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How to Write a College Application Essay

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Your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can't─your personality. It can give admissions officers a sense of who you are and showcase your writing ability. Here are some things that admissions officers look for in a personal essay for college.

1. Open Strong.

Knowing how to start a college essay can create a strong opening paragraph that immediately captures the reader’s interest. You want to make the admissions officer reading your essay curious about what you say next.

2. Show You Can Write.

Colleges want to see that you have a command of the basics of good writing, which is a key component of success in college.

3. Answer the Prompt.

Admissions officers also want to see that the student can give a direct answer while sticking to a comprehensive narrative. When writing college essays, consider the point you want to make and develop a fleshed-out response that fits the prompt. Avoid force-fitting prewritten pieces. Approach every personal essay prompt as if it's your first.

4. Stick to Your Style.

Writing college essays isn't about using flowery or verbose prose. Avoid leaning too heavily on the thesaurus to sound impressive. Choose a natural writing style that’s appropriate for the subject matter.

Also, avoid stressing about trying to write what you think colleges want to see. Learning how to draft a good essay for college is about showcasing who you are. Stay true to your voice. Keep in mind that authenticity is more important than anything else.

5. Proofread.

Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling are essential. Proofread several times after you've finished. Then ask a teacher, parent, or college English major to give it a quick read as well.

6. Keep Track of Length.

Finally, admissions officers value succinctness. Remember to pay attention to the recommended essay length or word count.

Bonus Tips and College Essay Writing Help

For more on how to write a college essay, check out these Tips for Writing Your College Admissions Essay .

What is the college application essay?

A personal essay for college applications is an opportunity for admission admissions panels to get more insight into who you are and what you have to offer. It's often the most personal component of the application, going beyond grades and standardized test scores. Essays usually have open-ended prompts, allowing you to flex your writing skills and make a personal statement.

Does my college application essay really matter?

Learning how to write a successful essay for college is crucial. This essay's exact weight on your chances of acceptance varies from one school to the next. But it's an element of your application that all admissions teams consider. Your essay could be the thing that gets you off a waiting list or gives you a competitive edge over other applicants.

What are colleges looking for in my application essay?

Knowing what to include in a college essay is half the battle. Admissions teams look for many things, but the most influential are authenticity, writing ability, character details, and positive traits. The purpose of the essay is to shed light on your background and gain perspective on your real-world experiences.

When should I start writing my college essay?

Because you'll want to tailor each application to each school, expect to write multiple personal essays. Advisers typically recommend starting these pieces during the summer before your senior year of high school. This will give you ample time to concentrate on writing a college essay before you're hit with schoolwork.

What can I do to write an effective college essay if I'm not a strong writer?

Good writing skills matter, but the best college essay is about the quality of your response. Authentic stories in a natural voice have impact. The story you want to tell about yourself will work better for you if it’s told in language that’s not overly sophisticated. Work with a writing coach for help with the academic aspects. Make responding with substance a priority.

How can I write my college essay if I have no monumental experiences?

You don't need life-changing moments to impress an admissions panel. Think about your personal experiences. Describe moments that left a lasting impact. The important thing is to have a fleshed-out narrative that provides insight into your life and way of thinking. Some of the best essays revolve around meaningful moments rather than flashy ones.

How should I start brainstorming topics for my college essay?

Most colleges provide open-ended prompts. Using the topic as inspiration, think about critical milestones or essential lessons you learned during your academic career. Tell stories about real-life experiences that have shaped the person you are. Write them down to brainstorm ideas. Choose stories that highlight your best traits.

What is a good list of essay topics to start with? What essay topics should I avoid?

Good topics when writing college essays include personal achievements, meaningful lessons, life-changing challenges, and situations that fostered personal growth. It's best to avoid anything too intimate or controversial. You want to open up, but it's not a good idea to go overboard or alienate members of the admissions panel.

What format should I use for my college essay?

Read the prompt and essay instructions thoroughly to learn how to start off a college essay. Some colleges provide guidance about formatting. If not, the best course of action is to stick with a college standard like the MLA format.

How long should my essay be?

The average length of a personal essay for college is 400─600 words. Always read the prompt. Follow the instructions provided in the application.

Who should I ask to review my college essay?

Turn to your school counselor for review. They understand what college admissions panels are looking for, and they can provide valuable insight into your piece's quality. You can also reach out to English teachers and other educators for proofreading.

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How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples

The college essay can make or break your application. It’s your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students.

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

• A unique, personal topic
• A compelling, well-structured narrative
• A clear, creative writing style
• Evidence of self-reflection and insight

To achieve this, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time for brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through every step in the process of writing a college admissions essay.

Table of contents

Why do you need a standout essay, start organizing early, choose a unique topic, outline your essay, start with a memorable introduction, write like an artist, craft a strong conclusion, revise and receive feedback, frequently asked questions.

While most of your application lists your academic achievements, your college admissions essay is your opportunity to share who you are and why you’d be a good addition to the university.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

What do colleges look for in an essay?

Admissions officers want to understand your background, personality, and values to get a fuller picture of you beyond your test scores and grades. Here’s what colleges look for in an essay :

• Demonstrated values and qualities
• Vulnerability and authenticity
• Self-reflection and insight
• Creative, clear, and concise writing skills

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

It’s a good idea to start organizing your college application timeline in the summer of your junior year to make your application process easier. This will give you ample time for essay brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

While timelines will vary for each student, aim to spend at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing your first draft and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Remember to leave enough time for breaks in between each writing and editing stage.

Create an essay tracker sheet

If you’re applying to multiple schools, you will have to juggle writing several essays for each one. We recommend using an essay tracker spreadsheet to help you visualize and organize the following:

• Deadlines and number of essays needed
• Prompt overlap, allowing you to write one essay for similar prompts

You can build your own essay tracker using our free Google Sheets template.

College essay tracker template

Ideally, you should start brainstorming college essay topics the summer before your senior year. Keep in mind that it’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic.

If you want to write about a common essay topic, such as a sports injury or volunteer work overseas, think carefully about how you can make it unique and personal. You’ll need to demonstrate deep insight and write your story in an original way to differentiate it from similar essays.

What makes a good topic?

