Tips for Writing a College Application Essay
Do you want to write a compelling college application essay that helps you shine? Follow these tips.
What Type of Essay Is a College Application Essay?
If you want to attend college, your college application essay is likely the most important essay you will write in high school.
Unfortunately, it is an essay type you typically do not write for your academic classes.
A college application essay is a personal essay, meaning it is written in the first person and is about you.
How Do I Pick a Topic?
Most college applications use the Common App, which has its own set of seven personal essay prompts.
You choose the one that appeals to you.
Over 150 colleges use the Coalition App, which has a choice of five essay prompts.
Some colleges have their own application with their own prompts.
These topics are not meant to be restrictive; they are quite broad. The prompts are meant to spark an idea.
A personal essay could be about your background, identity, interests, an impactful experience, or a challenge you have overcome.
Nine Tips for Writing a College Application Essay
Follow these nine tips to write a dynamic college application essay.
Keep It Personal
The goal of this essay is to share who you are.
You can write an incredible essay about a person you admire or a book you love, but those topics will miss the mark.
A personal essay should be about YOU.
You can still write about those topics; just make sure you approach them from a personal angle.
How did this person shape who you are? What part of this book resonates with who you are and your individual experience?
Prewrite and then Edit It Down
A blank page can be intimidating, especially with the high stakes of a college application essay.
Start with no-pressure prewriting. Write down everything that comes to mind on the topic, and then edit it into a well-crafted essay.
Aim for 500 Words
Although personal essays typically have a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 650 words, most fall around 500 words.
Use Sensory Details
You can draw the reader into your personal essay by using sensory details.
As you describe a scene or event, add descriptive words that tell about colors, textures, sounds, and scents.
Make It Like a Story, Not a Resume
The personal essay is not the place to mention all of your activities and academic achievements. You put that information elsewhere in the application.
The essay is a place for the admissions board to get a sense of who you are.
Some personal essays are like stories. This is especially true if your essay is about an event or experience.
You can take full advantage of the story form by adding dialogue. A little goes a long way!
Keep It Natural But Polished
A college application essay is not the place to cram in every vocabulary word from your SAT practice.
Your essay should sound like you. This does not mean you write with slang or run-on sentences.
Keep your writing natural but polished. Use a spelling and grammar checker.
Remember You Are an Authority on You
Comb through your rough draft and take out any phrases like “kind of,” “maybe,” “sort of,” and “I think.”
It can be challenging to write a personal essay; you don’t want to sound boastful when speaking about who you are.
But at the same time, you know who you are.
Don’t say: “Running kind of changed my life.” It did or it didn’t.
Don’t say: “I am kind of an encourager.” You are an encourager. Just say it.
You know yourself. Own it.
Write Two Rough Drafts
Push yourself to write on two different topics. Then you can look over both rough drafts and refine the better one.
It’s always good to have choices. You can always use the other essay for another purpose, like a scholarship or supplemental essay for another part of the application.
Start Early
Senior year is busy. Start the college application essays as early as possible so you don’t run up against deadlines.
Summer is the perfect time to start.
If you are starting later, set deadlines for yourself and stick to them.
Make sure you allow plenty of time to review your rough draft.
How to Write a Fantastic College Application Essay
By following these nine tips, you will write an inspiring and authentic college application essay.
