 What's up guys, it's Josh and we're back again with another video. Today's part six in my series where I help you get into your dream school. The topic of the day is college essays. I know I made videos on essays before but today's the day where I pour out all my secrets on how I made my essays the best they could possibly be. Let's get into it. Okay, my first tip pertains to when you're trying to choose a topic. My advice is to focus on one specific extra curricular or one moment in your life which can act as a lens through which the admissions officers actually see who you are as a person. If you guys saw the video where I read my Common App Essay, you'd notice that I focused on one specific failure in my life and the effects and the personal relationships that developed because of it. Or in the Yale supplement I wrote about magic, the whole first paragraph sets the reader in a specific scene where I can explain to them what the performance of magic entails without directly spelling it out for them. Be specific in your descriptions and broad in your explanations. Another common mistake that students make is choosing to write about a friend or a grandparent. Although students can often create amazing and well-crafted essays about these people, the admissions officers can't learn anything about you from these essays. Keep in mind the whole purpose of a college essay is to fill in the blank spots on your application and connect all these random numbers and test scores into the person that you are. If you're writing about the relationship with your grandfather, the admissions officers simply won't be able to see that. Another common misconception among students writing college essays is that they think they can use these limited words to kind of build upon their resume or embellish it. You need to keep in mind that the admissions officers have already read your resume, they know all your grades in every single class you took and they've seen your test scores. They do not want to read a 650-word essay about what the National Honor Society is. These essays are meant to show how a specific moment or a specific activity impacted you and changed your view on the world. You only have a limited number of words. Don't use them explaining something that can be seen in other parts of your application. Also, as you're writing your essay, try to ask yourself the following question. What is the significance of this topic that I chose to write about? How has this experience changed who I am today? To what extent was the impact of this experience? The admissions officers aren't going to learn who you are through vague descriptions. They want to see your personal thoughts and mindset. So give it to them. Alright, that's it. I hope you guys learned some more about how to craft your college essays. If you enjoyed the video or something, drop a like, hit that big red subscribe button for me too. Comment down below any questions or concerns or what you thought of the video. Try to respond to everyone. As always, I'll be back again tomorrow at 3pm for another video. See you soon.