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Ah, the college application essay: does anything strike more fear in the heart of a high school student? Selling yourself (in writing!) to a panel of strangers is certainly intimidating stuff. Luckily, we have practical tips you can use to reduce the intimidation and increase your likelihood of standing out from the masses.
These are all college application essay DOs. Check back soon for our cautionary post on college application essay DON’Ts.
DOs for Writing a Great College Application Essay
- Be yourself, not your resume. The best essays often focus on unique hobbies or quirky stories (like stamp collecting or being a pen pal), not a list of your activities and accomplishments.
- “Résumé“-style essay: “On top of being a straight-A student, playing varsity basketball, participating in the Robotics club, and volunteering for those less fortunate, I also love woodworking.”
- “You”-style essay: “It often feels like there is no time for details; we are pushed to read another book, finish the next textbook chapter, tackle the latest issues, or admire the newest gadgets for purchase. My passion for woodworking has taught me the importance of details.”
- Be detailed. This does not translate as “use as many adjectives as possible.” It means use anecdotes and details that evoke who you are and pull your reader into the story (this relates closely to #3, below).
- Four adjectives: “I felt scared and timid in this large and diverse crowd.”
- Two adjectives: “I was trapped between a bear of a man with calloused hands and an elderly woman who seemed like she would break into pieces if I so much as bumped against her.”
- Show us a story. As English teachers say, “Show, don’t tell.”
- Telling: “The house looked old.”
- Showing: “The house slouched forward like a sack of flour, tired and neglected in its yard choked with weeds.”
- Think small. Students often write about their biggest accomplishment or greatest moment of their lives. Sometimes these essays focus too much on the event and do not show enough about the individual.
- Big: “The final three minutes of the championship soccer game were packed with intensity. With the ball in my possession, I dribbled nimbly down the field, easily avoiding two opponents. I set my position and took the shot of a lifetime. The ball sailed silently through the air and just brushed past the fingertips of the goalie.”
- Small: “When I was younger, it felt like so much work. Tilling the hardened soil with cramped hands and an aching back, I often felt frustrated, but that was because I did not know what would happen on the other end. Once I had put in all of the hard, physical labor and started to see the little sprouts of cucumber plants pushing out of the soil and green bean stalks reaching for the lines I had placed for them, I realized I would have tilled ten more gardens without complaint.”
If you follow these tips, you will be on your way to a personal, effective college application essay. The story you tell doesn’t have to be amazing or impressive, it just has to show something fundamental about YOU and bring up a clear picture in your reader’s mind.
Want more help with the whole college application process? Make an appointment with our fantastic college planners.