Beware of selfie rage. Again, strictly from a grammar point of view, thisis a correct sentence. One might hope that a human being is more popular than a selfie. However, the SAT does not want you to compare Kim's selfies to Khloe; instead, it wants you to compare Kim's selfies to Khloe's selfies. This is how the sentence would look corrected: Kim Kardashian was jealous because her selfies were not as popular as Khloe's selfies. Now we are comparing selfies to selfies, which are two similar things, and therefore this comparison has the SAT's blessing. 4. Don't delete something unless it is redundant This doesn't come up too frequently, but occasionally an Identifying Errors question will give you something like this: As part of his annual payment, he receives a bonus every year. According to the SAT, this kind of redundancy is incorrect. This goes back to our rule of making everything concise as concise as possible - if you have already been told that something happens annually, you don't also need to be told that it happens every year! 5. Be careful ofusing "because" with nouns The SAT Writing will occasionally use two constructions with the word "because", and both of them are considered incorrect. The first is something that has become common slang recently:because + noun For example, to paraphrase a recent Carl's Jr. commercial, We made a disgusting hamburger with a hot dog on top of itbecause America. Better together? This, unfortunately, will never be correct. Similarly, occasionally the SAT will use the following incorrect construction:noun + is because of Let's look at an example: The drought in California is because of the lack of rain. So, how do you make sure you always catch these problems? Whenever you see the word "because", make sure that it is joiningtwo clauses. A clause is something that has both a subject and a verb. Alternately, "because of" can be used as a preposition with a noun object, but in that case make sure that the rest of the sentence makes sense on its own if you get rid of the prepositional phrase! To fix the above sentences, we would say: We made a disgusting hamburger with a hot dog on top of itbecausewe have misunderstood what America needs. Thereisadroughtin Californiabecausewe have had a lack of rain. OR Thereisadrought in Californiabecause of the lack of rain. 6. If more than one answer is grammatically correct, choose the most concise answer that has the fewest extra words. Many students mistakenly think that having more words makes a sentence sound more academic, but this is not the case. The SAT Writing will always be looking to see if you can spot the most direct and concise way of saying something. So when two or more answers are equally grammatically correct, go for the most concise answer. These six rules are important to know, along with the more basic grammar rules that you've learned in school. This is because.... The SAT likes to test the same thing - over and over and over again. Good news! Though the SAT does try to trick you in the ways we discussed above, it'sotherwisevery consistent and easy to predict.It really only focuses on a few different concepts, and will test you on those concepts repeatedly. The below graphs show SAT Writing’s favorite question types grammar rules to test. If you master those main concepts, you will be a step ahead in conquering this section. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Improving Sentences Around ⅙ of the time, the sentences will be correct as is. Many students are afraid to choose this option, or to choose it too often. If you finish this section and you haven’t had any (A) answers, you can assume you probably went wrong somewhere! Over half the questions will test the same four concepts: Wordiness, especially through gerunds, participles, and use of the passive voice. Ifyou see an answer choice that contains a lot of -ing or -ed words, and the same idea is expressed more succinctly and directly in another option, go for the other option. Fixing comma splices, run-ons, or incorrect conjunctions. Therefore, make sure that you understand how to use semicolons to connect two independent clauses instead of commas. Fixing dangling or misplaced modifiers.Whenever you see a clause or phrase describing something, make sure it's next to the thing it’s describing. Using correct parallel structure.If similar ideas can be expressed through similar language, do it! For more information on this, see our guide to parallel structure. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Identifying Errors About ⅙ of the time, the correct answer will be (E), No Error. These questions can occur back to back. Over 25% of the questions are all about verbs: either subject-verb agreement, or correct verb tense/form.Make sure to see our guide all about how verbs are used on the SAT Writing section, and you will be well on your way to understanding this section. One of the other most common mistakes is in pronoun-antecedent agreement.This topic is all about attention to detail - make sure you match up pronouns to what they refer to and check that plural pronouns match with plural nouns. Check out our guide to parts of speech for more info on when to use which pronoun. What does this tell you? Top secrets for Improving Paragraphs Most questions in this section are about how to improve sentences - meaning that you will use the exact same skills that you need for Improving Sentences questions. The other main question types in this section focus on context. In order