The college application essay / Sarah Myers McGinty.

"The 25th- anniversary edition of this best-selling guide gives students simple strategies to maximize the opportunity to "tell us about yourself." Updated to reflect the experience college applicants face today, this book provides a clear path to an essay that says, "Pick me!""-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. How colleges read applications : Where it all began ; How colleges read essays ; Making choices ; Inside the admission office ; Your high school record ; Test scores ; Recommendations ; The interview ; The essay ; A few red flags ; Summary ; Toolbox: A timeline for application essays -- 2. You've done this before : The challenge of the college essay ; A new but familiar assignment ; The structure ; The style ; The subject ; The process ; Toolbox: A timeline for application essays -- 3. Writing an essay : What exactly is an essay? ; Prewriting ; Drafting ; Editing ; Understanding and avoiding plagiarism ; Reviewing the process ; Toolbox: More editing tips -- 4. What's the question? ; The common application ; The graded school paper ; Scholarship and program essays ; The SAT writing section essay ; Five key concepts about the application essay ; Toolbox: Cyber sense -- 5. What's the answer? ; Building an idea bank ; Looking at the common application questions ; Drafting ; A complete essay sample ; What's left to do? ; The common application's extracurricular/work paragraph ; The "why us?" question ; "Why us?" plus ; A word about length ; Summary ; Toolbox: The high-risk essay -- 6. A family affair : A process for parents ; Talking about the essay ; Final tips ; Conclusion ; Toolbox: Ten tips from survivor parents -- 7. A different story : If you are an American applying to American colleges from abroad ; If you are an international student applying to American colleges ; If English is not your first or best language ; If you are the first in your family to apply to college ; If you are headed back to school ; If you are a veteran applying at the end of your service ; If you are thinking of transferring ; A final word ; Toolbox: Start fast -- 8. Samples : Common application question 1 ; University of Michigan ; Common application question 3 ; Common application question 2 ; Johns Hopkins University ; Common application question 1 ; Pennsylvania State University ; Brown University ; Common application question 3 ; 500 words became 1,000 characters ; University of California ; Common application question 6 ; Barnard College ; Revising the extracurricular paragraph ; A final word: insist on yourself ; Toolbox: Quick fixes for procrastinators.