By: Lauren Holley, MS, CCLS, Your Child Life Coach
This week we are talking essay questions!
These are what I like to call the “bread and butter” of the application. We can see that you have met the standard requirements, experience with kids, the required coursework, etc. But, essays are the place where you get to stand out and highlight all of your amazing qualities.
So, why do we get so bogged down in these essay questions? I have found in my sessions with students that when I ask a student to answer the question verbally, I get such a better response!
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself as you start to think about your essay responses.
- How much space do I have? There is a big difference in the information that is needed for a 200 word responses versus a 500 word responses
- What exactly is the question asking? After you’ve written your response, I encourage you to go back to the question and ensure you have actually answered it. You could also read your answer out loud!
- For those short responses (~200 words), where can I eliminate “fluff”? One tip: don’t repeat information that we already know.
- For example: When I completed my degree in child life at the University of Child Life…. Versus Through my coursework….We can see your degree on your resume and transcripts!
After you finish up your responses, be sure to have someone else read over them. This can be a friend, family member, or someone who just loves to proofread! (We all have that one friend right?). Grammar matters when it comes to your application.
3 Additional Tips for writing your essay responses:
- Answer how you want to answer, not how you think they want you to answer
- If you answer the question thoroughly and still have space left, that is ok! Don’t add unnecessary fluff just because you think it should be longer
- Remember those KSA’s- those statements will help you incorporate terminology into your answers and help to highlight your skills as a future intern.
What does Your Child Life Coach offer?
Up to five essays or two additional documents like a resume/cover letter. The new child life internship common application is a big change. But with the help of our document review service, you can rest assured that your materials are top-notch.
Our coach will provide feedback and guidance on how to make your documents stand out. So if you’re looking to give yourself the best chance at securing an internship, look no further than our document review service.
If you’re feeling lost and uncertain about how to complete your practicum application, Your Child Life Coach service is here to help. This one-hour review session provides personalized guidance and feedback from a professional coach, so you can make sure your application materials are polished and perfect.
Our Internship Application Review service offers tailored feedback on your application materials, so that you can make necessary revisions and increase your chances of being accepted into an internship program. We’ll work with you one-on-one to help you perfect your resume, cover letter, and essay responses – all of which are essential components of any successful application.
Our Mock Interviews are designed to help you get ready for the real thing. We’ll sit down with you and conduct a 10-question interview covering a range of topics. Once the interview is done, we’ll debrief with you and discuss your strengths and areas for improvement. We’ll also send you the question set afterward so that you can continue practicing.
