It is vitally important to “hook” your readers by grabbing their interest from the very beginning of your college admissions essay. You want the first sentence of the first paragraph to be so interesting that it compels admissions officers to keep reading! It is so important to craft a compelling hook that draws them into your essay.
Here are six foolproof approaches for writing an excellent hook for your college admissions essay.
1. Jump right into the action (“in media res”)
In media res is a literary technique where writers start right in the middle of the action. Without any preliminary introductions, you plunge your reader immediately into your story. As a result, the reader can’t help but keep reading to find out what happens next.
Example: My life flashed before my eyes as the boat lurched beneath me and I thought, I’m too young to die!
2. Use intriguing dialogue
Starting with dialogue is another way to suck in your reader right from the start. Plus, dialogue usually packs more of a punch than simply describing what a character said. Remember, the key to good storytelling is to show, don’t tell.
Example: “Young man, do you have any idea how fast you were going on those roller-skates?”
3. Lead off with a quirky, funny, or unexpected statement
Another way to grab your reader’s attention is to start your college admissions essay off with something totally unexpected. In other essays, you usually want to build to your point, rather than state it abruptly without warning. But in a college admissions essay, starting with a surprising or funny statement with no lead-in could be an effective way to fascinate your reader.
A word of advice, though — don’t try to be funny if humor writing isn’t in your wheelhouse. Your essay will be better if you write it in your own voice. If your style is more reflective, serious, or earnest, there’s no use in striving for a funny or quirky style that doesn’t ring true.
Example: Mother Nature is my sworn enemy.
4. Start off with a question
By starting your college admissions essay off with a question, you immediately engage your reader. The admissions officer starts participating in your essay, because you’ve given them a question to answer.
Example: Have you ever really watched a bee landing on a flower?
5. Share something strikingly honest about yourself
The college essay is personal narrative, so you could start getting really honest right off the bat. If your topic is especially revealing or personal, starting with a revealing statement could hook your reader’s attention — and gain their trust — from the get-go.
Example: When my grandmother died, I didn’t cry.
6. Use vivid imagery that appeals to the senses
The best stories suck you in and make you feel like you’re experiencing the action along with the narrator. Your college admissions essay should also use vivid language to tell a story. One of the best ways to do this is to appeal to the five senses: see, touch, hear, taste, or smell. Not only will you hook your reader, but you’ll also transport them straight to the scene of your memory.
Example: I bit into the crisp, summer-sweet apple as warm sunshine flooded through the kitchen window.
Engage your reader right off the bat
These are just some of the possible approaches to writing a solid hook for your personal essay. You can use any approach that feels right to you, as long as your answer to the question, “Will this make the reader want to keep reading?” is a resounding YES!
The nice thing is that it’s easy to test your hook — simply ask a friend or family member (or one of our coaches!) to read the first sentence of your college admissions essay and then stop. Ask them if it hooks their interest and why or why not. Then use this feedback to keep improving your hook until it grabs your reader from the start.
Acton Essay Center 