College essays hold a paramount position in the admissions process, offering a unique opportunity for applicants to put forth a personal voice and a narrative into their applications. These essays are not merely formalities but are critical in distinguishing one applicant from another, especially in a pool of candidates with similar academic and extracurricular profiles. They serve as a showcase for an applicant's ability to communicate effectively, demonstrating not just mastery of language but also the ability to organize thoughts coherently and persuasively. Beyond grammatical proficiency, essays offer a window into an applicant's character, values, and personal ethos, providing admissions officers with valuable insights into how a student might fit within and contribute to the institution's culture and community.
They serve as a medium for storytelling, allowing applicants to share their unique journeys, challenges overcome, and lessons learned, thereby illuminating their personal growth and potential for future achievement. The best college application essays also enable students to differentiate themselves, highlighting unique experiences, talents, or perspectives that might not be apparent from grades or test scores alone.
Best Practices to Consider While Crafting Winning Essays
Start Early and Brainstorm:
Give yourself ample time to brainstorm ideas. Reflect on your experiences, challenges, accomplishments, and what you've learned about yourself from them. Starting early allows you to explore different topics and find the one that best showcases your voice and uniqueness.
Understand the Prompt:
Make sure you fully understand the essay prompt and what it's asking. Tailor your essay to answer the prompt directly, using it as a guide to structure your narrative or argument. Admissions officers read a large number of essays and are typically skilled at recognizing when an essay doesn't directly address the prompt or feels recycled, so take utmost care while addressing the prompt.
Be Authentic:
The best college application essays are those that reflect genuine experiences, thoughts, and aspirations. Admissions officers can tell when an essay is authentic versus when it's what the applicant thinks they want to hear. Essays that seem superficial or lack depth may be viewed with skepticism.
Be Organized:
Plan out how many words you can allocate to each section of your essay, working around formatting guidelines and word count limits. You will have fewer words available than you think. Many college application planners have tools that help you structure your essays before you start drafting.
Craft a Strong Opening:
The first few sentences of your essay are crucial. They should grab the reader's attention and make them want to continue reading. An intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a compelling anecdote can serve as a powerful hook.
Show, Don’t Tell:
Use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points. Showing how you've demonstrated leadership, overcome obstacles, or pursued your passions is much more effective than simply stating it. Try and pick genuinely interesting examples, even if they seem a little quirky. There are many captains of the soccer team, but far fewer people who have rescued a cat from a tree.
Focus on Reflection and Growth:
Colleges are interested in how you've grown through your experiences and what you've learned. Include insights and reflections that show self-awareness and the ability to learn and adapt from experiences.
Align with the College’s Values:
If possible, tailor your essay to reflect how you align with the college's values and mission. Demonstrating that you have researched the school and understand what it stands for can make your application more compelling. Don’t overdo this, however. A light touch is all that’s needed.
Close Strong:
Your conclusion should tie the essay together and leave a lasting impression. Reflect on the broader implications of your story or how it has shaped the person you are today and the person you hope to become. These final words are what the admissions reader will take away with them, so make it count.
Revise and Edit:
Writing is a process that involves drafting, revising, and editing. Don't settle for your first draft. Review your essay multiple times, focusing on clarity, coherence, grammar, and punctuation. It can also be helpful to have someone else read your essay to provide feedback.
Pitfalls to Avoid While Crafting College Essays
Using AI to Write Your Essay:
Admissions committees are familiar with numerous essays generated by AI models like ChatGPT. They generally don't favor the writing style of AI and are unlikely to respond positively to essays produced by AI in the application process.
Ignoring the Prompt:
Not answering the essay prompt directly is a common mistake. Each prompt serves a specific purpose, and failing to address it can signal a lack of attention to detail or understanding of the task at hand.
Choosing a Controversial Topic Without Careful Consideration:
While tackling a controversial issue can showcase your critical thinking skills, it requires a delicate balance to ensure you don't alienate your reader. If you choose such a topic, present your views thoughtfully, respecting multiple perspectives.
Overusing Clichés:
Relying on clichéd expressions or overused scenarios (like the big game win or the volunteer trip that changed everything) can make your essay feel uninspired and forgettable. Strive for originality and personal but unique relevance in your topic.