• Meaningful and personal to you
• Uncommon or has an unusual angle
• Reveals something different from the rest of your application

Brainstorming questions

You should do a comprehensive brainstorm before choosing your topic. Here are a few questions to get started:

• What are your top five values? What lived experiences demonstrate these values?
• What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you?
• What challenges or failures have you faced and overcome? What lessons did you learn from them?
• What makes you different from your classmates?
• What are some objects that represent your identity, your community, your relationships, your passions, or your goals?
• Whom do you admire most? Why?
• What three people have significantly impacted your life? How did they influence you?

How to identify your topic

Here are two strategies for identifying a topic that demonstrates your values:

• Start with your qualities : First, identify positive qualities about yourself; then, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
• Start with a story : Brainstorm a list of memorable life moments; then, identify a value shown in each story.

After choosing your topic, organize your ideas in an essay outline , which will help keep you focused while writing. Unlike a five-paragraph academic essay, there’s no set structure for a college admissions essay. You can take a more creative approach, using storytelling techniques to shape your essay.

Two common approaches are to structure your essay as a series of vignettes or as a single narrative.

Vignettes structure

The vignette, or montage, structure weaves together several stories united by a common theme. Each story should demonstrate one of your values or qualities and conclude with an insight or future outlook.

This structure gives the admissions officer glimpses into your personality, background, and identity, and shows how your qualities appear in different areas of your life.

Topic: Museum with a “five senses” exhibit of my experiences

• Introduction: Tour guide introduces my museum and my “Making Sense of My Heritage” exhibit
• Story: Racial discrimination with my eyes
• Lesson: Using my writing to document truth
• Story: Broadway musical interests
• Lesson: Finding my voice
• Story: Smells from family dinner table
• Lesson: Appreciating home and family
• Story: Washing dishes
• Lesson: Finding moments of peace in busy schedule
• Story: Biking with Ava
• Lesson: Finding pleasure in job well done
• Conclusion: Tour guide concludes tour, invites guest to come back for “fall College Collection,” featuring my search for identity and learning.

Single story structure

The single story, or narrative, structure uses a chronological narrative to show a student’s character development over time. Some narrative essays detail moments in a relatively brief event, while others narrate a longer journey spanning months or years.

Single story essays are effective if you have overcome a significant challenge or want to demonstrate personal development.

Topic: Sports injury helps me learn to be a better student and person

• Situation: Football injury
• Challenge: Friends distant, teachers don’t know how to help, football is gone for me
• Turning point: Starting to like learning in Ms. Brady’s history class; meeting Christina and her friends
• My reactions: Reading poetry; finding shared interest in poetry with Christina; spending more time studying and with people different from me
• Insight: They taught me compassion and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle; even though I still can’t play football, I’m starting a new game

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

Regardless of your essay’s structure, try to craft a surprising story arc or original insights, especially if you’re writing about a common topic.

Never exaggerate or fabricate facts about yourself to seem interesting. However, try finding connections in your life that deviate from cliché storylines and lessons.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and they typically spend only a few minutes reading each one. To get your message across, your introduction , or hook, needs to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read more..

Avoid starting your introduction with a famous quote, cliché, or reference to the essay itself (“While I sat down to write this essay…”).

While you can sometimes use dialogue or a meaningful quotation from a close family member or friend, make sure it encapsulates your essay’s overall theme.

Find an original, creative way of starting your essay using the following two methods.

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

Begin your essay with an unexpected statement to pique the reader’s curiosity and compel them to carefully read your essay. A mysterious introduction disarms the reader’s expectations and introduces questions that can only be answered by reading more.

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

Illustrate a clear, detailed image to immediately transport your reader into your memory. You can start in the middle of an important scene or describe an object that conveys your essay’s theme.

A college application essay allows you to be creative in your style and tone. As you draft your essay, try to use interesting language to enliven your story and stand out .

Show, don’t tell

“Tell” in writing means to simply state a fact: “I am a basketball player.” “ Show ” in writing means to use details, examples, and vivid imagery to help the reader easily visualize your memory: “My heart races as I set up to shoot一two seconds, one second一and score a three-pointer!”

First, reflect on every detail of a specific image or scene to recall the most memorable aspects.

• What are the most prominent images?
• Are there any particular sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this memory?
• What emotion or physical feeling did you have at that time?

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

You don’t have to share a huge secret or traumatic story, but you should dig deep to express your honest feelings, thoughts, and experiences to evoke an emotional response. Showing vulnerability demonstrates humility and maturity. However, don’t exaggerate to gain sympathy.

Use appropriate style and tone

Make sure your essay has the right style and tone by following these guidelines:

• Use a conversational yet respectful tone: less formal than academic writing, but more formal than texting your friends.
• Prioritize using “I” statements to highlight your perspective.
• Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice.
• Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace.
• Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

You should end your college essay with a deep insight or creative ending to leave the reader with a strong final impression. Your college admissions essay should avoid the following:

• Summarizing what you already wrote
• Stating your hope of being accepted to the school
• Mentioning character traits that should have been illustrated in the essay, such as “I’m a hard worker”

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

The full circle, or sandwich, structure concludes the essay with an image, idea, or story mentioned in the introduction. This strategy gives the reader a strong sense of closure.

In the example below, the essay concludes by returning to the “museum” metaphor that the writer opened with.

Option 2: Revealing your insight

You can use the conclusion to show the insight you gained as a result of the experiences you’ve described. Revealing your main message at the end creates suspense and keeps the takeaway at the forefront of your reader’s mind.

Revise your essay before submitting it to check its content, style, and grammar. Get feedback from no more than two or three people.

It’s normal to go through several rounds of revision, but take breaks between each editing stage.

Also check out our college essay examples to see what does and doesn’t work in an essay and the kinds of changes you can make to improve yours.

Respect the word count

Most schools specify a word count for each essay , and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit.

Remain under the specified word count limit to show you can write concisely and follow directions. However, don’t write too little, which may imply that you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Check your content, style, and grammar

• First, check big-picture issues of message, flow, and clarity.
• Then, check for style and tone issues.
• Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Get feedback

Get feedback from 2–3 people who know you well, have good writing skills, and are familiar with college essays.

• Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your content, language, and tone.
• Friends and family can check for authenticity.
• An essay coach or editor has specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and can give objective expert feedback.

The checklist below helps you make sure your essay ticks all the boxes.

College admissions essay checklist

I’ve organized my essay prompts and created an essay writing schedule.

