How to write an ivy-league essay. . .

In a bit of a snooty how-to advising high school seniors how to write the perfect college admission essay, Kathleen Kingsbury, who writes for The Daily Beast and Time magazine, lists seven basic rules for getting into big-time colleges. I don't know if any of our own prospective students are thus engaged, but her guidelines for good writing shouldn't simply be written off as a how-to for snobs.

Here's what she says:

Rule #1: When Tackling a Global Issue, Make it Personal

Such advice may not make sense on a paper for poly sci or world affairs, but making things personal almost always makes writing more vivid and strong. But if you haven't been to the Sudan, don't try to fake it. When you're finished, go back over the paper, I'd say, and cut out at least half the personal pronouns. Making things personal doesn't mean crowding the real issues off the stage with your own story.

Rule #2: Show That You Have Some Perspective

I don't know a college prof who wouldn't say the same thing. "Perspective" has a specific meaning at Dordt College, but what Ms. Kingsbury is advising here is simply this: being able to see a bigger picture. Know how to do that?--get an education. Or read. Turn off the TV and the iPod. Get some ears. Know what's going on in the world, and you'll write far, far more authoritatively.

Rule #3: Essays Succeed or Fail in the Details

Couldn't agree more. I don't care what the assignment, specificity always bests generality. "After supper, we went right back at it" isn't as good as "After some greasy liver and onions, we went back at it." Generalizations are pretty much useless. Always show the reader--don't tell. The best preachers are always the ones who understand this timeless truth about writing. I'd move it up to #1, in fact.

Rule #4: Make Sure You're the Hero of the Story

My guess is Ms. Kingsbury knows what she's talking about. If you want to get into the flashy schools, show your colors. But if you're writing for any other reasons under the sun, who cares? Tell the story.

Rule #5: Make Your Intellectual Curiosity Clear

Absolutely on the money. Every teacher worth her salt wants, more than anything, a class full of bright eyes. Accomplishment, intelligence--sure, that's good too. But what profs want more is curiosity, an insatiable hunger to learn. I could teach forever with hungry kids. In many places, that kind of intellectual curiosity is scorned outright by the dominant youth culture. Don't be a victim. Get hungry. God's world is incredibly complex, powerfully beautiful, endlessly fascinating. See for yourself.

Rule #6: Know your audience.

I've been teaching writing for almost 40 years and writing for almost as long. If there's one skill that I see sadly lacking in college students it's consideration of the reader. My students always write primarily for their own ears, not for someone else's. When it comes to our own scribbles, we're often--at least initially--nearly tone deaf. Think about your roommate, your little sister, your grandpa--how would they read what you're writing? Listen with their ears. Good writers are immensely attentive to their audience. If they aren't, they're going to miss.

Rule #7: Don't Be Afraid to Show You're Not Perfect

What made Charlie Chaplain a comic genius?--a lot of gifts, but a healthy dose of self-depricating humor. Pride is the first the seven deadly sins, and even though we all have to fight it, we pick it up in a flash in others. And dislike it. Who wants to hang out with a know-it-all? Humility may well be the most precious of virtues.

Interesting stuff. Basic really, but worth repeating, methinks.

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You can read the article--and winning essays, by the way--at http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-25/7-perfect-college-essays/2/