Rawlins on writing: Don't let college essays drive you nuts

Jim Rawlins knows a thing or two about how to get to “wow.”

Or he does if the person you’re trying to impress is a college admissions officer. Rawlins is the UO’s admissions director, and he’s one of the people USA Today went to for a recent article on getting a “wow” out of your college admissions essay.

He said it boils down to a few simple rules: Don’t panic. Be yourself. Follow the rules.

Actually, the article, written by a student at Syracuse University for the newspaper’s College section, offers nine tips for writing an attention-grabber that helps make the cut. One of them, Rawlins said, is not to let it make you crazy.

The essay is only one part of the admissions package, and while it should be a window into who the writer really is, Rawlins said it’s not the make-or-break piece it’s sometimes made out to be.

“They prescribe way too much importance to the essay,” Rawlins told the newspaper. “It makes a massive difference — good or bad — to very few out there, so keep it in context.”

Another rule is pretty simple — follow instructions. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that bending the rules will make you seem edgy or cool.

“We want what we ask for,” Rawlins said.