What Makes a Good College Essay?
Photo from Phillip Graham
Sarah Kidd
Everyone knows the essays are arguably the worst part of college applications. It’s time consuming, stressful, and sometimes difficult to put your ideas into writing. However, there is hope, as there are a couple ways to make it easier for yourself. The following tips and tricks from the Princeton Review, guidance counselors, College Board, and my personal experience so far have made the whole application process a lot smoother for many students, and hopefully will help some of you reading as well.
Talk through essay ideas with friends and family
It is easier to think of essay topics when you bounce ideas off others, especially if you talk it through with those who know your life intimately. If you are struggling or unsure of what to write about, get input from those around you! Someone you know may remind you of a life event that would make an excellent essay, and all you have to do is ask. Additionally, if you ever experience writer's block or are frustrated with where your essay is going, this would also be a good time to reach out to friends or family. Have them look it over, and start a discussion with where you could expand your ideas.
Start out strong
College admissions officers need to be quick when reviewing thousands of applications, so it is in your best interest to try to think of a shocking, interesting, or unique first sentence or paragraph to your essay. You want to make the admissions officer curious about what you have to say, so try to be creative with the start of your essay.
Have people edit your essays
Ask your parents, friends, previous English teachers, siblings, or anyone else you trust to give you good advice and feedback on your essays. Running it past a second or third pair of eyes can drastically improve your essays in ways you never would have imagined. Even if you trust your grammar, editing for word choice, content, things you may have missed, etc. is always a good idea.
Answer the prompt
This tip may sound pretty intuitive, but it is easier than you think to get sidetracked while writing. Be sure to stay on task, because even if it is a beautifully written essay it is useless to admissions officers if it doesn’t answer the question. They want to see students who can give a direct answer to the question. Just make sure you stay true to the prompt, and catch yourself before going off on a tangent!
Don’t use this as an extra opportunity to show off your awards or achievements
Although it may be tempting to write an additional essay surrounding the club you started or award you received, you already mentioned this in the other sections of your college application. Unless the prompt specifically asks you to describe this, it is best to write about your personal character or impactful life experiences: something admissions counselors wouldn’t know about you from just looking at your statistics. This is a chance to show your personality and character, so use it!
Stay away from getting trapped into writing about the event.
This is arguably the most important tip, as it is easy to get trapped writing about the event itself rather than your personal experience. Lots of people have gone on that trip to Europe, had their pet pass away, or broken their arm in the big sports game. When writing essays about your experiences, it is important to keep the surface level information to a minimum. Focus more on what you learned from your experiences, which is what admissions counselors actually want to read about: you. Maybe the first paragraph or so of your essay can be written surrounding your experience, but make most of your essay be a deeper reflection of how it shaped you as a person.
Don’t wait until the last minute
It is extremely difficult to whip together a show-stopping college essay the day before it is due. Make sure you know your deadlines, and block out at least a couple weeks to work on the essay. This will account for the actual writing of the essay, editing, rewriting, and truly being satisfied with the final product. It will pay off in the long run, and ultimately you will know you are submitting your best effort to colleges, which will make it much easier for you to handle any rejections. This is possibly some of the most important writing from your entire high school career, make sure it is your best work, and don’t leave anything for the last minute!
Be authentic
Don’t write what you think colleges are looking for, the admissions counselors are skilled enough to figure out what you’re doing. They can easily tell who is being genuine, and who is not. It is in your best interest to write about your personal experiences and what you feel is important for colleges to know about you. Use this as an opportunity to let your character shine through!
Ultimately, remember that the essay is just one piece of your college application. Just be you, and know that college admissions officers are looking for who would best thrive in their college environment, and your personal statement could positively impact their opinions. Good luck to all of you, as Regular Decision deadlines are rapidly approaching!
Sources:
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/college-essay
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/8-tips-for-crafting-your-best-college-essay
