how to write the first sentence of your college essay

For many, getting started is the hardest part of anything. And that's understandable. First, because it turns whatever you're doing into a reality, which raises the stakes. Second, because where you start can easily dictate the quality of where you end up. College essays have their own special brand of DTDT.

Table of contents. Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Set a time for one minute and write down whatever comes to mind for that specific topic. This will help get the juices flowing and push you over that initial bit of writer's block that's so common when it comes time to write a college essay. Repeat this exercise if you're feeling stuck at any point during the essay writing process.

1) Share a story. As you can probably tell from the examples above, we recommend starting your essay off with an engaging story. Before you tell a reader that you're an introvert who also loves performing in musical theater, you'll want to tell the tale of the first time you braved the spotlight.

How to Write the First Section of Your College Essay. In a 500-word essay, this section will take up about the first half of the essay and will mostly consist of a brief story that illuminates a key experience, an important character trait, a moment of transition or transformation, or a step toward maturity.

Research and create a basic outline as you go. Roll research and the initial outlining process into one simple step. As you research, create an info dump—a bullet-pointed list of the topics you want to cover. Add links to articles and citations as you go so you can refer to them easily. Figure out what you want to say.

Every good introduction needs a thesis statement, a sentence that plainly and concisely explains the main topic. Thesis statements are often just a brief summary of your entire paper, including your argument or point of view for personal essays. For example, if your paper is about whether viewing violent cartoons impacts real-life violence ...

Intriguing ways to start an essay. There are many different ways to write an essay introduction. Each has its benefits and potential drawbacks, and each is best suited for certain kinds of essays.Although these essay introductions use different rhetorical devices and prime the reader in different ways, they all achieve the same goal: hooking the reader and enticing them to keep reading.

As you write and revise your essay, look for opportunities to make your introduction more engaging. There's one golden rule for a great introduction: don't give too much away . Your reader shouldn't be able to guess the entire trajectory of the essay after reading the first sentence.

Don't Repeat. If you've mentioned an activity, story, or anecdote in some other part of your application, don't repeat it again in your essay. Your essay should tell college admissions officers something new. Whatever you write in your essay should be in philosophical alignment with the rest of your application.

Prioritize using "I" statements to highlight your perspective. Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice. Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace. Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

Next, let's make sure you understand the different types of college essays. You'll most likely be writing a Common App or Coalition App essay, and you can also be asked to write supplemental essays for each school. Each essay has a prompt asking a specific question. Each of these prompts falls into one of a few different types.

You can do this by establishing the current state of the field, or by presenting an assumption in the field which you will either support or argue against. You should feel free to "jump right in" to your paper in your first sentence. You can also enter into your paper more subtly, either by using a relevant and artistic first sentence (as ...

Step 2: Pick one of the things you wrote down, flip your paper over, and write it at the top of your paper, like this: This is your thread, or a potential thread. Step 3: Underneath what you wrote down, name 5-6 values you could connect to this. These will serve as the beads of your essay.

Step 1: Get Organized. The first step in how to write a college essay is figuring out what you actually need to do. Although many schools are now on the Common App, some very popular colleges, including Rutgers and University of California, still have their own applications and writing requirements.

2. Start with an attention grabber. The very first sentence of your essay should be the "hook" or "grabber.". This sentence "hooks" readers or "grabs" their attention, making them want to read more. This first sentence should provide rich details, engage a reader's curiosity, or otherwise stand out from the rest.

This college essay tip is by Abigail McFee, Admissions Counselor for Tufts University and Tufts '17 graduate. 2. Write like a journalist. "Don't bury the lede!" The first few sentences must capture the reader's attention, provide a gist of the story, and give a sense of where the essay is heading.

5. Just Start Writing. Sometimes the hook of your college essay isn't clear. Rather than getting hung up, start developing your essay and see if it adds clarity as to how to best implement a hook. Some students even find that it's easiest to write a hook last, after writing the body of the personal statement.

Use your essays to empower your chances of acceptance, merit money, and scholarships.". This college essay tip is by Dr. Rebecca Joseph, professor at California State University and founder of All College Application Essays, develops tools for making the college essay process faster and easier. 15. Get personal.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay. General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body. The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis.

2) The Power of a First Impression. You've probably already heard this over and over, but once more for safety: Adcoms have piles and piles of essays to read. Yours is a speck in the ocean of applications top-tier schools have to wade through to select their next incoming class. In fact, the average # of applications from these same 10 ...

Starting a story is like setting the stage for an unforgettable concert. It's your chance to draw the audience in, make them sit up, and pay attention. The first scene is crucial—it sets the tone, introduces the world, and sparks curiosity. Here's your guide to crafting an opening that hooks your audience from the very first line.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader's interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10-20% of the text. 1. Hook your reader. The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader's interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook.

Again, we'd recommend sticking with standard fonts and sizes—Times New Roman, 12-point is a standard workhorse. You can probably go with 1.5 or double spacing. Standard margins. Basically, show them you're ready to write in college by using the formatting you'll normally use in college.