College Essay RESOURCES
Ms. McKenna Sulick, Santa Margarita's College Essay Specialist, is available to work with seniors throughout the college application season.
Students can book meetings with Ms. Sulick to brainstorm essay topics or review their drafts at the link below.
If you would like feedback on your essay but do NOT need to meet with Ms. Sulick, please fill out the form below.
Ms. McKenna Sulick has been an independent college essay specialist for over six years, working with high school seniors across Orange County with a judgment-free approach and empathy at the forefront of her method. McKenna is a graduate of Chapman University’s esteemed BFA Creative Writing program, where she attended on a writing-based scholarship and primarily focused on the genres of personal narrative and nonfiction. While in college, McKenna wrote for various magazines where her journalistic and profile work was featured in cover stories of publications such as Orange Coast Magazine. Her creative work has been published in multiple literary journals, earning awards for narrative voice and overall storytelling.
An SM alumna herself, McKenna brings perspective, understanding, and passion to her work with students here.
types of essays
Personal Statement - 650 Words
The main college application essay is commonly known as the "Personal Statement" or the "Common App Essay." Using the Common App, students select 1 of 7 prompts. This essay is your chance to show colleges who you are outside of your grades, activities, awards and anything else already listed on your application. The ideal recommended writing style for this essay is personal, creative, authentic, and narrative with the student's voice and personality shining through. Writing samples should indicate the character of an applicant, as if you were speaking to them in person or getting a chance to know how they really think, believe, and act.
Supplemental Essay Questions - Word Count Varies
Some colleges require supplemental essays in addition to the personal statement. Common examples include the following:
"Why do you want to attend this school?"
"Which of your extracurricular activities is most meaningful for you?"
"Why are you interested in your major/what academic goals do you have?"
Colleges generally release these questions between June and August.
UC Personal Interest Questions (PIQs) - 350 Words
The UC application does not require a personal statement or main essay. Instead, they ask students to answer four shorter questions and give eight options to choose from. The preferred writing style is very direct, and students should give complete answers to the questions without using "creativity" that other applications reward. The PIQs are designed to mimic an interview experience, so they look for detailed information, the impact you had on other people or an organization, lessons learned, and how your experiences will shape your university goals. This is a great opportunity to "brag" and let the reader know what you have accomplished and learned. More about UC PIQs here.
Activities & Awards
The Common App allows you to list 10 activities (150 characters) and 5 awards (100 characters), while the UC application allows 20 total activities/awards (500 characters). You should list them in the order that is most meaningful to you.
Additional Information Section
This optional section can be used to explain information that may not be found on the application that you feel is important for the reader to know. Examples include an explanation for a semester of low grades, an injury or illness, an IB extended essay, details surrounding an unusual extracurricular, an obstacle, a learning challenge, moving schools, etc. It is not a place to include an extra essay or another list of activities. Talk with your SM counselor about ideas.
Other Helpful Resources:
- The College Essay Guy
- Essays That Worked - Johns Hopkins and Tufts
- Essay Examples
- UC Application Tips