Unlike Kenyan universities which admit solely based on KCSE scores, US colleges require personal essays that show the applicant’s personality. The calibre of colleges that you’re applying to will NOT smother your feet with kisses for having a 4.0 GPA and perfect scores! So give yourself enough time to craft memorable essays. You will find these essay prompts on your Common App. The essays range from short answers (less than 150 words), to medium-sized ones (300 words) and finally, long ones (650 words). Heed the word limits since the Common App will not accept any essays above the word limit.
It helps to have someone review your essays for you since he/she may point out areas which need revision. This reviewer may be your high school English teacher, or someone who has had experience with the US college applications. To ease the essay revision process, write your essays using Google Docs and share them with your reviewer using a link. The sooner you start your essays the better for you since you’ll not be pressuring your reviewer to suggest edits just before the application deadline. Don’t have more than two reviewers since they may have conflicting opinions and it will be hard for you to heed to all of their suggestions.
To start you off, review The College Application Essay that delves into these topics:
- Don’t write a term paper.
- Don’t bore the reader; be interesting.
- Structure your essay.
- Use lots of personal detail; show, don’t tell.
- Be concise. Don’t be wordy.
- Address your weaknesses, but don’t dwell on them.
- Vary your sentences and use transitions
- Use active voice verbs.
- Use appropriate vocabulary.
- Seek multiple opinions on your essay.
- Don’t wander; stay focused.
- Revise, revise, revise.
Here are sample essays written by Kenyan applicants in the past. They are meant to show how different people handled their essays; learn from them – do not copy them!
- Beautiful Thoughts That Got Them Into Harvard collects essays from Peggy Walenda Mativo, Kimberly Mihayo, Brian Mwarania, Bernard Kiprop, Princess Daisy Akita, and Martha Obasi.
- Casting the Die by Dorris Mbabu.
- Knowledge in the Wild by Purity Gitonga.
- Please Listen, It’s for Michael by Martha Obasi.
- The Greatest Gift by Jackson Kitili.
- The Turn by Trevor Mokaya.