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Essay Structure Part II: Framing
Like a painting, your college application essay is a composition. The preceding post, Essay Structure Part I (scroll down), focused on how to structure your essay around the concepts of Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis. Such an essay provides the admissions officers a new lens—one that transcends such data as your GPA, SAT, SAT II, and ACT—through which to view your candidacy. So what do paintings, admissions essays, and even eyeglasses have in common? They all benefit from excellent frames.
The framing packages your essay in a provocative yet thoughtful way. The top frame is typically an attention-getting sentence or two that both pulls the reader in and conveys something meaningful about the essay’s theme or content. The bottom frame revisits the top frame, thus holding the essay together, but with the benefit of insights or wisdom gleaned from the essay as a whole.
Like composition, framing is a highly creative process. There are many ways to trigger ideas. Here are two. First, read several of the published essays—numerous books collect these—written by successful college applicants. (Keep in mind, of course, that depending on the overall quality of the application, some successful applicants might have been admitted in spite of, rather than because of, their essays.) Reading such essays will expose you not only to novel framings, but also to a broad range of potential essay topics. Second, consider how the professionals do it. Op ed columnists, especially those writing for major newspapers, are typically limited to about 750 words. Whereas you are competing for attention against other applicants, these writers are competing for attention against other columnists on the same page. Creative framing is among their most powerful tools.
One last tip: Regularly reading at least two op ed columnists, one whose world view you find agreeable and one whose world view you find a challenge, is sure to make you not only a more thoughtful college applicant, but also and a more informed and interesting person.
Past Writing Tips of the Week
(scroll down):
Euclidean Grammar
In Euclidean Geometry, parallel lines don’t cross. In writing, non-parallel form makes thoughtful readers cross.
Students sometimes think that Mathematics and English involve non-overlapping skills, but this is mistaken. Effective writing adheres to an underlying analytic structure that resembles mathematical systems.
Consider the following sentence: “In my spare time, I like riding my bicycle, team sports are fun, and to travel abroad.” You might have uttered an audible “yuck!” The writer expects the reader to absorb considerable information but has not properly processed it to ease the task. As a result, the reader must undertake two steps: (1) reformulate each clause to follow a common, or parallel, structure, for example, a gerund clause, an independent clause, or an infinitive phrase, and then (2) digest the information.
The same problem arises in math, although math teachers often deliberately structure problems to force such additional steps. Adding 1/3, 1/4, and 1/2 is a more difficult task than adding 4/12, 3/12 and 6/12, despite the identical values. (Answer: 13/12 or 1 1/12). Translating fractions into their lowest common denominator is just like translating differently structured clauses into parallel form.
Consider the following revision: “In my spare time, I enjoy riding my bicycle, playing team sports, and traveling abroad.” Now the reader is apt to respond, “Ah, I do as well, in addition to reading well structured prose!"
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Don’t misuse ironic!
“Ironic” is among the most commonly misused words.
In its simplest form, irony means the expression of something to mean or imply its opposite. Situational irony involves a set up, or a construct, in which the expected outcome is opposite the actual outcome. Dramatic irony arises when a divergence between the audience’s and character’s understandings gives different meaning to events, as when Romeo kills himself to join Juliet, who the audience knows is still alive.
The most common misuses equate irony with misfortunate or coincidence. A business sign with falling letters that reads “Picture Perfect” is ironic. The fact that the letters have fallen is unfortunate. If someone tells you about the sign, which you just saw, it is a coincidence.
Consider the chorus of Alanis Morissette, Ironic:
“It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take . . . ”
Each of these situations is unfortunate, even sad. None is ironic. The absence of irony in Ironic, however, is ironic.
"Working with Max helped me focus my brainstorms and find a way to portray a clear picture of who I am through my college essay. The hardest part of applying to colleges is making sure that the admissions office can see who you are as a student and community member, and not just another name and list of achievements on paper. Max guided me throughout the writing process by helping me learn to identify ways that I could strengthen my college essay, so that the schools I applied to could see a three-dimensional portrayal of my personality."
Rachael, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, Class of 2014.
"Mr. Stearns gave me great advice and tips that improved my confidence during interviews, enhanced my essays' content, and gave me greater insight into the college application process."
Jordi, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, Class of 2016.
"I felt in such great hands working with Max on my essay. He's got a great mind for capturing your own uniqueness, and his suggestions are smart and creative. He's a resource I will always use for future applications."
Greg, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, Class of 2011.
Essay Structure Part I: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis
Successful college application essays typically take this form. The thesis does not express what the essay is intended to show; rather it reveals how you once understood something important or how you anticipated the future before something unsettling occurred. The antithesis is whatever challenged your expectations. The synthesis—the most important part of the essay—conveys how you achieved a deeper and more mature understanding that reconciled the thesis and antithesis.
This structure allows you to reveal an aspect of personal development in response to something meaningful. Typically, the thesis and antithesis are set out in successive single paragraphs. The quick juxtaposition lures in the reader, who then wants to see the story unfold. The essay’s resolution, your synthesis, set out in the remaining two or three paragraphs, provides insight into what makes you an interesting applicant.
An athlete who suffered a traumatic injury might explain how refocusing attention on coaching provided unexpected rewards, thus deepening her commitment to the sport and her team. A child whose parent lost a job might explain how rededicating himself to the family’s well being provided greater satisfaction than any foregone material comforts. The possibilities are endless, and the disrupting event can certainly be pleasant; sometimes reading a good book, listening to a new musical genre or artist, or simply meeting an interesting person can profoundly affect how we once viewed the world.
If you are struggling with your essay, consider this question: Can I express my central ideas as a thesis, antithesis, and synthesis? If so, try editing the essay to reflect this structure. You might just see your writing fall nicely into place as you express your ideas more powerfully.
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Don’t confuse commonly mistaken words!
Sometimes words that sound alike, or that even share common roots, hold very different meanings. Here are a few illustrations:
Concerning versus disconcerting: Concerning means having to do with. Disconcerting means upsetting or problematic. You should not say “the looming federal debt is concerning.” Doing so means “the looming federal debt is having do with,” which makes no sense. To an informed listener, the mistake is disconcerting.
Disinterested versus uninterested: Disinterested means not having a stake in the matter, financial or otherwise. Uninterested means lacking an interest in the subject matter. Jurors are required to be disinterested, but to perform well they should never be uninterested. So it is possible to disinterested yet interested. It is not possible, however, to be both uninterested and interested as those two words are antonyms, or opposites. Speaking of which . . .
Opposite versus Apposite: What a difference one letter can make! Opposite, of course, means entirely different in a relevant respect. Apposite means applicable or relevant to the situation you are considering. The opposite of apposite is inapposite, meaning not relevant. And yet, pointing that out here seems quite apposite.
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Learn when to use “I” or “me” following “you and” (or “he and” or “she and”) constructions:
Here is a foolproof trick: Remove the “you and,” and see which sounds proper. When saying “Will you join my friend and ___ at the movies?,” it is mistaken to say “I” because you would not say “Will you join I at the movies,” whereas you would say “Will you join me at the movies.” The inclusion of “you and” does not affect the choice of object (me) or subject (I).
Lady Gaga has gotten it wrong both ways:
Bad Romance: "You and me could write a bad romance," should read
"You and [I] could write a bad romance," and
You and I: "Yeah something about, baby, you and I," should read "Yeah
[there's] something about, baby, you and [me.]"