Melody Muniz

Nailing a college essay can be tough. It’s not like any high school essay that you can slap together the day before and hope your teacher doesn’t notice. It takes effort and quite a bit of planning. College application essays are an opportunity to showcase yourself through a captivating story and are therefore one of the most important aspects of applying to college. So, here are some tips to create a college essay that will wow any admissions department, even if you’re not the best writer.

Read the Prompt

After you’ve confirmed that an essay is required for your desired school, read over the prompt(s). If there are multiple, choose the one you think would fit best. Maybe jot down a couple of main ideas that answer the prompt or simply bullet point the theme of each paragraph. Take your time thinking. Jumping into an essay without brainstorming is like running without sneakers on—you won’t get very far and it does more harm than good. Once you’ve got your prompt locked down, copy and paste it to the Word document you’re working on and read it over occasionally to make sure you’re sticking to the prompt. You’d be surprised how easy it is to start off talking about one theme and then two paragraphs later you’re telling the story of how you rescued your dog from a highway in Philadelphia. Staying on track in your essay gives your paper structure and cohesion, which allows the audience to understand it.

Don’t Brag… A lot

Yes, you’re applying for college, so your writing style should be a bit more elevated. But remember, the college admissions readers are people too. They want to be told a story that both intrigues them and tells them about you as a person. Trust, they don’t want to read three pages of you bragging about accomplishments; your transcript already shows that. Work in your accolades and strengths discreetly within the context of your essay—it’s all about perfecting the humble-brag. Although, for some people, talking about themselves does not come as naturally. Remember that the college admissions readers want to know about you. They want to know your story, so don’t hesitate to write in the first person or include details that put you in a favorable light.

Look at Sample Essays

Don’t be afraid to look for inspiration online! Google is a wonderful tool, and by typing in “sample college application essays,” you’ll find thousands of examples instantly. Most of the featured college essays are written in a formal, but conversational tone. It should connect mentally and emotionally with the audience (college admissions readers) while remaining true to the format of a concise, astute essay. There is often a central theme that becomes clear as the story unfolds. And sometimes they are very personal. These examples can serve as a guide to help you dismantle any misconceptions about college application essays. Virtually no topic is off-limits. It also helps to see the language that the other applicants use to help you form an idea of how your own writing style should be.

Revise and Edit

Your first draft should not be your final draft. Revising is a crucial process that elevates your paper from good to great to amazing. Read your essay over and over again. Read it in your head, out loud, in a different font, and in slow motion. This will help pinpoint parts in your essay that sound awkward or too wordy. Having an extra pair of eyes definitely helps, so you can ask a trusted friend or adult to read it. Once the revision is done, it’s good to conduct a final comb through of your essay to edit any typos or grammatical errors out. Double-check that the essay is at or just slightly below the word count. And finally, give your essay a creative title. 

Happy writing!