You have the opportunity to express your personality and use your own voice when writing an essay for college entrance. Beyond your academic qualifications, it’s a great chance to add personal touches to your application, and a strong essay can help you make a good impression when it comes time to make a decision.
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You have the opportunity to express your personality and use your own voice when writing an essay for college entrance. Beyond your academic qualifications, it’s a great chance to add personal touches to your application, and a strong essay can help you make a good impression when it comes time to make a decision.
In this blog, we are going to discuss one of the most challenging aspects when it comes to writing essays, that is, how to start writing one. We have discussed the Nine Unique techniques.
How Do You Not Start Your Essay?
- The Excessively Ambiguous Claim: Discussing why all of humanity has felt a certain way for as long as history has existed may appear pleasant from a distance. (For instance, “Perseverance is the key to a successful endeavour” or “Many great thinkers have existed in our nation’s history.”) However, since they don’t reveal much about you to the reader, these kinds of grandiose or too generic comments are easily lost in the mass. And they have little motivation to keep reading if they have no relationship with you.
- Getting Meta: Even though it could sound great to show your audience that you are conscious of your essay writing style while you are writing it, college admissions officers who frequently read meta-material like that find it less cool. Instead of starting your essay with anything like, “I stare at the blank screen…” or, worse, “When I was asked to write this personal statement, at first I wasn’t sure how to begin,” there are other, more subdued methods to show self-awareness. Be aware that while the meta essay has a higher degree of difficulty, it can occasionally be successful.
- Relying on Quotes: Although referencing well-known individuals who have made a noteworthy statement in the past could seem like a catchy way to begin your essay, keep in mind that universities want to hear YOUR ideas. Never substitute someone else’s words for your own thoughts or observations. You have some interesting things to say. Finding out what those things are can just take some time.
4. Using too obvious a thesis: “I want to be a veterinarian because I care about animals and the environment” is a good way to begin your essay. “Cool, thanks, I can save myself the three minutes it would have taken to read the essay,” I say after reading a statement like that. Next, thank you. Don’t give away the entire statement, even if you might want to have it in mind so you know what you’re attempting to say (this is known as a logline). Rather, begin your article with an intriguing opening statement.
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9 Effective Techniques to Start Your College Essay
1. Creating a picture:
You can start with a description based on images that highlights a certain moment without providing much context, at least not immediately. This method allows details, dialogue, or actions to speak for themselves.
Example: I would wake up every Saturday morning to the scent of sharp pepper and crushed garlic. When I stumbled into the kitchen, I would see my grandmother crouching over a big silver dish, combining red pepper, salt, and garlic with the fat leaves of fresh cabbage.
Here’s why this work: The author vividly describes the sensation of awakening to the aroma of her grandmother’s traditional Korean cuisine in this introduction. Even if we don’t yet know what is happening, we get the impression that something significant is happening because of the precise word choice (“piquant pepper,” “fat lips of fresh cabbages,” etc.). However, if you don’t explain to the reader why you’ve stated what you’ve described, this one could be challenging.
2. You can also try to make the image description more concrete:
An image-based description, one to three words long, that highlights a specific moment and then adds a sentence explaining, commenting on, or otherwise setting the scene for what is being described.
Just add one sentence to the example above (note the bolded line below) to understand how this can occur:
Example:
I would wake up every Saturday morning to the scent of sharp pepper and crushed garlic. When I stumbled into the kitchen, I would see my grandmother crouching over a big silver dish, combining red pepper, salt, and garlic with the fat leaves of fresh cabbage. That was how the delectable Korean dish, kimchi, was born every weekend at my home.
Here’s why this still works: Without giving away too much about the direction of the essay, this one statement alludes to some of the author’s fundamental beliefs, such as culture, ritual, and family. This introduction raises more questions than it does answers.
3. You can start your essay with a Twist.
In this, the author begins with information that creates certain expectations about them before taking us in a surprising direction.
For example, Basketball was my universe as a child. Between the two solid black lines, I spent my summers. My skin was riddled with sporadic scrapes and was constantly tanned in patches. I mostly wore Nike sneakers, track shorts, and tournament t-shirts. I snacked on Gatorade and Fun Dip before the game. Scoreboard buzzers, squeaky sneakers, boisterous crowds, and referee whistles were all familiar sounds. Almost every team I played for had me as captain, so I was the coach’s right-hand gal, the commander of the court, and conversant with the Xs and Os of plays.
On the surface, though, that was just me.
In my heart, I was a young adult fiction writer and a bookworm with East Asian influences.
Here’s why it works: At this point, the reader might even be speculating about the author’s identity based on her original self-description. The author is presented as a basketball superstar, the queen of the court, and a sports enthusiast. But the author sends us in a totally different way in only one statement. This manipulates the expectations of the audience and shows that she is fairly self-aware of the facets of who she is.