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me and reveals something different from the rest of my application.

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of telling.

I’ve shown positive traits and values in my essay.

I’ve demonstrated self-reflection and insight in my essay.

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

I’ve revised my essay , checking my overall message, flow, clarity, and grammar.

I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Congratulations!

It looks like your essay ticks all the boxes. A second pair of eyes can help you take it to the next level – Scribbr's essay coaches can help.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

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12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay

College admission committees sift through thousands of college essays each year. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

Pamela Reynolds

When it comes to deciding who they will admit into their programs, colleges consider many criteria, including high school grades, extracurricular activities, and ACT and SAT scores. But in recent years, more colleges are no longer considering test scores.

Instead, many (including Harvard through 2026) are opting for “test-blind” admission policies that give more weight to other elements in a college application. This policy change is seen as fairer to students who don’t have the means or access to testing, or who suffer from test anxiety.

So, what does this mean for you?

Simply that your college essay, traditionally a requirement of any college application, is more important than ever.

A college essay is your unique opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions committees who must comb through thousands of applications each year. It is your chance to stand out as someone worthy of a seat in that classroom.

A well-written and thoughtful essay—reflecting who you are and what you believe—can go a long way to separating your application from the slew of forgettable ones that admissions officers read. Indeed, officers may rely on them even more now that many colleges are not considering test scores.

Below we’ll discuss a few strategies you can use to help your essay stand out from the pack. We’ll touch on how to start your essay, what you should write for your college essay, and elements that make for a great college essay.

Be Authentic

More than any other consideration, you should choose a topic or point of view that is consistent with who you truly are.

Readers can sense when writers are inauthentic.

Inauthenticity could mean the use of overly flowery language that no one would ever use in conversation, or it could mean choosing an inconsequential topic that reveals very little about who you are.

Use your own voice, sense of humor, and a natural way of speaking.

Whatever subject you choose, make sure it’s something that’s genuinely important to you and not a subject you’ve chosen just to impress. You can write about a specific experience, hobby, or personality quirk that illustrates your strengths, but also feel free to write about your weaknesses.

Honesty about traits, situations, or a childhood background that you are working to improve may resonate with the reader more strongly than a glib victory speech.

Grab the Reader From the Start

You’ll be competing with so many other applicants for an admission officer’s attention.

Therefore, start your essay with an opening sentence or paragraph that immediately seizes the imagination. This might be a bold statement, a thoughtful quote, a question you pose, or a descriptive scene.

Starting your essay in a powerful way with a clear thesis statement can often help you along in the writing process. If your task is to tell a good story, a bold beginning can be a natural prelude to getting there, serving as a roadmap, engaging the reader from the start, and presenting the purpose of your writing.

Focus on Deeper Themes

Some essay writers think they will impress committees by loading an essay with facts, figures, and descriptions of activities, like wins in sports or descriptions of volunteer work. But that’s not the point.

College admissions officers are interested in learning more about who you are as a person and what makes you tick.

They want to know what has brought you to this stage in life. They want to read about realizations you may have come to through adversity as well as your successes, not just about how many games you won while on the soccer team or how many people you served at a soup kitchen.

Let the reader know how winning the soccer game helped you develop as a person, friend, family member, or leader. Make a connection with your soup kitchen volunteerism and how it may have inspired your educational journey and future aspirations. What did you discover about yourself?

Show Don’t Tell

As you expand on whatever theme you’ve decided to explore in your essay, remember to show, don’t tell.

The most engaging writing “shows” by setting scenes and providing anecdotes, rather than just providing a list of accomplishments and activities.

Reciting a list of activities is also boring. An admissions officer will want to know about the arc of your emotional journey too.

Try Doing Something Different

If you want your essay to stand out, think about approaching your subject from an entirely new perspective. While many students might choose to write about their wins, for instance, what if you wrote an essay about what you learned from all your losses?

If you are an especially talented writer, you might play with the element of surprise by crafting an essay that leaves the response to a question to the very last sentence.

You may want to stay away from well-worn themes entirely, like a sports-related obstacle or success, volunteer stories, immigration stories, moving, a summary of personal achievements or overcoming obstacles.

However, such themes are popular for a reason. They represent the totality of most people’s lives coming out of high school. Therefore, it may be less important to stay away from these topics than to take a fresh approach.

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Write With the Reader in Mind

Writing for the reader means building a clear and logical argument in which one thought flows naturally from another.

Use transitions between paragraphs.

Think about any information you may have left out that the reader may need to know. Are there ideas you have included that do not help illustrate your theme?

Be sure you can answer questions such as: Does what you have written make sense? Is the essay organized? Does the opening grab the reader? Is there a strong ending? Have you given enough background information? Is it wordy?

Write Several Drafts

Set your essay aside for a few days and come back to it after you’ve had some time to forget what you’ve written. Often, you’ll discover you have a whole new perspective that enhances your ability to make revisions.

Start writing months before your essay is due to give yourself enough time to write multiple drafts. A good time to start could be as early as the summer before your senior year when homework and extracurricular activities take up less time.

Read It Aloud

Writer’s tip : Reading your essay aloud can instantly uncover passages that sound clumsy, long-winded, or false.

Don’t Repeat

If you’ve mentioned an activity, story, or anecdote in some other part of your application, don’t repeat it again in your essay.

Your essay should tell college admissions officers something new. Whatever you write in your essay should be in philosophical alignment with the rest of your application.

Also, be sure you’ve answered whatever question or prompt may have been posed to you at the outset.

Ask Others to Read Your Essay

Be sure the people you ask to read your essay represent different demographic groups—a teacher, a parent, even a younger sister or brother.

Ask each reader what they took from the essay and listen closely to what they have to say. If anyone expresses confusion, revise until the confusion is cleared up.

Pay Attention to Form

Although there are often no strict word limits for college essays, most essays are shorter rather than longer. Common App, which students can use to submit to multiple colleges, suggests that essays stay at about 650 words.

“While we won’t as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you’d hoped it would,” the Common App website states.

In reviewing other technical aspects of your essay, be sure that the font is readable, that the margins are properly spaced, that any dialogue is set off properly, and that there is enough spacing at the top. Your essay should look clean and inviting to readers.

End Your Essay With a “Kicker”

In journalism, a kicker is the last punchy line, paragraph, or section that brings everything together.

