"Admissions officers are running out of calibration devices. . . .All else being the same or similar, the essay suddenly becomes meaningful because it becomes a tie breaker."

Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, The New York Times, Jan. 9, 2011.

College and university applications often require a personal essay, and many students panic when faced with writing one.  Help is available, though.  Green River College will offer a Personal Statement Information Session, on Thursday, February 23^rd, at noon.  Further information and online registration can be found at http://www.greenriver-events.info/public/index.php?eID=4321.

Holman Library also has resources that can help.  Some examples, from the Essential Skills Collection:

Write Your Way into College. New York, NY: LearningExpress, 2010.                                    (378.1616 W956 2010)

Hernández, Michele A. Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances for Admission to the College of Your Choice. New York: Ballantine Books, 2007. (378.1616 H57a 2007)

Grossberg, Blythe N. Applying to College for Students with Add or Ld: A Guide to Keep You (and Your Parents) Sane, Satisfied, and Organized Through the Admission Process. Washington, DC: Magination Press, 2011. (378.161 G878a 2011)

Get It Together for College: A Planner to Help You Get Organized and Get In. 2015. (378.161 G394 2015)

Springer, Sally P. Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College. 2013. (378.1617 S769a 2013)

Websites

Advice for Writing Application Essays - from Purdue Online Writing Lab - https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/978/04/

Essays That Worked – sample essays from Johns Hopkins University - https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays-that-worked/

7 Effective Application Essay Tips to Take Your Essay from Meh to Amazing - https://www.petersons.com/college-search/application-essay-tips.aspx