The end of summer not only marks back to school, but it's also the time for those rising Seniors to finalize their preparations for college admissions. But how do you stand out from the other thousands of applicants? Write a winning essay.
"Powerful writing can make the difference between success and failure. You only have a certain number of seconds to catch your readers attention, make your case. Everybody is busy. You have to write with precision, focus and clarity"
Carla Bass is a retired Colonel in the United States Air Force, a writing consultant and the author of the new book, "Write to Influence!" She says college admissions officers and employers bemoan the lack of strong writing skills among college applicants and young people new to the workplace, especially in our world where most communicate mainly on social media.
"Powerful writing changes lives!" That is Carla's battle cry and through her book and workshops, Carla shares the tools and strategies to achieve that.
"If we can teach that in our high schools and students apply this through college, imagine all the doors to opportunity that will open. The first concrete experience for many is their college application essay."
According to Forbes.com, 60% of managers claim the new graduates they see taking jobs within their organization do not have the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to be successful. The area new graduates lack the most? Writing proficiency.
Here are some tips from "Write to Influence!" to help us all improve this necessary life skill of writing with focused precision.
1. That blank page is opportunity!
"Write something that is specific to you as an individual. The college application processor wants to know how you have grown. So, pick something specific and narrow and write to it. Structure your stories so you begin with the over arching outline and come to a strong conclusion."
2. Don't write as you speak!
Carla emphasizes that this is one of the most important steps to a winning essay.
3. Revise! Revise! Revise!
Do a first draft, let it sit. Walk away from it. Comeback and revise. Put it down, comeback and improve it. Always make sure your story line flows and that the conclusion ties with the beginning.
4. Time is Money - unintelligible writing wastes it.
College admissions officers and employers aren't looking to waste time or money.
5. Think Mary Poppins!
In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find that fun and snap, writing's a game.
- A scavenger hunt - finding and deleting excess words
- Painting - Adding details to give the story depth, con tour, and context.
- Poker - Knowing the audience, competition and the objectives.
- Photography- Bringing fuzzy concepts and words into sharp relief
- Achieving your goals through this type of writing - Ahh, pure satisfaction!