to understand how to use transitions and where to add or delete info, you need to be able to understand how sentences are working in the paragraph as a whole.This skill is unique to this section of the Writing SAT.For more info about how to master this section, see our guide on how to approach Improving Paragraphs questions. Why does predictability matter? As you have just seen, the SAT writing sectionactually does not cover that many different topics, and very few concepts will be focused on in detail. This means that you canfocus your studying. Especially if you are aiming for a score around 500 - 600, you should focus on learning the most commonly-tested concepts.When you do this, you will soon start to notice that alot of the questions look similar. This is a good thing- it means that you're learning to beat the SAT at its own game! This is why practice is particularly important for this section of the test and can lead to abig score improvement. If you're used to the kinds of questions that you will see over and over, you willimmediately recognize the kind of question you are being presented with. For effective studying, you should work withreal question from past SAT tests.You can find somehere. When you start to notice patterns,write them down.For example, when a question makes a point of mentioning time, it's most likely going to be averb tense question. You will start to notice a lot of patterns like this that will alert you to what kind of question you are getting. This will help you immediately spotwhat the SAT is asking forand will make the questionseasier to answer. Now that you know this, you can... Use the Test to Create Your Strategy Now that you know the SAT writing sectionis going to be very predictable and follow a certain pattern, you can use this fact to your advantage.Create a plan that you can use to attack each question type. Try using the following steps when working on this section of the test: 1. When you read the sentences and answer choices, alwayseliminate any obvious grammar errors first. 2. Next, eliminate any answers that are structurally identical. They can't both be correct, and therefore neither one is correct. 3. Take a closer look at the question, and see if you can find any of themost common errors that the SAT Writing tests.For example, check that subjects and verbs agree, that pronouns have an obvious antecedent that they match in number, that the verb tense is correct, that there are no run-ons, and that parallel structure is used correctly. Going through this list of potential issues will allow you to answerthe vast majority of the questions. 4. If you are still stuck between a few answer choices that both seem grammatically correct,always choose the most concise answer, with the fewest gerunds and extra words. You May Now Dominate the Test Understanding how the test works puts you in a position of power. Get excited - you know the secrets now! Instead of feeling helpless oruncertain about SAT Writing questions, you can confidently attack them, confidentthat you already know everything they're going to ask you. Keep calm and test on. Nerves contribute to careless errors. Because you now know what to expect, you have nothing to fear! What’s next? Now you know what to look for, so go out and conquer the grammar concepts you need to learn. If you want to test yourself, try out some of the most difficult questions you will find on SAT Writing. Aiming for a top score? Read8 key strategies to improve your score, and check out thesetop tips from a perfect scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. 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4 Tips for Writing a Stellar Boston College Essay

4 Tips for Writing a Stellar Boston College Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Ranked among the top 50 colleges nationwide, Boston College is an excellent choice for college, especially if you're hoping to attend a Jesuit institution.As part of the application process, you'll need to submit a Boston College essay. So what should you write about in your essay to raise your chances of getting admitted here? In this guide, we closely analyze all Boston College essay prompts, providing you with our best tips and advice.We then take a look at real Boston College essay examples to give you an idea of what a successful Boston College essay can look like. What Is the Boston College Essay? In addition to the statement you must write for the Common Application, Boston College requires all first-yearapplicants to submit a separate essay as part of the Boston College Supplement (on the Common App under the heading "Writing Supplement"). With this writing supplement, you have four possible essay prompts to choose from: 1. Great art evokes a sense of wonder. It nourishes the mind and spirit. Is there a particular song, poem, speech, or novel from which you have drawn insight or inspiration? 2. When you choose a college, you will join a new community of people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. What is it about your background, your experiences, or your story, that will enrich Boston College’s community? 3. Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why? 4. Jesuit education considers the liberal arts a pathway to intellectual growth and character formation. What beliefs and values inform your decisions and actions today, and how will Boston College assist you in becoming a person who thinks and acts for the common good? Each essay prompt expects you to give specific details and a unique, compelling story of who you are, how you came to be this way, and what you hope to do with your education at BC. Regardless of the essay prompt you choose, your Boston College essay must be no longer than 400 words, making it a little shorter than a typical college essay, which is 500-600 words long. But how can you choose the best essay prompt for you? Read on as we examine all the Boston College essay prompts, one by one. All Boston College Essay Prompts, Analyzed In order to submit a great Boston College essay, you’ll need to know what each prompt is asking you to do and which one will work best based on your personality, experiences, and/or interests. Below, we offer a close analysis of all four Boston College essay prompts. Boston College Essay Prompt 1 Great art evokes a sense of wonder. It nourishes the mind and spirit. Is there a particular song, poem, speech, or novel from which you have drawn insight or inspiration? This first Boston College essay prompt is all about art, specifically a piece of art that's had a major impact on you. Although this essay prompt lists just four types of art- songs, poems, speeches, and novels- you may write about, if you were inspired by a different form of art, such as a painting, sculpture, dance, or piece of architecture, you will most likely be fine writing about that instead. If possible, though, it's best to try to stick with the four options in the prompt; this way you can rest assured you’re correctly answering it. You also want to avoid rattling on and on about the art piece and why it’s so great. Instead,focus on why this piece of art has affected you to such a degree and how this impact has manifested in your life. Should You Choose This Prompt? This essay prompt is ideal for applicants who intend to major in a creative field, such as music or creative writing, due to its emphasis on inspiration and what kind of art has impacted your own approach to creativity. Even if you don’t plan to major in a creative field or have no idea what you want to major in, this is a good prompt to respond to if you can easily think of a piece of art that has changed you in some critical way.If you can’t, another prompt would probably be better suited for you. Tips for Answering This Prompt Avoid writing about a super famous piece of art. While it's OK to focus on something you read for school, don't go with extremely famous and cliched works, such as The Great Gatsby or Harry Potter. Focus on you more than the piece of art. The point of this essay is to explain what creative work has greatly inspired or impacted you, not why this work is so great, famous, or valuable in general. Think about the qualities or goals you now have because of your exposure to this piece, and concentrate on those and how you developed them in your essay. Be clear about how this artwork has affected you. For example, perhaps the first time you listened to the English medieval song "Bryd One Brere," which is thought to be the oldest love song on record, you felt so moved by its lyrics that you decided to learn more about medieval England; now, you’re thinking of majoring in history. Boston College Essay Prompt 2 When you choose a college, you will join a new community of people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. What is it about your background, your experiences, or your story, that will enrich Boston College’s community? This second Boston College essay prompt is a diversity essay prompt: it wants to know what kinds of qualities, experiences, and/or perspectives you personally will bring to the Boston College community.In short, what makes you special? For this essay, you’ll want to focus on one specific trait, experience, or quality you have, ideally one that's an integral part of your identity. For example, if you come from an ethnic group that historically was forced to conceal its traditions and customs, you could discuss in your Boston College essay how being able to freely express and embrace your cultural roots has made you want to encourage others to do the same. Should You Choose This Prompt? There are many categories of diversity that, if you fall under, you may choose to write about for this prompt. Here are just some examples: Your cultural group, race, or ethnicity Your religion Your socioeconomic background Your sex or gender/gender identity Your sexual orientation Your values or opinions A club, group, or organization you're part of Your local community Your hometown or home country A unique experience, struggle, or moment from your life You don’t need to fall under a strictly defined category of people. For example, you could write about a unique circumstance in your life or a specific event that was particularly meaningful to you and significantly affected your perspective on something. Tips for Answering This Prompt Try to avoid trite topics that can apply to many applicants. If you come from a family of immigrants, for instance, you could certainly write about this; however, this topic isn’t super unique, so be sure you’re focusing on something specific and impactful from your life, such as the time someone accused you of being an illegal immigrant. Focus on one defining quality. Even if you fit into multiple categories above, it’s best to stick with just one unique quality, as this will help keep your essay tight and focused. Be clear about how your experience will enrich Boston College’s community. It should be obvious how your perspective will positively affect those around