The college application
essay is an opportunity
to explain yourself, to
open your personality,
charm, talents, vision
and spirit to the
admission committee.
It is your chance to
display your thought
processes and carefully
crafted writing style.
Don’t let this process
intimidate you. Sit
down and express
yourself!
the college essay
Carefully read all directions. Pay
attention to detail and select a topic
based on those provided. If a word
amount is specified, be sure to fulfill
the requirement. It is acceptable to
go over the specified word amount,
but the essay should not be pages and
pages in length.
Know your audience. Your essay
is going to be read by one or more
professionals who are assessing your
ability to succeed at their university
or college. A good rule of thumb is
to craft the essay as if it were a class
assignment. Avoid slang, curse words
and inappropriate topics.
Choose a familiar topic. When
you write about something that is
important to you, your essay naturally
will be more sincere and effective.
Ideally, your essay should reflect your
distinctive personality and life. Avoid
generic themes unless you have an
unusual perspective to present.
Use your personality. One of the
signs of a good writer is the ability to
demonstrate rather than tell. Instead
of stating that you are thoughtful or
adventurous, show us in your essay.
For example, if you are a curious
person, don’t be afraid to tell us a tale
of where your curiosity has taken you.
Write an essay, not a resume
or a list. Remember, you are writing
the essay as though it were a classroom
assignment. If you want to provide
information about extracurricular
activities, you may supplement your
application with an activity sheet.
Proofread, proofread, proofread.
Double and triple check your essay.
Look carefully for spelling errors,
grammatical mistakes and mechanical
inconsistencies. Common mistakes
often include confusing their and there,
its and it’s, using the wrong college
name in your essay (re