The opening paragraph should be a psychological attack on the senses; it should surprise the reader with something unexpected, interesting. What could I say to you that would intrigue you? What could I say to you if you were an admissions officer? How do you bridge the gap between the reader's state of mind and your essay. How do you win the reader over?
I think the way to win the reader's heart is to entertain him or her for a moment. Make the person feel good with your opening line. A surprise is always nice. Your job is to write an essay in which you say something meaningful about why this major, why this school -- and then go back and write an intro that brilliantly introduces that theme.
HINT: write the body and conclusion, and THEN go back and write the intro. The first line in the essay should sometimes be the last line written.
Kevin, EssayForum.com
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