4. The Philosophical Question
Pose a query that your essay will not (and most likely cannot) address. This allows you to demonstrate how your sharp mind functions and keeps us interested while you consider potential solutions.
Here’s an example: Does every life have significance? Because, particularly in the context of money, it appears that certain lives are more important than others.
Here’s why it works: It presents a contentious proposition and a difficult, intriguing question: that we value certain lives more than others. We question: “Is that accurate? Is it possible? Say more. Note: If you’re not careful, this one could end up becoming the “Overly Grand Ambiguous Statement” beginning.
5. The Confession: Start by acknowledging anything for which you may be judged or judge yourself.
Here’s an example:
I talk to inanimate objects!
Not in a metaphorical, poetic way. I mean full-blown conversations with my microwave when it burns my popcorn, pep talks to my dying plants, and apologies to furniture I accidentally bump into.
Here’s why it works:
It demonstrates vulnerability, but it also frequently piques our curiosity to find out more.
6. The Trailer Thesis
1-2 contextualising lines (usually at the end of the first paragraph) that give us a preview of the essay’s content but do not reveal its conclusion help to ground the essay.
Here’s an example:
His gaze swept over the alternatives as he strode into the wood area. Red Oak? Too common, no. Pine? Too commonplace. Mahogany? It would go well with his walls, all right. The finished product was nearly complete as the days passed. Angles of 91 degrees had been refined to 90 degrees. Ten times over, the drawer slides had been oiled. The young youngster couldn’t contain his smile when the masterpiece was finally completed. A slender 12-year-old boy has grown into a slender 12-year-old man. In addition to having supported me for the past six years, the history of this desk and the items I keep on it serve as a basis for my future endeavours.
Here’s why it works:
We may ask ourselves, “Where is this going?” as we read the opening phrases of this paragraph. However, this statement calms us down and, once more, without giving away too much, provides us a hint of what’s coming. We are aware that the items on the author’s desk will reveal information about him and his future. Fantastic! Additionally, it lets the reader know that they are in capable hands. I still know what needs to be done.
7. You can start with a fascinating concept
Start with an idea that is out of the ordinary, contradictory, or represents a shift in your perspective. This is frequently followed by background information that explains the origins of the idea and the author’s motivations.
Example:
I was shocked to learn that crayfish can convert their red blood cells into precursor brain cells. The scientific study, which was published in Cell in 2014, described how crayfish may use their blood to replace missing eyestalks or olfactory (smell and odour) neurons, restoring their ability to see and smell. From the perspective of development, it appeared unjust. Because they were so much bigger than a 7-ounce crayfish, humans were unable to repair the damage to their brains with their plentiful blood.
Here’s why it works:
This introduction lets the reader know that the author is: a) well-read, b) inquisitive, and c) knowledgeable about, as I like to say, “some stuff about some stuff.” She is somewhat knowledgeable about science in this instance.
Are you knowledgeable about certain topics? If so, letting the reader know with a little geeky terminology can assist. But don’t go overboard, or it will come out as ostentatious.
8. Using a personal fun fact.
To get our attention, start with an odd truth about yourself. Continue by explaining its significance.
For instance:
What the New York Times refers to as “the most welcomed piece of daily e-mail in cyberspace” is what I subscribe to. Images of cats? Kardashian news? No, it’s A Word A Day.
Here’s why it works:
It pulls us in by making us think, “Oh, that’s cool!” and then wondering, “Okay, where is this going?” It makes us feel entertained and intrigued.
9. Create a shocking image.
Grab the attention with a sentence or image that is strikingly specific. Then explain the significance.
Here’s an example:
Feathers shredded, blood smeared. The bird was dead. But hold on, the steady blinking of its bright black eyes, the faint movement of its chest. No, it was living.
Here’s why it works:
This technique discreetly draws attention to the author’s writing prowess without detracting from the story’s substance. The staccatoed phrase fragments in this example evoke a feeling of stopping concern and also replicate the movement of the bird’s chest during its breathing difficulties. Questions abound, including: What happened to the bird? What is the author going to do?
FAQS on how to start a college essay
How long should a college essay take?
Around 2–3 weeks. Time to brainstorm, draft, and revise. Start early!
What is the college essay format?
500–650 words
Intro – Body – Conclusion
Story-based, reflective, personal
Use standard font (12pt Times New Roman), single or double-spaced
What is a good title for a college essay?
Optional! Keep it short, personal, and relevant if you use one. Don’t overthink it.
What is a college essay, and why is it important?
It’s your personal story for colleges. Shows who you are beyond grades. It can help you stand out big time.
