Many colleges and universities have strict word limits on their supplemental essays - sometimes as low as 100 words. Writing short essays is often harder than writing long essays, requiring concision and creativity to add focus to the writing.
Follow this guide to help you craft succinct yet illuminating essays that are sure to wow admissions committees.
Step 1: Fully understand the prompt
The prompt will tell you exactly what you need to write about. Read it carefully, as they are often looking for more than one point to be addressed in the essay.
Step 2: Start with an example
Rather than beginning your essay with a broad, overarching statement (e.g. 「I』ve always wanted to be a doctor」 or 「Climate change is a problem the world must tackle」), open with single, specific example.
It’s trite to advise the writer to 「show rather than tell」, but it’s trite because it’s true. A short story, or anecdote, that demonstrates a particular point, skill, or personal value, is attention grabbing. It’s strong writing.
For example, if the prompt asks you to describe an activity that you enjoy, don’t write:
I have always loved playing the piano. I』ve had a gift for it from a young age, playing many recitals and winning many awards.
It is much more interesting to write:
In the middle of Cluade Debussy’s Clair de Lune, I glanced at my parents in the audience. Seeing their concern that I might miss a note, I took a deep breath and approached the piece with renewed intensity, remembering my instructor’s advice to let my love for the piano move through my fingers.
Step 3: Use the rest of your essay to explain the importance of your anecdote
You don’t want your essay to only include the anecdote because it leaves the reader wondering 「so what?」 Ask yourself: Why is this story important? What did I learn from it? How have I changed as a result of this experience? Then explain it in the remainder of your allotted word count, making sure you directly answer the question(s) presented in the essay prompt.
By explaining why something is important or how it has changed you for the better, you show the reader that you have critical thinking skills.
Step 4: Conclude by being forward-looking
In only one to three sentences, conclude by pointing out how your experience and what you learned from it will help you in the future. Because you’re writing for college entry, this often involves explaining how the unique skill or personal value you described will help you as a student academically or through your contribution to the unique campus culture.
Step 5: Proofread
In addition to checking for grammatical errors, make sure your essay answers the prompt completely. Read the essay out loud to ensure the writing flows nicely.
（以下是中文翻譯）
許多高校對他們的補充論文有嚴格的字數限制——有時會低至100字。寫短文章通常比寫長文章更難，需要簡潔和創造力來增加寫作的重點。
遵循以下指南，你可以寫出簡潔而有啟發性的文章，一定會讓招生委員會嘖嘖稱讚。
第一步: 充分理解提示
題目會準確地告訴你需要寫些什麼。仔細閱讀，因為你通常會在提示中找到不止一個要點。
第二步: 從一個例子開始
不要以一個寬泛的、包羅萬象的陳述作為文章的開頭(例如，「我一直想成為一名醫生」或「氣候變化是世界必須解決的問題」)，而要以一個具體的例子開篇。
建議作者「展示而不是講述」是老套的，但它老套是因為它是真實的。一件軼事，一個短篇故事，展示了一個特定的點、技能、或個人價值，非常引人注目。這就是強大的寫作。
例如，如果提示要求你描述一個你喜歡的活動，不要寫：
我一直喜歡彈鋼琴。我從小就有這方面的天賦，參加過很多演奏會，獲得過很多獎項。
這樣寫更有趣：
在俱樂部德彪西(Debussy)彈奏《月光之歌》(Clair de Lune)時，我瞥了一眼觀眾中的父母，看到他們擔心我可能會彈錯一個音符，我深吸了一口氣，我深吸了一口氣，重新充滿熱情地走近這首曲子，想起了老師的建議：讓我對鋼琴的熱愛從指縫間流過。
第三步: 用文章的其餘部分來解釋你的軼事的重要性
你不希望你的文章只包含軼事，因為這會讓讀者疑惑「那又怎樣?」問問你自己：為什麼這個故事很重要？我從中學到了什麼？這段經歷給我帶來了怎樣的改變？然後在你分配的字數中解釋它，確保你直接回答了文章提示中的問題。
通過解釋為什麼某件事很重要或者它是如何讓你變得更好的，你向讀者展示了你的批判性思維能力。
第四步: 總結時要向前看
用一到三句話總結，指出你的經驗以及從中學到的東西對你將來會有什麼幫助。因為你是在寫大學入學申請，這通常需要解釋你所描述的獨特技能或個人價值將如何在學業上幫助你，或使你能夠對校園文化作出獨特的貢獻。
第五步: 校對
除了檢查語法錯誤，還要確保你的文章完全回答了提示。大聲朗讀文章，確保文章流暢。