you. Maybe you plan to start a club or promote a volunteering effort, for example. Don’t write about something that isn’t meaningful to you. If your experience didn’t have much of an effect on you when it happened and doesn’t matter much to you now, definitely choose something else to write about. Don’t exaggerate the significance of anything, or else you’ll risk coming across insincere and inauthentic. Boston College Essay Prompt 3 Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why? With this prompt, you’re essentially being asked what kinds of academic fields or social issues you’re interested in and why you’d like to study them. This essay is a great opportunity for you to delve into a specific idea or problem you want to learn more about in college.The topic you choose for your essay can be pretty much anything, from an ancient philosophical theory to the modern-day phenomenon of cell phones. In short, what excites, interests, or captivates you intellectually? And why? Take time to considerwhat you’re passionate about, whether this is a question in an academic field you want to study or a contemporary social issue. Should You Choose This Prompt? Most applicants have an idea of what they want to study in college.Therefore, if there’s a particular field you’re interested in, you can use this as a jumping-off point to narrow your topic so you’ll be discussing a specific interest, question, or idea. For example, ifyou plan to major in psychology, you could think of questions you have regarding a specific idea or theory in the field. You can also approach this prompt from a more social perspective.Are there any problems in contemporary society that you believe need to be addressed more or in a new way? For example, perhaps you’re not a fan of the way women of color are represented in schools' history textbooks and you'd like to look for fair and effective ways to remedy this problem. Other possible issues you could talk about include the following: Environmental issues or climate change Political/economic instability or other problems in a country/area Discrimination, stigmas, or other issues relating to inequality Potential challenges facing technology, science, the arts, specific industries, etc. Tips for Answering This Prompt Explain why you are so invested in this problem. Have you had any direct experience with the issue you’re focusing on? How did (or does) it make you feel? Maybe you’re curious about how we could improve public access for people with physical disabilities, and the reason you developed an interest in solving this problem is that, as a kid, you often watched your friend struggle to find alternative entryways besides stairs. Include a (creative) title for your course. While there’s no need to get overly creative, make sure your class's name is concise and accurately reflects the proposed content. If you were writing about the topic described above, you could title your course something like "Public Access for People with Disabilities: Barriers and Solutions." Boston College Essay Prompt 4 Jesuit education considers the liberal arts a pathway to intellectual growth and character formation. What beliefs and values inform your decisions and actions today, and how will Boston College assist you in becoming a person who thinks and acts for the common good? Boston College is a highly ranked Jesuit institution, so it’s not surprising that the school is curious about applicants' values.The purpose of this prompt is for Boston College to see how your own values will fit with and further promote the key Jesuit principles of ethics and community service. This essay prompt can be broken down into two basic questions: What are your beliefs and values regarding your role in your community? How will Boston College fit with these values and allow you to grow as a person? Should You Choose This Prompt? If you’re applying to Boston College, you likely already know that it’s a Jesuit institution, meaning it strongly values qualities such as morality, service, and interdisciplinary learning. If you have strong values that align with these Jesuit principles, have a clear reason for wanting to attend a Jesuit institution, and can readily envision how you plan to use your BC education for the "common good," this would be a great prompt for you to choose. Some values you could write about in your essay include the following: Honesty Morality/ethics Empathy/compassion for others Selflessness Tips for Answering This Prompt Focus on one specific value/quality you have. For instance, if honesty is important to you, you could discuss a time you had to decide between telling the truth or telling a lie, and how this choice impacted how you perceive honesty and its significance in everyday life. Explain how Boston College will help you develop this value you have. You could talk about specific classes, extracurricular activities, clubs, volunteering opportunities, etc. For example, maybe you’re thinking of making a club to help local disadvantaged families. Boston College Essay Examples Now, let's take a look at two real Boston College essay examples, written by admitted applicants. Note that since the Boston College essay prompts change every year or so, these essays might not correspond directly to one of the four prompts listed above. Boston College Essay Example 1 This first Boston College essay we’ll look at could have easily been written for the second prompt described above (the diversity essay prompt) as it focuses on the applicant’s