When you've decided which college to apply to, it's time to sit down, brew a cup of coffee, and write your college application essay
The college application essay is an important part of the college application process - and something you should take seriously.
First of all, it shows college admissions officers that your personality and writing ability are a match for the college of your choice and that you meet their academic standards.
It can also demonstrate your interests and provide an opportunity to show how you'll be a first-rate addition to the student body.
It might seem daunting at first, but you don't need to be a master of the English language to write a grade-A college application essay. If you've got the right test scores and grade point average (GPA), you're likely already great at essay writing
But just in case you need a few pointers, here are some college essay tips so you can nail that college application essay
12 tips for writing an effective essay
No matter how good your writing is, some best practices can ensure your college application essay wows those admissions experts
Start early
Starting at least two weeks early gives you enough time to think about what you want to say and how to say it, and it gives you a chance to brainstorm your essay topic and fine-tune your grammar.
It also ensures you've had the opportunity to put extensive thought and reflection into what you want to say. Your essay should align with who you are as a person and emphasize the values of your chosen college.
Create an outline for your essay
Creating an outline is like creating a blueprint for your essay. It details the structure, flow, and information you want the college application processor to know.
Many people plan like this:
- Introduction
- Information
- Conclusion
Done, right? Not quite.
The information section of your plan is the beating heart of your essay. That's where all the good bits are.
It's important to plan exactly what each paragraph will say (and why), and ensure they neatly flow together with logical connections to link ideas.
Draw the reader in from the start
It's not just structure and time that can land you some extra points - grabbing the reader's attention from the start makes good writing stand out.
On average, people have an attention span of around eight seconds. For someone reading at a normal pace, that's around 17 words.
So, you'll need to grab their attention from the beginning to stand out as part of your application. Here are some ways to do this:
- Tell a story. Beginning your essay with a story can create an emotional connection with your application assessor. It could be about yourself or someone you admire, like Abraham Lincoln or LeBron James.
- Use interesting statistics. Starting with an interesting fact can quickly grab the reader's attention, but just make sure it's relevant to the topic. For instance, don't begin a question about the Declaration of Independence by writing about your high school field trip to see The Alamo in San Antonio.
- Make a bold statement. A strong statement that challenges beliefs or assumptions can grab the reader's attention
Write about something you're passionate about
High school students are interesting and varied human beings. Your essay should convey the things you're passionate about, or you could describe the things that have had an impact on your life.
Did a part-time job working at a library in high school deepen your love for Russian literature? Explain that in your essay.
Detail what you've learned from your experiences
When you're writing about the things you've done or experienced, make them relevant and go into detail about how those experiences changed you for the better or taught you something about life.
For example, you might have opened your eyes to the beauty of studying languages while traveling through Italy. Including these anecdotes in your essay shows your love of languages, interest in other cultures, and willingness to learn new, unfamiliar things.
But you don't have to travel the world to include something worth writing about. Experiences gained through a part-time job, extracurricular activities, or simply something interesting you've learned online can make for a compelling read.
Plus, it gives the assessor more information about who you are as an applicant.
Don't forget to answer the questions at hand
Remember, you still need to answer any questions (or an essay prompt) included in the assignment. Try to stay on track at all times and ensure what you're revealing about yourself answers the questions at hand.
Don't repeat information
Repeated information is boring and makes your reader lose interest.
While editing, go through your essay and ensure you're not repeating any information, facts, or stats.
End strong
Your essay's ending is just as important as its beginning.
The ending of your essay is likely the final thing your college application assessor will see before making a decision, so it's best for them to leave feeling impressed with your essay.
Avoid a generic conclusion or cliches in any written work, as your high school English teacher might have told you. This is good advice for beginning and ending your essay. Write something unique - if you feel like you've read it before, change it.
Another tip is to leave something that makes the reader want to learn more about you. Ending an essay well puts you one step ahead of other applicants, who may focus only on the opening sentence.
Write several drafts
Writing several drafts ensures you catch errors in your writing and structure. Don't just submit your first draft.
Still, this doesn't mean you need to write three separate essays. It merely means checking for errors, fact-checking your sources, and fine-tuning the structure so it reads better.
Keep the essay to the appropriate length
If your institution doesn't provide a specific word limit, keep your essay between the more established college admissions essay length of around 250 to 600 words.
Staying within the word count demonstrates you can say everything you need to in a short, concise manner. It's no coincidence that this is also a hallmark of good writing.
Ask someone to proofread your essay
You only have one pair of eyes. After a day of writing, your eyes might feel tired, and all the words will look exactly the same.
A friend, family member, high school counselor, or virtual writing assistant like Grammarly can help keep your writing process on track. You can also keep a thesaurus on hand to help drum up some inspiration.
Proofreaders can give feedback about how your personal statement made them feel about you as a candidate and check for any errors - helping you write a great college essay and saving you a lot of time.
Submit your essay on time
Your college admissions committee will provide a date and time for when to deliver your application essay. Of course, it's crucial that you deliver it on time.
It's also worth checking that you've submitted it in the correct format. Some colleges may require you to submit a Word document, or some may require a PDF file.
Check this before submitting your essay so it doesn't negatively impact your application.
Easily compare your top college choices with College Rover
College admissions processors pride themselves on accepting academically rigorous students, can write a good essay, have a clear purpose, and are curious about the world around them.
But which higher education colleges are you interested in attending? Before you begin the application essay, you'll need to choose your dream school.
College Rover can help you compare key information about thousands of colleges across the United States. We give you the facts you need to make an informed decision about where you want to study.
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