Sometimes the blinking cursor on the screen can seem like a curse (pun intended). It just keeps flashing, on and off, on and off, mocking you. Never is this truer than when you’re trying to start your college admission essay, a high-stakes writing task unlike anything you’ve ever had to write before.
Don’t let the blinking cursor get you down – we’ve got some great tips to help you write a stellar college application essay.
Tip #1: Show, Don’t Tell
Which is better:
There were 9 other students competing in the tournament. I was very nervous, but I knew that I had practiced my hardest. When I jumped in the cold water, all I could do was to swim my fastest.
OR
I stood at the pool’s edge alongside nine other students, each hoping to bring home a state champion’s medal. My heart beat a nervous tattoo as I waited for the starting signal, and I took a deep breath, reminding myself of the endless hours of practice that I had put in for just this moment. The pistol rang out, I leapt into the pool, and the cold water rinsed away my apprehensions: I swam like there were nine toothy sharks behind me instead of nine high school swimmers.
The first example tells a story. It’s clear, it’s concise, and it’s effective. But it’s also sort of boring. The second example includes imagery that allows the reader to really picture the sequence of events. This is what we mean by the phrase “show, don’t tell”: Use your language to paint a picture for your reader.
Tip #2: Use a Thesaurus – But Don’t Sound Like a Thesaurus
Part of using your language to paint a picture will require vivid and sophisticated word choice. You want to demonstrate a college-level vocabulary, which can be helped along with judicious use of a thesaurus, but you don’t want to go overboard. It can be easy to come off sounding pretentious by using overly complex word choice, and you don’t want to sound like you swallowed a thesaurus. Use a good variety of words and be cognizant of the overall style of your essay so that each word you use suits the essay as a whole.
Tip #3: Variety (of Sentence Structures) Is the Spice of Life (and Good Writing)
Simple sentences are choppy. Choppy writing is awkward. Awkward essays are not fun to read.
Be sure to utilize a variety of sentence structures in order to make your writing flow from one thought to the next. If you find yourself subconsciously relying on simple sentence structures, utilize the revision process to combine some of those sentences in order to incorporate greater variety in your writing.
Tip #4: Get a Second Opinion
The college application essay is very personal, and it can be easy to overlook how a perfect stranger might perceive you based on your essay. This is one reason why a second opinion from a qualified source (like a teacher, counselor, or tutor) can be incredibly useful. You know exactly what you mean to communicate to your reader, but it’s entirely possible that your word choices or the details you incorporate might inadvertently send a message that you didn’t intend. An honest outside opinion can help you to refine your essay so that it tells the reader exactly what you want the reader to learn.
Tip #5: Think Outside the Box
College admissions officers read literally hundreds of essays each day, all based on the same or similar essay prompts. A lot of trends in topics begin to emerge, making many essays boring. Avoid clichéd topics at all costs. Be sure to check out these posts because some clichéd topics may surprise you:
Top 5 College Application Essay Clichés
The Top Clichéd College Essay Topics to Avoid
Tip #6: Narrow It Down
It can be really difficult to pick just one topic, accomplishment, or story to tell, but it’s important to create a strong focus in your essay. Avoid trying to cram as many things as possible into your essay. Instead, focus on just one accomplishment or one story to write about, and write about that one thing in depth.
Tip #7: Just Write
That annoying blinking cursor isn’t going anywhere. Don’t stress about getting your essay right the first time – just write. The resulting draft will probably be somewhat disorganized, disjointed, and imperfect, but that’s why we call it a rough draft. In the beginning, just focus on getting your thoughts on paper (or, more accurately, on the screen). You can refine and polish to your heart’s content once the initial content is down.
Tip #8: Be Economical
You’re more likely used to minimum length requirements than to maximum length requirements, which can make college essays particularly challenging. For example, the Common App, used by more than 500 schools, limits essays to 650 words. That sounds like a pretty big number when you haven’t started writing yet, but once you get going, you’ll probably find that you need to make quite a few cuts and revisions in order to streamline your essay and get it under word count. When you first start writing, don’t pay attention to length. Get everything out, then worry about cutting and rearranging during the revision process.
Tip #9: Highlight Your Strengths
The essay is the one place on your application where you get to speak directly to college admissions counselors. This part of the application isn’t about a number on a page, a list of activities, or what someone else has to say about you – this is about what you have to say about yourself. Make the most of the opportunity by finding a story that really highlights one or more of your biggest strengths. For example, if you’re writing about overcoming failure, don’t focus on the failure – focus on the resultant success.
Tip #10: Remember Your Audience
Your audience is college admissions officers. These are educators who are invested in creating a freshman class that will (hopefully) reinforce a strong sense of community in the school. You want your essay to demonstrate that you are a person who is not only capable of the level of academic achievement necessary for scholastic success, but also one who will contribute something meaningful to the school’s community. They read between the lines seeking intangible qualities like dedication, motivation, passion, and interest in the hopes of admitting students who will join clubs and organizations, be actively engaged in the classroom and on campus, and represent the school well as a future alumnus.