It provides a lasting impression that leaves the reader satisfied and impressed by the points you have artfully woven throughout your piece.

So, here’s our kicker: Be concise and coherent, engage in honest self-reflection, and include vivid details and anecdotes that deftly illustrate your point.

While writing a fantastic essay may not guarantee you get selected, it can tip the balance in your favor if admissions officers are considering a candidate with a similar GPA and background.

Write, revise, revise again, and good luck!

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How to Start a College Essay to Hook Your Reader

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What is the purpose of the college essay introduction, tips for getting started on your essay, 6 effective techniques for starting your college essay.

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Where to Get Your Essay Edited for Free

Have you sat down to write your essay and just hit a wall of writer’s block? Do you have too many ideas running around your head, or maybe no ideas at all?

Starting a college essay is potentially the hardest part of the application process. Once you start, it’s easy to keep writing, but that initial hurdle is just so difficult to overcome. We’ve put together a list of tips to help you jump that wall and make your essay the best it can be.

The introduction to a college essay should immediately hook the reader. You want to give admissions officers a reason to stay interested in your story and encourage them to continue reading your essay with an open mind. Remember that admissions officers are only able to spend a couple minutes per essay, so if you bore them or turn them off from the start, they may clock out for the rest of the essay.

As a whole, the college essay should aim to portray a part of your personality that hasn’t been covered by your GPA, extracurriculars, and test scores. This makes the introduction a crucial part of the essay. Think of it as the first glimpse, an intriguing lead on, into the read rest of your essay which also showcases your voice and personality. 

Brainstorm Topics

Take the time to sit down and brainstorm some good topic ideas for your essay. You want your topic to be meaningful to you, while also displaying a part of you that isn’t apparent in other aspects of your application. The essay is an opportunity to show admissions officers the “real you.” If you have a topic in mind, do not feel pressured to start with the introduction. Sometimes the best essay openings are developed last, once you fully grasp the flow of your story.

Do a Freewrite

Give yourself permission to write without judgment for an allotted period of time. For each topic you generated in your brainstorm session, do a free-write session. Set a time for one minute and write down whatever comes to mind for that specific topic. This will help get the juices flowing and push you over that initial bit of writer’s block that’s so common when it comes time to write a college essay. Repeat this exercise if you’re feeling stuck at any point during the essay writing process. Freewriting is a great way to warm up your creative writing brain whilst seeing which topics are flowing more naturally onto the page.

Create an Outline

Once you’ve chosen your topic, write an outline for your whole essay. It’s easier to organize all your thoughts, write the body, and then go back to write the introduction. That way, you already know the direction you want your essay to go because you’ve actually written it out, and you can ensure that your introduction leads directly into the rest of the essay. Admissions officers are looking for the quality of your writing alongside the content of your essay. To be prepared for college-level writing, students should understand how to logically structure an essay. By creating an outline, you are setting yourself up to be judged favorably on the quality of your writing skills.

1. The Scriptwriter

“No! Make it stop! Get me out!” My 5-year-old self waved my arms frantically in front of my face in the darkened movie theater.

Starting your essay with dialogue instantly transports the reader into the story, while also introducing your personal voice. In the rest of the essay, the author proposes a class that introduces people to insects as a type of food. Typically, one would begin directly with the course proposal. However, the author’s inclusion of this flashback weaves in a personal narrative, further displaying her true self.

Read the full essay.

2. The Shocker

A chaotic sense of sickness and filth unfolds in an overcrowded border station in McAllen, Texas. Through soundproof windows, migrants motion that they have not showered in weeks, and children wear clothes caked in mucus and tears. The humanitarian crisis at the southern border exists not only in photographs published by mainstream media, but miles from my home in South Texas.

This essay opener is also a good example of “The Vivid Imaginer.” In this case, the detailed imagery only serves to heighten the shock factor. While people may be aware of the “humanitarian crisis at the southern border,” reading about it in such stark terms is bound to capture the reader’s attention. Through this hook, the reader learns a bit about the author’s home life; an aspect of the student that may not be detailed elsewhere in their application. The rest of the essay goes on to talk about the author’s passion for aiding refugees, and this initial paragraph immediately establishes the author’s personal connection to the refugee crisis.

3. The Vivid Imaginer

The air is crisp and cool, nipping at my ears as I walk under a curtain of darkness that drapes over the sky, starless. It is a Friday night in downtown Corpus Christi, a rare moment of peace in my home city filled with the laughter of strangers and colorful lights of street vendors. But I cannot focus. 

Starting off with a bit of well-written imagery transports the reader to wherever you want to take them. By putting them in this context with you, you allow the reader to closely understand your thoughts and emotions in this situation. Additionally, this method showcases the author’s individual way of looking at the world, a personal touch that is the baseline of all college essays.

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4. The Instant Plunger

The flickering LED lights began to form into a face of a man when I focused my eyes. The man spoke of a ruthless serial killer of the decade who had been arrested in 2004, and my parents shivered at his reaccounting of the case. I curiously tuned in, wondering who he was to speak of such crimes with concrete composure and knowledge. Later, he introduced himself as a profiler named Pyo Chang Won, and I watched the rest of the program by myself without realizing that my parents had left the couch.

Plunging readers into the middle of a story (also known as in medias res ) is an effective hook because it captures attention by placing the reader directly into the action. The descriptive imagery in the first sentence also helps to immerse the reader, creating a satisfying hook while also showing (instead of telling) how the author became interested in criminology. With this technique, it is important to “zoom out,” so to speak, in such a way that the essay remains personal to you.

5. The Philosopher 

Saved in the Notes app on my phone are three questions: What can I know? What must I do? What may I hope for? First asked by Immanuel Kant, these questions guide my pursuit of knowledge and organization of critical thought, both skills that are necessary to move our country and society forward in the right direction.

Posing philosophical questions helps present you as someone with deep ideas while also guiding the focus of your essay. In a way, it presents the reader with a roadmap; they know that these questions provide the theme for the rest of the essay. The more controversial the questions, the more gripping a hook you can create. 

Providing an answer to these questions is not necessarily as important as making sure that the discussions they provoke really showcase you and your own values and beliefs.

6. The Storyteller

One Christmas morning, when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set from my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science, I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering.

