The Foreign Service Journal, June 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2020 57 She will tailor the second half of the essay to each college, naming specific classes, professors, etc., where she can develop her interest in history further. Bar- nard wants 250 words, and she’ll expand the essay for Michigan. Because Rachel is still undecided about her major, she will also mention a few classes she’s excited about in subjects other than history. For more detailed advice on writ- ing the “Why This College?” essay, visit https://afsa.org/why-college-essay. Community . Rachel decides to write about her local and global communities of Third Culture Kids. To be able to tweak this essay for several colleges, Rachel will write about her most meaningful com- munity in the first half of the essay, and then gear the second half to each college. Because UVA and Michigan request similar word counts, she will not have to adjust these for length. She will start the essay with a snap- shot of a children’s Halloween party that she and other embassy teens organized, then discuss being a volunteer moni- tor for an online local TCK community. She’ll end with her plan to forge new bonds with other international kids, mentioning specific clubs or houses at each university. Rachel now realizes she should do more research on her colleges. She will need to find specific classes to cite, professors she’s familiar with, and extracurriculars she will take part in. She will try to fit this research in while traveling. Favorite work of literature . UVA’s College of Arts and Sciences asks for a surprising work of art, literature, etc., and George Mason wants to hear about the most compelling work you’ve read. Rachel chooses her favorite book, Catch- 22 by Joseph Heller. If she writes 500 While students should never go over a word limit, they can be well under it if the essay is cogent and well written.