Tips for Writing a Successful College Application Essay
A vital part of the college application process is the college application essay. It’s a personal statement students are often asked to write as part of the process. It’s an opportunity for students to personalize their college application way beyond just grades and scores.
In your college application essay, you can describe your academic achievements, strengths, and other personal attributes that can show the admissions officer what a unique individual you are.
This essay is one of the most labor-intensive parts of the college application process. It’s all about crafting something personal and compelling. If you’re looking for some help, guidance, or direction, the following college essay tips should help.
Start Early
Ideally, start writing your essay way before the deadline as even the best writer might struggle when under pressure. Try to give yourself at least two months, possibly even longer. Starting early will give you enough time to adequately plan your essay, draft it, and edit it.
You don’t have to work on your essay every day, but you’ll need sufficient time to revise and edit it. Perhaps you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better. And if you’re writing more than one essay, you should start earlier.
Understand the Prompt and Instructions
Before you start writing, take time to review what the college wants and be certain you understand it. Don’t make the mistake of skimming through the instructions and submitting a piece that fails to fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic.
Read the prompt carefully, noting the required word count along with any unique details the college wants.
Choose the Right Topic
Most college essay prompts are pretty vague, so a broad range of topics and issues can be applied. You might find the prompts useful to help you brainstorm if you’re struggling to figure out what to write about.
When you’re trying to choose something about your life to write about, consider the following:
- What are you excited to write about?
- Whatever you write about should be primarily about you
- What makes you stand out?
- Choose a topic you can be honest about
- Avoid overly controversial topics
If you’re completely stumped, consider asking friends and family for some ideas. They might be able to help you figure out a topic that’s memorable and interesting.
Decide on Your Approach
There are only two approaches you can take: a narrative format or a thematic format. If you choose a narrative format, you’ll be relating a particular anecdote or experience and what it means to you. With a thematic approach, you’ll present a particular theme. This might be your unusual juggling abilities or your love of growing orchids.
Write an Outline
Spend some time outlining your essay as this will be time well spent. It doesn’t have to be a super detailed plant, but more of a general idea of where you’re going and what points you want to make.
Use Specific Details
You can bring your writing alive by using more details. Avoid vague words like “nice” or “good”. Instead, use words that are vivid and specific. A detailed essay will flesh out the scene and help the reader picture what’s going on.
Be Genuine
In your personal statement, aim to go beyond the superficial. Write about something that’s genuinely significant to you and go deep, beyond the surface. Rather than writing vague platitudes about how you like playing the piano but it’s hard, really get at the meat of your story. Have you ever thought about quitting? What is your biggest frustration? What motivates you to keep going?
Be Unique
You want your essay to set you apart in a good way from all the hundreds of other students applying to the same college. You want to deliver high-quality writing about unique experiences and qualities you bring to the table that you’ve not been able to include anywhere else in your application.
Ask for Help
It’s always smart to get another set of eyes on your college essays. Several sets of eyes would be even better. A fresh set of eyes will be able to check that your essay flows, that you’ve enough detail, that everything is relevant, and you sound as engaging and interesting as you are. In addition, they’ll help you catch typos and other minor errors.
Create a Strong Opener
There is one sure-fire thing you can do to boost your essay: write an attention-grabbing first sentence. Your sentence should pique the interest of the admissions counselor immediately and help keep their attention throughout your essay.
Edit and Proofread
When you finish the final draft, run it through a spell checker and then put the essay to one side for a few days. When you go back to reread it, you’ll be better able to spot typos and awkward grammar. If you can, ask a teacher, parent, or fellow college student to give it a quick read. At the same time, make sure you double-check the word count.
Writing college essays can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. A well-crafted essay could be your ticket to the college of your dreams. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll find it much easier to create memorable pieces for every application you make.