Quick Tips for How to Conquer the College Application Essay
The college personal statement or admissions essay has always been a key factor in university admissions, but it has taken on a new role in 2020.
This article will detail seven helpful and simple tips that will help you brainstorm, organize, create, and edit the next life goal: Applying to college.
The importance of the college admissions essay
So you’ve started on the long journey of applying to college. You’ve talked to your parents and friends about your target list of schools. You’ve researched college admissions requirements and read about the importance of proofreading and editing. You’ve probably even looked over some of the recommended essay topics on Common Application.
If you’ve gotten stuck on the college application essay, take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Students from a young age are groomed by the US education system to get good grades, participate in extracurricular activities, and study for standardized tests. However, few are trained or encouraged to self-reflect upon their character, abilities, and goals and then skillfully put those ideas onto paper for someone to judge.
Every year, students all across the world find themselves staring at their screens wondering what to write about. Of course, the answer is simple: Themselves.
Sound hard? The good news is that the college admissions essay is the one factor that doesn’t put you in direct competition with other college applicants. And in the time of COVID-19, colleges are refocusing their admissions priorities towards an emphasis on the application essay. As Tim Wolfe, College of William & Mary associate provost for enrollment and dean of admissions, states:
The college application is an opportunity for the student to share his or her story and allows students the opportunity to add their voices to this process. We can get a glimpse into their personalities and perhaps learn things new about them, their backgrounds, and experiences that don’t necessarily show up elsewhere in the application
And with entire college systems such as the University of California doing away with standardized testing as a deciding factor in the admissions process, you can be sure that the college admissions essay may be the most impactful way to set yourself apart and demonstrate your college ‘preparedness’.
Breaking down the college application essay
Let’s start simple and breakdown the college application essay process into multiple parts: Planning, Writing, and Editing & Proofreading.
You’ll start by brainstorming and listing your ideas with the goal of organizing chaos. You’re going to discard irrelevant ideas and keep your good ones — remember that 650-word limit! Next, you’ll outline your essay and include engaging anecdotes, examples, and stories. You will then write your essay by showcasing your unique personality and voice while staying on topic and demonstrating that you’re a good fit.
Clearly address the essay prompt or essay topic
You first need to organize a list of all specific school essay topics you will need. Probably the most common type of essay prompt for any university is the “Why our university?” essay prompt.
For example, Boston University requires that all applicants answer “Why Boston University?”
What about being a student at Boston University most excites you? (250 words)
as well as an “Extra Space” essay.
Please use this space if you have additional information, materials, or writing samples you would like us to consider. (2000 KB PDF file)
You can clearly see two main themes: Why did you pick the school? Why should the school pick you?
So take the time to research your school’s environment, culture, and unique offerings. Emphasis those in the school essay. Then, be self-aware enough to think of what your strengths are, both personal and academic, for the second essay. You will want to talk about your past projects and experiences here. Sell yourself.
Besides school-specific essay prompts, you’re probably going to answer some general essay topics. Be sure to checkout 2020–2021 Common App Prompts and Essay Examples for advice.
How to structure the college admissions essay
The next step in planning your college admissions essay is organizing it. The college application essay format is not overly complicated. After all, you’ve got 650 words to write something effective and impactful.
You’re going to want to start with a personal or contextual introduction that is directly on topic. College admissions officers often just skim essays, so you will want to show them you respect their time (by staying on topic) while catching their eye (by making it personal and engaging.
Each part of your essay body should reinforce the essay topic and prove your case in two-ways: Their university is right for you. And you are right for their university.
Finally, you should include a conclusion that again reinforces your essay prompt while remaining hopeful and confident.
Use examples, personal anecdotes, and experiences
One of the most effective ways to communicate is to capture attention, and that means using real-life examples, personal anecdotes, and learning experiences.
College admissions officers depend on your grades and test scores to show you can be a successful student. But they rely on your personal statement to show what kind of student you’ll be.
Try by including one personal anecdote, one learning experience where you improved, and one real-world example that shows your interest in the outside world.
Show your unique voice and personality
Most high school students are trained to write about some historical event or maybe a work of literature or science. In short, they know how to explain things. But many young writers have no idea how to convince and connect with readers.
This is where your unique voice and personality come into play. The purpose of the college application essay is to make admissions officers remember you. So write in a conversational tone that shows who you are. While the content of your essay may be similar to others, the voice of your essay should be uniquely yours.
Show that you are a great fit
The college admissions season is like a dating game. They know you’re shopping around for other schools, and they are considering thousands of students. They could select a lot of these applicants, but they only want a few (or maybe just one).
So be sure to research exactly why you want to attend their university. Look up academic programs and professors you could imagine being a part of. Consider special facilities unique to your prospective school. Talk about the school’s culture and unique history.
For example, perhaps you want to study psychiatry and there’s an award-winning professor there you would love to study under. Some universities have endowments for special cultural or arts programs, including writers’ workshops or student film schools. Or maybe you see yourself following in the footsteps of a college’s alumni and making a cultural impact in some way.
Vary your sentence structure and grammar
The worst thing you can do is bore the admissions officer who is reading — skimming — your essay. So, if all of your paragraphs follow the same structure or all of your sentences look the same, they’re going to get bored. And that means your application goes into the rejected pile.
Prevent this by encouraging the reader’s mind to slow down and process. Just like whole-wheat bread is better for your digestion than pure sugar, using a variety of narrative techniques will make you seem like an actual well-rounded person.
Feel free to use metaphors (see what I did above?), rhetorical questions, and colloquialisms. Try to use these maybe 10% or less of the time and you’ll be surprised at how it sounds.
Editing and Proofreading
So you’ve got your essay all written. You’ve made sure the essay answers the prompt. It is engaging, personal, and has language variety.
The hard part is over! Now, you’re going to want to edit and proofread your essay. Many students ignore this step because they are in a rush to complete multiple admissions essays. And many have never been taught how to critically self-evaluate their own work.
So taking the time to research Tips to Proofreading your College Admissions Essay is definitely worth it. As a step beyond this, using an application essay editing service can really set you apart from other applicants while freeing up your time.
The benefits of proofreading your college admissions essay are clear. But no matter which option you choose, this extra step will set you apart from so many other applicants simply because you cared more than they did. And that is what the college admissions process is all about.
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