Beginning with an anecdote is a strong way to establish a meaningful connection with the content itself. It also shows that the topic you write about has been a part of your life for a significant amount of time, and something that college admissions officers look for in activities is follow-through; they want to make sure that you are truly interested in something. A personal story such as the one above shows off just that.

Cliche College Essay Introductions to Avoid

Ambiguous introduction.

It’s best to avoid introductory sentences that don’t seem to really say anything at all, such as “Science plays a large role in today’s society,” or “X has existed since the beginning of time.” Statements like these, in addition to being extremely common, don’t demonstrate anything about you, the author. Without a personal connection to you right away, it’s easy for the admissions officer to write off the essay before getting past the first sentence.

Quoting Someone Famous

While having a quotation by a famous author, celebrity, or someone else you admire may seem like a good way to allow the reader to get to know you, these kinds of introductions are actually incredibly overused. You also risk making your essay all about the quotation and the famous person who said it; admissions officers want to get to know you, your beliefs, and your values, not someone who isn’t applying to their school. There are some cases where you may actually be asked to write about a quotation, and that’s fine, but you should avoid starting your essay with someone else’s words outside of this case. It is fine, however, to start with dialogue to plunge your readers into a specific moment.

Talking About Writing an Essay

This method is also very commonplace and is thus best avoided. It’s better to show, not tell, and all this method allows you to do is tell the reader how you were feeling at the time of writing the essay. If you do feel compelled to go this way, make sure to include vivid imagery and focus on grounding the essay in the five senses, which can help elevate your introduction and separate it from the many other meta essays.

Childhood Memories

Phrases like “Ever since I was young…” or “I’ve always wanted…” also lend more to telling rather than showing. If you want to talk about your childhood or past feelings in your essay, try using one of the techniques listed earlier (such as the Instant Plunger or the Vivid Imaginer) to elevate your writing.

CollegeVine has a peer essay review page where peers can tell you if your introduction was enough to hook them. Getting feedback from someone who hasn’t read your essay before, and thus doesn’t have any context which may bias them to be more forgiving to your introduction, is helpful because it mimics the same environment in which an admissions officer will be reading your essay. 

Writing a college essay is hard, but with these tips hopefully starting it will be a little easier!

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How To Write A College Essay: A Step-By-Step Guide

Updated: Mar 28, 2024, 4:13am

Most colleges require prospective students to provide essays—long-form written responses to prompts—when applying for admission . Candidates can use their essays to stand out from other applicants and show schools what makes them unique.

Prospective students wondering how to write a college essay can use this helpful guide to explore common prompts, tips on structuring effective writing and what makes a good college essay. Discover the step-by-step process on how to write a college admission essay, including selecting a topic, outlining, creating a draft and proofreading.

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What Does a College Application Entail?

Here’s what the typical college essay involves.

Common Essay Prompts

The Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple colleges simultaneously, offers several essay prompts for applicants. Most prompts invite the writer to describe a time when they underwent a change or persevered through a struggle. Along with these subjects, applicants can also create their own prompts.

Essay Structure and Length

Check essay structure requirements from each prospective institution. Though most schools allow writers to determine their own essay formats, some may set word count limits or recommendations. Keep their provided range in mind as you write your essay, and dedicate most of your writing to the body of your personal statement, keeping your introduction and conclusion concise.

The Common App sets a word limit of 250 to 650 words. Aim for this range if a school does not specify a word count.

Impact of a Good Essay

Colleges and universities make difficult decisions when admitting new students. If multiple applicants submit similar admission materials—such as strong GPAs, high class ranks, impressive SAT or ACT scores, and well-rounded extracurriculars—a well-written essay can help a candidate stand out to admissions officers.

By crafting a captivating essay that sticks with the reader, you can make a lasting impact to secure your admission.

What Makes a Good College Essay?

Along with adhering to formal, academic standards for grammar, spelling, tone and syntax, a well-written college essay delivers on its premise, grabs the reader’s attention and stays within the word count limit.

At the most basic level, writers should ensure their essays are devoid of basic problems like typographical and grammar issues. College essays should respond directly to the given prompt and expand on the premise with an engrossing narrative or argument.

Most importantly, a good college essay offers compelling insights into its author. Infuse your personality, aspirations and struggles into your essay to illustrate why colleges should consider you for admission.

How To Write a College Admission Essay

When it comes to college essays, a strong writing process is key. Here’s what you should do.

Select an Essay Prompt

Though some institutions may only use one essay prompt, others—including the Common App—offer multiple options. Choose a prompt that lets you draw on your life experiences. If none of the provided prompts spark interest, the Common App allows you to submit an essay that responds to a topic of your own design.

Create an Outline

Before actually writing, create a plan for your essay. Summarize your thoughts with an outline. Include important themes and major points you want to include in the final product.

Write a Rough Draft

When drafting your essay, allow yourself to write and get your ideas down without overthinking. You can revise later. Try to avoid becoming attached to specific concepts or approaches in the early stages of writing, as working through multiple drafts with an open mind can help you develop new understandings about your ideas and find better paths toward the final essay.

Edit and Proofread

Edit your essay, both for content and for proofreading. It can help to print your essay on paper and revise with a pen in hand, as the change in perspective as you shift from a computer screen to a hard copy can make you process your writing differently. Consider using online editing apps, which can offer helpful suggestions for concision and clarity.

Have Others Edit and Proofread

Ask friends, family members, guidance counselors or teachers to read your college essay. Even if these readers lack formal editing experience, a fresh set of eyes can help you find ways to improve. Small-scale issues like typos and larger concerns like unclear themes may be more apparent to someone who did not write the essay.

Revise as Many Times as Needed

Sometimes, you have to delete most—or all—of what you wrote. Do not be afraid to go back to the drawing board. Write your essay as many times as necessary to ensure your ideas are conveyed clearly.

When applying to colleges, candidates need to put their best foot forward on all fronts. While some schools focus more on factors like GPA, class rank and extracurriculars, others evaluate applicants holistically, which means the admissions essay can hold more weight.

Tips for Writing Your Best College Essay

Let’s explore some tips and tricks for making the most of your college essay.

Get Started Early

Start preparing your application materials, including your college essay, in the summer before your senior year of high school. Most schools maintain winter application deadlines, so working on an admission essay several months ahead of that deadline ensures you have given your writing sufficient attention.

