Introducing You: Ways to Open Your Personal College Essay
by Kathleen M.
When do you write your introduction? Is it the first thing you write or the last? Or does it happen in the midst of writing your essay? Different online writing sites offer a variety of advice for when it is best to write your introduction.
But it is your essay, do what works for you! And remember that what works for you may vary from one writing opportunity to the next!
The IvyBoost essay blog has one previous entry focused on introductions: “How to Write Exciting Intros”. This article offers excellent advice on how to spice up your intro by suggesting three ways to make it work better.
Here are a few more options to consider as you begin to write your personal narrative essays:
- Set the context/scene
- State why the main idea is important
- Tell a story
First, be sure to set the context – who are you and why are you applying to college? You will have done a good amount of thinking, brainstorming, and planning before you start writing. So, focus your opening by creating context – making it clear what prompt you are responding to, showing off your personality, and really giving a sense of what your values are. You will have a list of these items in your prewriting and can use the trick of literally saying “I am writing an essay about ….” and then going back and removing the “I am writing an essay about” phrase.
A second option for the introduction is stating why the main idea is important – the main idea here is you and why you want to go to college. We know you are important but as with any essay, clearly delivering a kind of thesis and idea of why this essay should be read is a good way to open. This offers you an opportunity to really hit the values message hard and to state clearly and concisely what your plan for the essay is; you can offer a thoughtful roadmap for who you are and why college/your major is important to you.
Lastly, tell a story – many essays open with a narrative anecdote. Why not employ one as a way to open your personal narrative? You have done many amazing things; choose one thing that makes you a unique and interesting person and offer that as an opening. These are especially good if they are different than the reader might expect! So share your hidden talents in these opening anecdotes rather than your impressive resume.
Resources:
“How to start a personal statement”
