With applying for colleges/universities comes the dreaded college essay. Sounding way easier said than done, your college essay is the way you’ll stand out from the hundreds (or thousands) of other students applying.
What makes you different and a good candidate to attend a particular school? College admissions advisors read thousands of essays, and many times it’s like reading the same thing over and over (and over). It’s important to make your essay uniquely you.
Here are a few of our tips and tricks for writing a strong college essay!
It’s important to take your time to think about a good essay topic. Don’t settle for the first thought that comes to mind.
Believe it or not, you’ve already had multiple life experiences and lessons. Brainstorm different experiences and topics you are familiar with. See what sticks out to you. Don’t be discouraged if on day one you only have one idea. It often takes days or even weeks, depending on your schedule, before you feel you have a strong topic.
A strong topic is something you feel comfortable writing about so you can write the minimum amount of words asked for and engage the reader.
As good as you might think your first draft might be, don’t settle for the first one. Writing multiple drafts on the same topic can help your creative juices flow, can spark new ideas, and can provide you with different perspectives.
Writing multiple drafts gives you options. You can look through them and pick the one you feel is strongest.
Also – don’t be afraid to have a few different essay topics written up. You don’t need to confine yourself to one topic or one essay and you can send different essays to different colleges.
College admissions officers are not English teachers. They don’t want to read a redundant five-page essay.
Don’t be afraid to have a shorter essay. Be concise. As long as you keep your writing clear, you can stand out through a shorter essay.
Getting straight to the point might be more impressive to college admissions. It shows you are articulate and smart with your words.
When writing your essay, if your first draft is a little long don’t fret! That’s what editing is for. Look it over and keep working to combine ideas to shorten it up. It’s often easier to edit by removing information than it is to think of it to make it longer.
Be creative. Put some of your personality into it.
The introduction is your way to set the tone and hook your readers. A good “hook” makes you stand out from other writers and helps the reader form a lasting impression.
It’s important to have other people read your essays and give you some constructive feedback. A fresh set of eyes gives you a new perspective. No matter how good you think you are at the details like punctuation and grammar, you can still miss the little mistakes in your own work.
Another perspective can also provide ideas you might not have thought of.
Don’t be afraid to ask multiple people either! Everyone has something to offer and can give you advice and pointers for focusing on the powerful points in your essay.
Most importantly: be yourself!
It’s important to keep it personable and let your personality shine. This isn’t a school essay being graded. This is your shot to convince them that they want you at their college and your college essay helps the people at the college learn more about you as a student and as an individual.