Pick a Topic That’s Meaningful to You

Apply the adage “write what you know” to your college essay: Think about what makes you unique, then apply this knowledge to the larger theme of your chosen prompt.

Writing about something meaningful allows your passions and personality to shine through. Because admissions departments often receive thousands of applications and essays each year, choosing a topic where your personal truth is evident can help you stand out among a crowded field of applicants.

Add Analysis to Your Storytelling

Extrapolate the themes of your essay by demonstrating how they apply to your personal story. While you can use abstract subject matter in your essay, linking the motif, structure and central theme of your essay to your own goals and challenges can elevate your writing.

Think “show, don’t tell.” Rather than using your limited space to explain overtly how your essay expresses your individual circumstances, illustrate your themes vividly enough that admissions departments can identify what makes you uniquely you.

Read Your Essay Out Loud

Remember: A person reads your college admission essay. Read your writing aloud—what may have felt great in the writing process may sound unnatural when read aloud. Hearing your writing can also reveal redundancies that may have not have been apparent otherwise.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About How To Write a College Essay

How do you start a college essay.

Start your essay with a “hook” to grab readers’ attention. Aim for a concise introduction that evokes vivid imagery or raises questions you will answer later in your essay.

What is the format for a college essay?

When formatting your college essay, consider your submission method. If the school provides a text box, refrain from using bolded, underlined or italicized text, which may not translate after copying and pasting. When an institution requires an attached document, submit a PDF file using a standard font like Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, size 12.

What makes a strong college essay?

A strong college essay captivates the reader with an interesting premise and offers insight into what makes you a unique applicant. Strong college essays reveal candidates’ aspirations and challenges.

How do you start off a college essay?

Remember that the person reading your writing will most likely have evaluated dozens or hundreds of other college essays—maybe even on the same day as yours. It’s important to grab their attention from the beginning, so avoid opening with a vague or generic statement and don’t reveal your essay’s conclusion right away. Instead, get specific, choose bold language and vivid imagery, and make your reader curious about how the story ends.

Is it okay to start a college essay with “I”?

Yes—in contrast to expository or argumentative essays you may have written in high school, it’s totally appropriate to write a college application essay from a first-person point of view. In fact, one of the most important functions of a college essay is to give admissions officers an idea of who you are as a person, so don’t hesitate to write from your own point of view.

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• August 8, 2024
• 11th Grade , 12th Grade , Personal Statement

Crafting the Perfect College Essay: Tips from Admissions Experts

Writing a college application essay can be one of the most challenging parts of the college admissions process. 

However, with the right approach and tips from our admissions consultants, you’ll have no problem crafting an essay that stands out. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process, explaining everything you need to know about writing your college essay. We’ll also share some college essay tips, formats, examples, and common pitfalls to avoid.

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Fill out this form to book your complimentary initial consultation., how to start a college essay, understand the prompt.

Before you start writing, make sure you thoroughly understand the essay prompt. You might find it helpful to break it down into smaller sections to better understand what the admissions committee is asking. 

Look for keywords in the prompt that highlight the main focus, such as “describe,” “explain,” or “reflect.” 

Understanding the prompt’s objective is important. Work out whether it’s asking you to share a personal story, explain your motivations, or discuss your goals. If any part of the prompt is unclear, seek clarification from teachers, parents, or peers to avoid misinterpreting it.

Brainstorm ideas

Consider free writing. It can help uncover potential topics by allowing you to write freely about different experiences and ideas without worrying about structure or grammar. 

Creating a mind map with the prompt at the center and branches for different ideas and experiences may also be helpful. Similarly, making lists of significant life events, accomplishments, challenges, and influences can generate ideas. 

Ask yourself reflection questions like “What am I most proud of?”, “What challenges have I overcome?”, and “What experiences have shaped my values and goals?” to find meaningful topics.

Spend some time brainstorming potential topics. Think about experiences, achievements, or personal stories that highlight your character and strengths. 

Choose a unique angle

Select a topic that is personal and unique to you. Admissions officers read thousands of essays, so finding a distinctive angle will make your essay stand out. 

Write about something meaningful to you rather than what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. 

Choose a topic that demonstrates personal growth, resilience, or a significant change in perspective. Highlight your core values and beliefs through a story that reflects them.

Create an outline

Start with an introduction that includes a hook to grab the reader’s attention , introduces the main theme or story, and provides a brief overview of what the essay will cover. 

Develop your main points with clear, concise paragraphs in the body of the essay, each focusing on a single idea and providing evidence or examples to support it. 

Summarize your main points in the conclusion. Restate your thesis in a new light, and end with a strong closing statement.

Organize your thoughts by creating an outline. This helps you structure your essay logically and ensures you cover all necessary points. 

Set the tone

The introduction sets the tone for the rest of your essay. Make sure it reflects your voice and personality. Whether your tone is serious, humorous, reflective, or passionate, it should be consistent throughout the essay.

End your introduction with a roadmap that outlines the main points you’ll cover in your essay. This helps the reader follow your narrative and understand the structure of your essay.

College essay format

As mentioned above, the introduction is your first chance to make an impression. You should start with a captivating hook to grab the reader’s attention. It could be an anecdote, a thought-provoking question, a striking statement, or vivid imagery. 

After the introduction comes the body of your essay. You should develop your main points with specific examples and clear, concise paragraphs. 

The conclusion summarizes your main points, restates your thesis in a new way, and ends with a strong closing statement.

Formatting tips

• Font and Spacing: Use a readable font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in size 12. Double-space your essay.
• Margins: Set margins to one inch on all sides.
• Title: Include a title if not specified otherwise. It should reflect the main theme of your essay.
• Length: Adhere to the word limit specified by the college, typically between 250 and 650 words.
• Consistency: Ensure consistent formatting throughout the essay, including font size, spacing, and paragraph structure.
• Proofreading: Carefully proofread for spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Consider an external review.
• Adherence to Guidelines: Follow any specific formatting guidelines provided by the college, such as submission format and file naming conventions.

7 college application essay tips

Be authentic.

Your essay should reflect your true self. Admissions officers can tell when you’re not being genuine, so write about what matters to you, not what you think they want to hear. Authenticity can make your essay stand out because it showcases your voice and perspective.

Show, don’t tell

Use descriptive language and specific examples to illustrate your points. Instead of stating that you’re determined, describe a situation where your determination helped you achieve a goal. This makes your essay more engaging and memorable.