unique multicultural background. Note that this sample essay is more than 550 words, whereas the current Boston College essay requirements state that essays may not exceed 400 words. Here is the essay: "Happy birthday!" "Feliz cumpleanos!" "Kol sana wa enta tayyab!" After my family sings me happy birthday in English, Spanish, and Arabic, I blow out the candles on my cake amidst thunderous cheers that reverberate throughout the five boroughs of New York City. My birthday celebrations, likened by my friends to United Nations assemblies, feature my one, cohesive, yet ever so dissimilar, family, stepping out of their respective Ecuadorian and Egyptian roles to further thrust upon me their expectations. Some would fold under this pressure, but I embrace this trust. While they have not always been able to put me in optimal positions, it has all congregated to a driving force in my cultured and diverse mind. My never ending quest to achieve success for my family began at a young age, through my trips to Ecuador and Egypt. I not only grew fond of their eloquent languages, but of their modest values. On my first trip to Ecuador as a toddler, my Uncle Guillermo was found dead in an alley one morning, no cause, no explanation. Instead of shielding me from the forlorn passing of one of my heroes, my relatives used this as an opportunity to develop my value for awareness. They told me that Guillermo's death was linked to his severe alcoholism. He had been afflicted for decades, all while selling away the family's possessions to fuel his addiction. He, like many from the impoverished, drug ridden country, knew no better. Some would view a traumatizing event like this as an excuse to end up along a similar path, but it immediately ingrained in me the farsighted principles that I maintain to this day. There are no excuses for me to approach education halfheartedly, for I have witnessed the malevo lent effects of ignorance. When my grandma, Anisa Saad, told me that she views my future with the same reverence that she views the Egyptian Revolution of 20, I finally realized how delicate my actions are. I knew that making something out of myself meant just as much to my family as it did to me. The Egyptian Revolution was the first time since 1981 that Egyptians had a voice. As they overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, they created an irrevocable identity. They proved that regardless what comprises your past or your background, your impact on the world is only what you make of it. My grandma told me that all she could think about as she cast her vote in the first ever democratic election was that she was changing the world. She said that if a 78-year-old widow living with three of her children and a bad back could change the world, a prioritized pupil with a keen understanding of different societies has boundless potential. In New York City, the quintessential hub of culture, I found it easier to expand on my expectations and values. I am most people's culturally passionate friend rather than the kid whose ethnicity is indeterminable. I am a New Yorker's idea of a New Yorker; an assiduous product of the "melting pot." No idea is too farfetched to believe, no goal too unattainable. With my grandma's words in mind, I face any problem that the Concrete Jungle throws at me. I seek to make sure the Salazar's of Ecuador and the Badran's of Egypt finally have significant names in the world. I want to blow out my birthday candles with a family proud that I made it, not hoping that I do. Source Here's what makes this Boston College essay work: It has a compelling hook. The first few sentences about the applicant's multicultural and multilingual family immediately draw us in. It makes you want to learn more about why this applicant gets told happy birthday in three languages, and what this means for their values. It’s highly specific and detailed.We're given people's actual names, from Uncle Guillermo to Anisa Saad. These concrete details ground us readers in the story while highlighting clear connections between the applicant's life experiences and values. Zoom in on the details for your Boston College essay. Boston College Essay Example 2 This next real Boston College essay example is less focused on diversity and more on community service, a major Jesuit value that Boston College would be more than happy to read about in your essay! Atjust under 400 words,this essay should help give you an idea of about how long your Boston College essay can be. "Can you teach me how to tie my shoes?" I looked down. There was Miguel. He pointed at his untied shoelaces. "Come sit down over here," I said as I pulled over a chair. "Just remember this: Loop, Swoop, and Pull." I tied his shoelace. "Now you try on the other." He bent down. "Loop ... Swoop, and ... Pull." He completed a perfect bow. Later on in that day, Thomas came over to me. "Can you help me tie my sneaker?" Miguel was next to me. I was helping him learn the letters of the alphabet. "I think Miguel can help you." I looked down at him and he nodded. He brought Thomas to the side. "Just remember, Loop, Swoop, and Pull." In-between studying for the SATs and preparing for my varsity basketball season, I volunteered in a local preschool for Head Start and Special Needs Children in the summer before my junior year. I worked with students who were attending their first year of the school during that year. I was invited back to volunteer again the next summer. I was with the second-year students and Miguel and