Are you manifesting the perfect college admissions essay but not sure exactly where to start? We’ve got 14 college admissions essay tips to help you impress admissions officers and show them why you deserve a seat at the classroom table.
Follow these 14 college admission essay tips
These college admission essay tips will help you write an amazing college essay that will stand out and feel authentically you. Because when it comes to writing a stellar college admissions essay, it’s all about you, boo. They want to hear what made you into the unique, special human you are today. So let’s dig in with these college admission essay tips.
Brainstorm early
Prone to procrastination? Okay, so you’re a normal human, and the college admissions process can be exhausting. But you won’t regret getting a head start on your college essay. Even if it’s just collecting random thoughts, stories, and experiences that you think could fit into your college admissions essay. A little brainstorming never hurts.
So keep track of ideas in your phone. Even if they don’t make the final cut, they may inspire some great storytelling and, at the very least, be a starting point when you sit down to write your essay for your dream college.
Analyze the essay prompt
This may seem obvious, but you definitely want to correctly answer the essay prompt. First, make sure to analyze what your college is wanting to know from you.
Then take some time to think deeply and critically about the essay prompt and which essay topic you will choose. Pretend you are the admissions officer looking at your essay.
Once you have a grasp on the prompt, write an outline to organize your thoughts. Use the following college admission essay tips to guide you from here.
Start off strong
Grab your reader’s attention right away. If you’re bored writing your college admissions essay, chances are the admissions committee reading it is bored too. Think how your story would make the college admissions officer feel, and channel that energy. If you’re an empath, you’re already ahead of the game. Write how you want someone to feel.
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to writing about your personal life experience, values, or beliefs in your college essay. College admissions just want to get a sense of who you are and what matters most to you. This is your chance to introduce yourself to them.
Craft a compelling story to stand out
You’re not writing a book report, a great college essay is a personal statement that should tell a captivating story. When it comes to essay writing, brainstorm by formatting a first draft that outlines everything you want to cover. Then string together a narrative around your essay topic of choice.
Be honest and real
You’re one in a million. But you’re also one in ten-thousand college students when it comes to writing your college admission essay. Stand out in the stack by being authentic. Just write how you speak normally. It’s really that simple when it comes to writing conversationally.
Remember, your personal statement is just that, personal. Share your power. Claim your grit. Embrace your kindness. Let them see the real you. And it’s awkward at times, but you have to brag a little. Most colleges advise not to use cliches or force a narrative that’s not true to you. The key to making your college essay sound original is staying true to yourself.
If you wouldn’t describe your experience to your therapist that way, maybe don’t use it in your college admission essay.
Harness the power of your experiences
Tap into those extracurricular activities. Brainstorm about a real thing that happened to you, a real person in your life that impacted you. That’s where the magic is.
Don’t shy away from the hard times: the people, places, and things that made you who you are today. Usually, the worst storms turn out to be the best soil for growth. Let them know how these experiences made you develop as a person, and share what you discovered about yourself.
Highlight your growth
You’re probably starting to pick up on the theme here. The part about your personal growth is the most important part of your college essay. Talk about your life experience in a way that reflects your own sense of humor and feels organic. Admissions counselors want to hear a story of growth.
The flip side of growth can be weaknesses. So don’t shy away from addressing some personal weaknesses that played a role in your personal statement.
Stay focused and concise throughout
Keep a good command of your language throughout your college essay. Always favor succinct explanations over overcomplicated sentences.
As we know now, depending on what college you choose, they can give more weight to college admission essays beyond your test scores. Stand out by staying focused and concise in answering the prompt while telling them what you learned about yourself or how you overcame that adversity. Include engaging hooks and intrigue around every turn.
Use vivid language to make an engaging college essay
Captivating verbs, alluring adjectives, and a conversational tone will make your college essay come to life. Avoid vague narratives and zero in on the details.
Utilize a thesaurus in your writing process to engage the senses of the admissions officers. The best essays evoke all the feels. For instance, how did a family member encourage you to become an engineer? How did a health challenge inspire your pursuit of medicine? How did it feel to build your first piece of code, paint your first canvas, or score your first goal?
No one else has lived your life story. So give them a peek into your mind and take the admissions committee on the journey with you.
Create a strong and compelling ending
Make your college essay stand out with a great ending. This is the end of your emotional journey and story arc, where you want to tie your theme together and put a big bow on top. You want the admissions officer to leave your college essay having a true sense of who you are and feeling inspired.
Don’t repeat themes or sound too fancy
Sometimes in answering the prompt, it’s easy to repeat your point in a variety of different ways. But try to avoid redundancy.
On the topic of what to avoid, ditch the big words you learned senior year that people rarely use. Avoid embellished language or fancy phrases. They helped boost your GPA but won’t help your essay readability. Bombastic and declamatory wording should go out the window. You get the point.
Edit for spelling, coherence, and flow
Go back over your college essay to catch any grammatical errors, typos, incoherent sentences, formatting errors, etc. Triple and quadruple check! Editing is one of the most important parts of the writing process.
Focus on the flow and try reading it aloud. It’s also a good idea to ask someone you trust to proofread it for you (spoiler alert for the next college admissions essay tip!)
Have others proofread your essay
After you feel good about your college essay draft, it’s a good idea to have at least one person you trust to proofread it for you. You can also ask for feedback based on the previous college admission essay tips. Ask them to see if it sounds and feels authentically like you.
Maybe ask your high school teacher, high school counselor, a good friend, a parent, or someone who recently went through the college application process.
Stay within the word limit
Your essay will be in a stack with so many other essays. This can sound daunting, but use it as motivation to make your essay stand out while still following all the rules.
You don’t want to write an amazing college essay to be thrown out because it was too high of a word count. Remember, less is more. Brainstorm big, but narrow down to get the most important points across.
Find the best school for you with help from College Rover
Ready to write your essay but still unsure which colleges to apply to? It’s time to find the best college for you on College Rover. You can research by school, program, location, and more. You can even compare your favorite colleges.
Then when you’ve found your top schools, you’ll be ready to write the best college essay ever using the college admission essay tips you just learned. Try College Rover to start your search and find the best college for you!
