For example, Stanford University in California ... essay that's 200-300 words in addition to a 250- to 650-word personal essay. "Sometimes a shorter essay response is not as polished an essay ...

In his 21st book, out this month, Clark explains how everyday objects, clear focus and authentic voice can transform an essay ...

Although these essays are often called personal statements ... Be specific. For example, it is not enough to say that you aspire to be a social worker because you want to help children.

The personal essay is a critical opportunity for college ... qualities you want to highlight to admissions officers. In the example provided, the student may choose to connect Saidullah’s ...

In many cases, students seek extra help when they face a blank page. Some even visit speedypaper right away to see examples or get fresh advice. This can offer a boost, but it’s also important to ...

which can make your essay sound more obtuse and less personal. As we stated earlier, your personal statement should use specific examples and stories to generate interest and reveal why you want ...

Harvard, for example, gives applicants 200 words to ... stop asking teenagers to tell stories. Get rid of the personal essay and just ask them more straightforward questions that speak to what ...

Consider, for example, Arthur Krystal’s “A Word ... Instead I have thrown in my lot with the personal essay, which traffics in skepticism, self-mockery and doubt, and is loath to propound ...

And yet I find myself missing aspects of the personal-essay Internet that the flashiest examples tended to obscure. I still think of the form as a valuable on-ramp, an immediate and vivid ...

On the personal essay Marty Nemko: How would you define ... PL: I do and it bothers me when I can’t, for example, remember a name. I don’t know if it’s pre-senility or whether there are ...