Thomas were again in my class. "Do you want to see me write my name?" Miguel asked the first day of my second summer at the school. He used a purple marker and a blank piece of white paper and clearly wrote "Miguel." Thomas approached me. "Look, I can tie my shoes now." He bent down. "Loop, Swoop, and Pull," he whispered as he completed a perfect bow. "It’s great to see you guys again. I’ll be here the whole summer." The goal of the program is to prepare the students for success in kindergarten. The best thing about going to the school for two years was to see the progress Miguel, Thomas, and the other kids made. I saw the children walk on the stage at the graduation ceremony at the end of the summer term. I know they will be able to excel in kindergarten. I began to visualize Thomas and Miguel being at the top of their class in kindergarten next year. I am proud of the work the school does for the children and the progress the children make in the school. I look forward to returning to volunteer next summer. Source Here’s what makes this Boston College essay work: It tells a detailed, interesting story. Many students have volunteered at schools or helped out younger children, but this Boston College essay lets readers really see the uniqueness of the applicant's experience. We learn about two children, Thomas and Miguel, and how the experience of helping them positively impacted the applicant. It’s highly focused. No part of this essay feels extraneous or as if it doesn't belong. It uses a well-organized structure that’s easy to follow. We also learn through small details that the applicant successfully maintains other commitments, too, such as varsity basketball. It focuses on a key Jesuit value: giving back to others. If you plan to respond to Prompt 4, this is a great essay to look to for tips. It’s all about helping the common good and highlights, especially with its last line, the applicant’s desire to continue helping the community. How to Write a Great Boston College Essay: 4 Tips Before we wrap up, here are four general tips to help you write a great Boston College essay. #1: Be Clear and Specific Your Boston College essay should be clear, with specific, concrete details that tell a compelling narrative about you and what you value.Your essay will have more personal impact if you can incorporate critical details, such as the names of people, your reactions/emotions to events or actions, etc. In addition, make sure your story is focused and doesn't meander onto less relevant, less interesting, or less significant topics. For instance, if you’re writing about how you enjoy volunteering at retirement homes, there's no point in elaborating on other values you have or other service projects you’re involved in since doing so will take away from the main focus of your essay. #2: Use an Honest Voice While Embracing Jesuit Values As with any college essay, try to channel an authentic voice.Exaggerations in your emotions or reactions are generally pretty easy for admissions committees to detect, so don't bother trying to make a particular experience in your life seem more significant than it really was. Be honest with yourself: what is important to you?What do you believe Boston College must know about you?And what do you feel defines who you are and what you want to do? Remember that Boston College is a Jesuit school that strongly values specific qualities, including morality, honesty, and community service. If you have a strong passion for any Jesuit values and often exercise them in your life, make sure you’re clearly touching on these in your essay so you can further emphasize how Boston College is an ideal fit for you. #3: Don’t Repeat What You Wrote for the Common App Essay All Boston College applicants must write, in addition to the essay we’ve talked about in this article, a separate personal statement that responds to one of the Common App prompts. Since many of these prompts are similar to the Boston College essay prompts listed above, it’s critical that you do not repeat any major themes or topics in your two essays. Each essay is meant to showcase a different side of you, and if you’re simply repeating yourself in both essays, you won’t be revealing anything unique or interesting about yourself- which will not impress the Boston College admissions committee at all! #4: Edit and Proofread a Lot You’ll want to spend a good amount of time editing and proofreading your Boston College essay. The best way to do this is to write a rough draft and then put it away for a few days.After some time has passed, take out your essay so you can look it over with a fresh perspective.Note any areas that are irrelevant, awkward, or grammatically incorrect. Once you’ve done this a few times, give your essay to someone else to read, such as a teacher, parent, or older sibling.Ask for feedback on what you can improve in terms of flow, organization, and overall story. You should now have an excellent Boston College essay ready to submit! What’s Next? If you're applying to Boston College, you're likely applying to other colleges on the East Coast, too. Check out our expert guides to the Duke essay, the Tufts essays, and the Harvard essay. Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants! To learn more about Boston College, including what GPA and SAT/ACT scores you'll need to get in, check out our Boston College admission requirements page. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. 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