Fans of Janine Robinson and her enormously popular Essay Hell blog will love the latest in her series of practical primers on college essay writing, Essay Hell’s 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions—a crash course on how to write a totally awesome college admissions essay.
In this short—it takes under an hour to read—ebook guide, Robinson has compiled 50 of the questions she’s encountered most frequently in workshops and working individually with students and others on college essay writing. Readers can easily learn the basics of everything from form to content in thumbnail responses provided in the narrative and then expand their knowledge by clicking on links to related posts on the Essay Hell blog. Standing alone, the guide is an easy and direct introduction to college essays. But the combination with more specific and detailed advice in the blog gives a powerful overview of what admissions readers look for and appreciate in essays submitted with college applications.
The guide is broken into five chapters featuring questions on how to find essay topics, the best way to structure essays and how to strike the right tone for the right topics. Sample questions include
Who reads these essays?
What are admissions experts looking for?
Do I need an impressive topic?
Can I write about mental illness, sex, religion, politics, etc.”
Does a college application essay need a title?
How much of a role can parents play in brainstorming and writing the essay?
Robinson’s pioneering approach to college essays is one now shared by many essay coaches. She teaches students how to “tap their real-life stories to illustrate their unique qualities and characteristics, and distinguish themselves from other applicants.” And she is quick to point out that the style and content of these kinds of essays is not for English teachers or grades—they are less formal in nature.
As a bonus, the guide includes a link to six sample essays in the introduction from Robinson’s collection of college application essays, called Heavenly Essays. It also includes a free book offer for readers.
Between now and February 17, Essay Hell’s 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions will be available on Amazon for download free of charge. After that, a free digital copy may be obtained by emailing Janine Robinson at [email protected]. The second offer ends March 1.
