Summer is a great time to prepare and start writing your college essay! Remember, this essay is different from a high school English paper. Here are three tips to get you started if you haven’t already.
Tip #1: Colleges are expecting to read essays that reflect your unique personality and experiences.
Your college essay should reflect your values and should be written in the first person. The best essays dive deep into one item of interest or a life event to answer a prompt provided by the college, common app, or your state application. Cramming this experience into no more than 750 words can be a challenge, but you can do it with some preparation and time for editing.
Tip #2: Colleges require an essay to help find those unique candidates that the information on the application cannot see.
They also use the essay as a writing sample to ensure that you are ready for college work. Don’t kid yourself – there will be a lot of writing in college, but luckily with tools like Grammarly, spell check, and a visit to the campus Writing Center, you will be prepared.
Tip #3: Don’t procrastinate!
It isn’t too late to start your essay! Structure and personalization are key to a good college essay. If you haven’t started and need some help, please reach out to me, your school counselor, or another trusted source.
Happy writing!