Trying to Impress with Vocabulary:
While a well-written essay demonstrates command of language, overusing complex vocabulary can make your essay difficult to read and come off as pretentious. Aim for clarity and authenticity, using language that feels natural to you. While there are no ‘words to use/words not to use in college application essays’, simplicity is usually best.
Focusing Too Much on Others:
While it's fine to mention influential people in your life, the primary focus should be on you—your experiences, growth, and aspirations. Don't let the essay become more about someone else than about you. This pitfall is especially dangerous if you bring too much of famous people or historical figures, which will lead to irrelevancy in the essay.
Neglecting the Importance of the Introduction and Conclusion:
A weak opening can fail to grab the reader's attention, while a lackluster conclusion can leave a forgettable impression. Spend time crafting compelling beginnings and endings that encapsulate your message and leave a lasting impact.
Repeating Your Resume:
The essay is an opportunity to show aspects of yourself not apparent in other parts of your application. Simply reiterating achievements listed elsewhere misses the chance to present a fuller picture of who you are. In fact, typically your essay should avoid bragging about resume items as much as possible.
Being Negative or Defensive:
While it's okay to discuss challenges and failures, focusing too much on negativity or adopting a defensive tone can be off-putting. Emphasize what you've learned or how you've grown from your experiences.
Not Proofreading:
Typos, grammatical errors, and sloppy formatting can distract from your message and give an impression of carelessness. Thoroughly proofread your essay and consider having someone else review it as well. If you make any last minute edits, be sure to do another last minute proofread - that’s when errors slip in.
Forgetting about Voice and Tone:
Your essay should sound like it was written by you, not by an adult or a thesaurus. Maintain a tone that reflects your personality and is appropriate for the topic and the audience. There will be many applicants who use big, jargonic words. Far fewer will be able to communicate the same ideas in plain English.
Ignoring the Word Limit:
Adhering to the word limit is a test of your ability to express yourself concisely and effectively. Essays that are significantly under or over the limit can suggest a failure to follow instructions or to edit one's work critically.
Don’t Neglect Feedback and Guidance
Choose the Right Reviewers:
- Select a Mix of Reviewers: Choose people who know you well and can provide personal insights, as well as those with strong writing skills who can offer technical feedback.
- Consider Teachers or Counselors: Educators often have experience with college essays and can offer both content and structural advice.
- Reach Out to Current College Students or Recent Graduates: They have recently gone through the process and can share what worked for them.
Be Open to Constructive Criticism and Feedback:
- Approach Feedback with an Open Mind: Constructive criticism is aimed at making your essay stronger. Consider those and improve the areas you agree are weak in the essay.
- Ask for Specific Feedback: Encourage your reviewers to provide specific suggestions on how to improve, not just general comments like "it's good" or "it needs work."
Ask Targeted Questions:
- Content Clarity: Ask if your main point is clear and if the essay answers the prompt.
- Engagement: Inquire if the essay, especially the intro, captures the reader's interest.
- Authenticity: Request feedback on whether your voice and personality shine throughout the essay and don’t come out as jarring.
- Flow and Organization: Seek opinions on the essay's structure, transitions, and overall coherence. Hitting the right spots will take you closer to the goal.
- Impact: Ask if the essay leaves a memorable impression and if it provides a compelling snapshot of who you are.
Utilize the Feedback:
- Review All Comments: Take time to consider all feedback, but remember that you don’t have to implement every suggestion.
- Prioritize Changes: Decide which feedback aligns with your essay's goals and make those adjustments first.
- Revise and Revisit: After making changes, you might want to seek another round of feedback, especially if you made significant alterations.
Use Online Resources Wisely:
- Writing Centers and Online Forums: Some websites and forums offer free advice and essay reviews. Be cautious and consider the source of the feedback, focusing on reputable sites. A real life person will almost always give better, more personalized advice than an online source.
Final Thoughts
As you navigate the college application process, particularly the crafting of your college essays, remember that this is an opportunity to showcase who you are beyond grades and test scores. Your essays give you the chance to make a personal connection with the admissions committee, offering insights into your character, values, and aspirations. Make sure you take full advantage of that opportunity. Your competition certainly will.