Stay focused

Stick to the topic and avoid drifting off. Each sentence should contribute to your main theme or story. Keeping your essay focused ensures that your message is clear and concise, making a stronger impression on the reader. 

While it’s important to provide enough detail to support your points, avoid being too wordy. Concise writing is more powerful and keeps the reader engaged.

Carefully review your essay, checking for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. A well-polished essay shows attention to detail and respect for the admissions process. Consider asking a teacher, parent, or friend to read it over and provide feedback.

Follow instructions

Adhere to the word limit and any formatting guidelines provided by the college. 

Following the instructions shows you can pay attention to details and follow directions, both of which are important skills for college students.

Seek feedback

Get feedback from teachers, parents, and friends, but make sure the final essay reflects your voice. Constructive criticism can help you improve your essay, but it’s important that it remains your own work.

Practice good time management

Start early to give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and revise your essay. Rushed writing often lacks depth and clarity, so taking your time can significantly improve the quality of your essay.

Types of college essays

Personal statement.

The personal statement is a general essay that provides an opportunity for you to share your story, experiences, and personal qualities. It often addresses broad prompts that ask you to reflect on significant life experiences or describe your goals and motivations. Look at it as your chance to give the admissions committee a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your grades and test scores.

Supplemental essays

Supplemental essays are additional essays that many colleges require in addition to the personal statement. These essays often ask specific questions related to the college’s values, culture, or specific programs. Examples of common supplemental essay prompts include:

• “Why do you want to attend this college?”
• “Describe an extracurricular activity or work experience.”
• “Discuss an issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.”

Scholarship essays

Scholarship essays are written as part of an application for a scholarship. These essays typically focus on your academic achievements, leadership experiences, community involvement, and financial need. Scholarship essays often ask you to explain why you deserve the scholarship and how it will help you achieve your educational and career goals.

Common App essays

The Common Application (Common App) essay is a personal statement required by colleges that use the Common Application platform. The Common App provides several prompts each year, allowing students to choose the one that best fits their story. The prompts are designed to be broad and open-ended, giving students the flexibility to write about a wide range of topics.

Coalition application essays

Similar to the Common App, the Coalition Application also requires a personal statement. The Coalition Application offers different essay prompts, but they serve the same purpose: to allow students to share their personal stories and reflections.

University-specific essays

Some universities require essays that are specific to their institution. These essays can vary widely in topic and format. They might ask you to discuss how you would contribute to the university community, your interest in a particular program, or your thoughts on a current event or societal issue.

Diversity essays

Diversity essays ask you to discuss your background, experiences, and perspectives on diversity. These essays are an opportunity to reflect on how your unique experiences have shaped your worldview and how you will contribute to a diverse and inclusive campus environment.

Career goals essays

Career goals essays require you to outline your professional aspirations and how your chosen college and program will help you achieve them. These essays are common for applications to business schools, engineering programs, and other professional degree programs.

Creative essays

Some colleges may ask for creative essays that allow you to showcase your creativity and originality. These essays might include prompts that ask you to write a short story, imagine a hypothetical scenario, or describe a unique perspective.

Analytical essays

Analytical essays require you to analyze a text, event, or issue. These essays test your critical thinking and writing skills by asking you to provide a well-reasoned analysis supported by evidence. They are more common in applications to humanities and social sciences programs.

“Overcoming Adversity” essays

Essays on overcoming adversity ask you to describe a significant challenge or obstacle you have faced and how you dealt with it. These essays highlight your resilience, problem-solving abilities, and personal growth.

Winning college essay examples

Reading examples of successful college essays can provide inspiration and guidance. Look for essays that have a strong voice, clear structure, and compelling content. 

Analyze what makes these essays effective and try to incorporate similar elements into your own writing.

Do all colleges require essays?

Not all colleges require essays as part of their application process. Some schools, particularly those with open admissions policies, may not require an essay. However, most selective colleges do require at least one essay, and many have additional supplemental essays.

Things to avoid when writing a college essay

There are things you should include in your college essay, but there are also some things you should try to avoid if you want to give the best impression.

Avoid overused topics and phrases. Be original and authentic in your writing.

Controversial topics

Steer clear of highly controversial topics unless you can address them thoughtfully and respectfully.

Focus on positive experiences and growth rather than negative events.

Overly complex language

Use clear, straightforward language. Avoid using complex words, phrases, and ideas just to impress the reader.

Don’t repeat information already covered in other parts of your application.

Additional tips

In this final section of our guide on how to write a college application essay, we’ll share some quick and easy tips.

• Start early: Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and revise your essay.
• Seek feedback: Get feedback from teachers, parents, and friends, but make sure the final essay reflects your voice.
• Stay positive: Highlight your strengths and positive attributes.
• Be honest: Write truthfully about your experiences and aspirations.

By following these tips and guidelines, you can write a compelling college application essay that showcases your unique qualities and stands out to admissions officers.

Remember, your essay is an opportunity to share your story and make a personal connection with the admissions committee. Use it wisely!

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Want to write a college essay that sets you apart? Three tips to give you a head start

1. Keep it real. It’s normal to want to make a good impression on the school of your choice, but it’s also important to show who you really are. So just be yourself! Compelling stories might not be perfectly linear or have a happy ending, and that’s OK. It’s best to be authentic instead of telling schools what you think they want to hear.

2. Be reflective . Think about how you’ve changed during high school. How have you grown and improved? What makes you feel ready for college, and how do you hope to contribute to the campus community and society at large?

3. Look to the future. Consider your reasons for attending college. What do you hope to gain from your education? What about college excites you the most, and what would you like to do after you graduate? Answering these questions will not only give colleges insight into the kind of student you’ll be, but it will also give you the personal insight you’ll need to choose the school that’s right for you.

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How to Write Personal Essays for U.S. Universities

Mariel S. Tavakoli is a WES Expert Ambassador who recently graduated from the University of Oxford. Her studies focused on helping international students prepare personal statements in English.

Below, she provides essential insights about how to prepare a personal essay that will improve your chances of earning admission to a college or university in the United States.

When you are applying for an undergraduate program, graduate program, or scholarship, the written portion of the application requires you to reflect on your past experiences and connect them to your future goals. This portion might be called a personal statement, personal essay, or statement of purpose.

