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College Admission Essay
Writing college essays can be a daunting task. It’s the only part of the college application where students can advocate for themselves and show admission officers that they are more than their test scores and grades. However, with the right guidance and perseverance, students can easily craft an essay that showcases their growth, passion, and intellect, and help them stand out from the crowd. Junior year is a great time to start crafting those essays so that they are well polished by the time you have to apply. Use the tips below to help you write!
Here are tips for writing a solid college admissions essay:
While writing the essay portion of the application can be stressful, remember that the essay is only one piece of a larger puzzle and that colleges look at other things besides the essay. While essay won’t make up for a weak academic record, it can the difference between the waitlist and an acceptance.
1) Be Reflective
After reading the prompt thoroughly, think about which of your qualities you would like to showcase in your essay and pick an anecdote that reflects those qualities and answers the prompt. Remember, this is the one chance you have to show admission officers your true character. Reflect on how the event, activity, etc. helped define who you are today and who you will be in the future.
2) Be Concise
Admission officers read a huge stack of essays each day. So, the less verbose you can be, the better. Also, don’t list off extracurricular actives you’ve done in the essay. They have your resume and know what you are involved in, and generally, when students do this, it makes the essay waterdowned and superficial. The more narrow and personal you can make the essay, the better.
3) Be Creative
Don’t write bland, cliché essays. Admission officers have read hundred of essays that say the same thing, and if you do that, you will be easily forgotten. Read the prompt, think of what the most likely response to that prompt would be, and then don’t write that. Think outside the box. Take some risks. Make your writing engaging for the reader.
4) Be Thorough
Start the essays early. Write and rewrite. You won’t write an amazing essay the first time around so give yourself time to edit and rewrite the first draft. Proofread constantly and ask other’s to proofread for you because you and spellcheck will miss something. Also, in general, make sure you are using correct essay formatting.
5) Be Yourself
Don’t write what you think admission officers want you write. They can tell the difference between sincerity and superficiality. Write about something that you are passionate about because it will come through your writing and make your essay a stronger. Don’t pretend to be something you are not, and definitely don’t write fancy words that you wouldn’t generally use. Don’t try too hard to impress them and make sure that you pick topics that highlight the parts of you that aren’t covered in the application.
