Writing Tools for the College Essay: Write Your Way into the School of Your Dreams

by Roy Peter Clark

Overview

Most high school students never have received any instruction in how to write a personal essay. Yet at a time when getting admitted to their dream college is more competitive than ever, the admissions essay may turn out to be the single most important thing they will ever write. The stakes are high.
 
In Writing Tools for the College Essay, veteran journalist and writing coach Roy Peter Clark
shows how any student can showcase their unique achievements, intellect, and attributes to stand
out from the crowd.
 
Packed with nearly two dozen remarkable essay examples and 100 digestible essay writing tips that students can carry with them throughout their careers, this is the essential guide every high school student, parent, and teacher needs.
 
Readers will learn:
 How to select your writing prompt
 The key elements of a compelling story
 How to master the art of the riveting detail
 What it means to write with an authentic voice
 How to “grab readers by the throat”
 The power of reading one’s work aloud
 The rules of honest writing (including whether to use AI tools)
 Tips for revising (and re-revising) your masterpiece
  and much more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316567671
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	05/06/2025
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Roy Peter Clark is senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, one of the most prestigious schools for journalists in the world. A writer who teaches and a teacher who writes, he has authored or edited twenty books on writing and journalism, including Writing Tools, Murder Your Darlings, and The Art of X-Ray Reading.