College applications opened Aug. 1, and if seniors have not already written their essays, now is the time! Here are 10 points to consider when writing a college application essay.
1. Understand the purpose of the essays before you start.
Essays are NOT a place to repeat what the readers already know; they are an opportunity to teach the reader something new. Avoid a grocery list of your accomplishments or excuses for a grade you don’t like.
2. Teach the reader who you are .
Application readers see your grades and course selection, and read your activities list. But that does not really tell them who you are. Are you funny, adventurous, thoughtful, creative, or what other adjectives describe you? Decide what the reader should know about you by the end of the essay.
3. Why would a reader care?
Telling a reader you love the ocean is nice, but who cares? How does that show me the kind of roommate you are, how you will interact on my campus, or make it a better place?
Reveal aspects about you that are relevant to the task at hand. Ask yourself, “What should a roommate know about me?”
4. Provide evidence that what you say is true.
You can tell me whatever you want — “I am an environmentalist.” But why would I believe you when I’ve never met you?
Show me how the traits that you claim to possess are your lived experiences. Share the story of the time you organized a beach cleanup, or whatever you did. Exceed expectations and provide evidence.
5. Avoid sounding like an AI author.
Essays that are short on personal details and examples sound like anyone, including AI, could have written them. AI has not lived your life and, therefore, can only imitate you at best.
Be authentic. AI is considered plagiarism at most schools, and they may rescind offers of admission if they find out the essay is not your work.
6. Be unpredictable.
When I was an admissions officer, we asked students to write about a leader they admired and why. By about the 15th application, I was already thinking, “Please don’t be another MLK Jr. essay!” No disrespect to the man, but it was the same 11th-grade history lesson essay after essay.
The ones I remember as interesting stood out because they taught me about lesser-known leaders and defined nontraditional aspects of leadership, such as listening, empowering others, etc.
7. Avoid cliché stories.
Lots of people overcome hardship. I’ve read more essays about overcoming injuries through hard work and perseverance than I can count. I can confidently say it rarely makes a good essay. There is no prize for suffering.
Working hard should be a given if you want to attend college, and the alternative to persevering is giving up, in which case you likely would not be applying to college.
Reveal something that teaches me something about you I could not otherwise assume. Detail the process of learning something about yourself.
8. Plan to write more than one draft.
Let’s be real. The vast majority of students write their class papers the night before they are due unless the teacher requires drafts to be turned in along the way. And many students will tell me they do their best work under pressure. To which I say, I have never received a first draft that couldn’t be improved.
These essays are much more challenging than students realize. Writing to reveal things about yourself is often a new experience and can be uncomfortable. Even straight A students struggle. Excellent essays require revision.
9. Good editing, like good writing, takes time.
Find a good editor who understands the goal and does not want you to use the essay as a brag sheet — someone who offers feedback as comments, not rewriting the essay for you. It still needs to sound like you, although flexing your vocab prowess is welcome.
Your editor should be someone you can trust (maybe not a competitive peer applying to the same schools); take feedback from without feeling resentful (parents this may not be your moment); and someone with proven writing skills (your cousin who got into college last year is not suddenly an essay expert just because they got in).
A teacher or family friend may be your best option, and give them a minimum of 72 hours to offer feedback.
10. Proofread.
You are applying to an institution that values education. Show them you have the basic skills needed to succeed. There is no reason for misspelled words, a lack of capitalization where appropriate, or one long paragraph.
This is your first college paper, so step up your game. Use Grammarly or another reliable tool because what your brain thinks is on the paper versus what a reader sees may differ.
For more tips on how to write a strong essay, check out my essay workshops starting in September.
