Resist the temptation to buy the “best college essays” book
The single greatest scourge of college application essays is the advice dispensed by books with names like “” Everything about these books, from the titles on down, is so suffused with self-congratulation that it should be no surprise the essays themselves stink like bad perfume. Hint: These books exist because people at name-brand schools realized they could sell aspiring applicants drafts of their essays. They do not, as a rule, provide actual good advice. If anything, they simply reproduce the “lifeless, imitative style” of orthodoxy against which Orwell railed.
Stay organized. Treat the application process like a test run for college courses — you’ll have plenty of deadlines to meet for assignments and tests in your first semesters during college. Admissions officers recommend keeping a spreadsheet or document detailing the universities you’re applying to, each , and a checklist of what you’ve completed.
But the same is true for college essays, as Orwell doubtlessly would have realized if he were reanimated and handed him a sheaf of Common Applications. The sad truth is that most college application essays are not very good. When I say they are “not very good”, I mean they are either boring, impenetrable, melodramatic, or all of the above.
35+ Best College Essay Tips from College Application Experts
Make (Montage) structure work for you. This essay uses what we call Montage Structure, which uses a “thematic thread” (in this case, laptop stickers) to connect different, perhaps otherwise seemingly disconnected sides of who a student is. One strength (among many) of this structural approach is that it can allow a student to demonstrate a broad range of values and experiences that have shaped them, which in turn helps a college understand who you are through the values, interests, insights, skills, and qualities you bring to their campus and community. For a more complete to shape your personal statement, check out that link.
This college essay tip is by Charles Maynard, Oxford and Stanford University Graduate and founder of , which is a one-stop shop for applying to college scholarships
Adding feelings to your essays can be much more powerful than just listing your achievements. It allows reviewers to connect with you and understand your personality and what drives you. In particular, be open to showing vulnerability. Nobody expects you to be perfect and acknowledging times in which you have felt nervous or scared shows maturity and self-awareness.
This was written for the Common App college application essays, and works for prompts 1 and 7 (or none of them, because the author is that cool):
How to Write the Best College Application Essay
It’s human nature while writing to second guess and edit as we go. However, this strategy is counterproductive to writing a good paper. The process of deleting and reshaping as one writes the first draft actually limits the imagination and ideas that a student can produce. What admissions officials want to see from the student in this essay is their ideas, values, and personality. When the students sit down to write the paper, let them write naturally without inhabitants. It’s much easier to cut an essay down than to add.
Crafting an Unforgettable College Essay
Now that you’ve got the basics, we can delve into some advice. This essay can be difficult and stress-inducing for students. To help students write their essays, we have three tips for writing a killer college essay.
How to write a perfect college essay
Getting along with other people is necessary for anyone and living with five families has made me more sensitive to others’ needs: I have learned how to recognize when someone needs to talk, when I should give advice and when to simply listen, and when someone needs to be left alone; in the process, I have become much more adaptable. I’m ready to change, learn, and be shaped by my future families.
My Secret Tip for Writing an Unforgettable College Essay
In that sense, college essays are a bizarre bait-and-switch—in high school, you’re taught a few different ways to write (e.g., maybe some historical analysis, or how to analyze literature, or creative writing), and then to apply to college, you’re asked to write something fairly different (or maybe completely different) from any of the things you’ve been asked to write in high school.
College Application Essay Tips
Writing a college essay can be tough, but your stories matter. They help admissions officers understand who you are and what you bring to their school. With some planning and attention to detail, you can create a memorable and impactful essay. Good luck!