But no matter what it is called, and no matter what topic you are assigned, the true inspiration for your personal essay will always be the same: you.

Every admissions officer really wants to hear your unique voice, story, and vision. So, while there is no wrong way to approach an essay topic (which might also be referred to as a “prompt,” or come in the form of a question), there are ways to make the writing process more manageable—and the end result more powerful.

Here are some essential tips that will help you prepare an excellent personal essays for colleges and universities in the United States.

Give Yourself Time

The most important thing you must remember to do is give yourself enough time to write.

Many U.S. high school students begin writing their essays in the spring or summer—about six months before the application deadline. If this is the first academic essay you are writing in English, or your first time writing for an audience that is based in the United States, the most important thing you can do is to start thinking, researching, and writing in advance.

The process of writing a personal essay begins long before you grab a pen and paper.

Here are a few steps that will help you prepare:

First: Start by reading! The more that you read examples of personal essays in English, the more likely it is that you will figure out how to express your unique voice clearly in this language. This will also help you discover the appropriate level of academic expression and formality. Of course, you will need to do some research to find a variety of successful sample essays to study. Do not forget to consider that when planning the total time you will need.

Next: Identify teachers, parents, and friends who are fluent in written English and/or know what is expected of personal essays in the United States. Ask if they will agree to give you feedback. Sometimes, there is a designated staff member at your target school in the U.S. who can send you specific resources or provide more direct help; it is always worth asking the admissions office if this is the case for international applicants. You should be in touch with all of these potential candidates before you start writing; do not wait until you are ready to hand them something to read! (You will follow up and ask for their feedback once you complete your first draft.)

Now: Start writing! With plenty of time to understand, plan, write, and revise, you will write the best personal essay possible. This also helps you prevent stress during the application process.

Related Reading How to Get Into Graduate Schools in the U.S.

Understand Your Audience

Have you heard the following terms when reading about the personal essay?

• Tell your story

In order to understand these terms and your audience—university admissions officers—it is important to understand the admissions process.

U.S. universities have traditionally taken a holistic approach to admissions. In other words, your admissions decision is not based on your marks or test scores alone. Rather, admissions officers attempt to get a 360-degree understanding of who you are and how you would align with the other students and the university culture as a whole. This is what is meant by a “good fit” with a university.

To understand what an admissions officer might be looking for, your first stop is the university itself. Check out its website, follow its social media pages, read testimonies from alumni, get in touch with current students, read the university’s strategic plan. As you do, make note of common phrases and shared language. Store it away for when you are reflecting and writing later on.

While a holistic admissions process is a great way to get to know applicants, it also means that admissions officers have to read hundreds of applications in a day. Your personal story must therefore “stand out” from the competition. Although it can be uncomfortable, articulating your strengths and highlighting your most important accomplishments will make a strong impression, even on the most tired admissions officer. Use direct language and specific examples to showcase the most original things about your personality, personal history, and future ambitions.

But no matter what, the best way to appeal to admissions officers is by being truthful and genuine. So next, let us dive into an entire section dedicated to “telling your story”…

Learn More: Get the E-Guide Funding Your Education in the U.S.

Find Your Story

“Telling your story” to an unknown admissions officer is not an easy task. A personal essay requires you to be personal and professional at the same time. You also have to weave your experiences and goals together into a cohesive narrative.

The first step is to take an inventory of your life thus far. You might already have a lot of this information organized on your CV. Use this to group your experiences into categories: job titles, responsibilities, lessons learned, types of impact, special skills, hobbies and interests, and so on.

However, your personal essay should not read like a list or résumé. To avoid this, choose one or two experiences that relate to the topic of your personal essay and excite you the most. Explore how you can connect other strong points from different categories back to it. Begin thinking about how you might weave these together into one compelling narrative.

For example, pay attention to how one experience may have led to a realization, inspired a behavior, or triggered a memory. Even the smallest personal details can be a gateway or framework to the rest of your essay.

It is important for your personal essay to balance authenticity (what is important to you) with what admissions counselors might expect from a viable applicant. To start, any leadership roles or times when you went above and beyond your responsibilities are important to highlight. Then, think back to your research on the university and what language people used to describe the campus or community. Do any of your experiences fit with these qualities?

Again, do not be afraid to show off these accomplishments and impress those admissions officers!

Next Steps: Watch the Webinar Understanding the Admissions Process in the U.S.

Write It Down

There is not one right way to structure your personal essay. By giving yourself plenty of time to rearrange your thoughts with different words, sentences, and paragraphs, you will write an essay that represents your ability to think critically, as well as your ability to express yourself in writing. Both of these are essential skills and they are highly valued by admissions officers.

In the United States, it is important to follow basic concepts of essay organization. Make sure to group your thoughts into cohesive paragraphs, and use effective transitions between different ideas. Again, because your reader is tired and overwhelmed, it is important to make sure that your essay structure and specific word choices guide them through your statement.

Lastly, focus on your language. You should use your best academic English, and leave plenty of time at the end to refine and proofread. This is when you should contact the people that you identified in your research phase—the friends, family, and professionals who agreed to read your first draft.

Instead of asking for general feedback, ask them to share their thoughts on three specific things:

• Your language use (word choice)
• Your essay’s content (theme, story)
• Your essay’s structure (organization of ideas)

Envision Your Future

The personal essay portion of your application is a challenge. But it is also a great academic exercise. Writing your personal essay prepares you for all of the writing you will do as part of your education in the U.S.

This is also a great time for personal reflection and growth. Take this time to explore your history, motivation, and goals—and get excited about your future studies in the United States!

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Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to essay writing.

Essay writing is a crucial skill that students need to master in order to succeed academically. Whether you’re a high school student working on a history paper or a college student tackling a critical analysis essay, having a solid understanding of the essay writing process is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential tips and tricks that will help you improve your essay writing skills. From generating ideas and organizing your thoughts to crafting a strong thesis statement and polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.

Not only that, but we’ll also provide you with useful templates that you can use as a framework for your essays. These templates will help you structure your writing, stay focused on your main argument, and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

The Ultimate Essay Writing Guides

Essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, but with the right guidance and tips, you can improve your writing skills and produce high-quality essays. In this ultimate guide, we will provide you with valuable advice, tricks, and templates to help you excel in your essay writing endeavors.

1. Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you fully understand the prompt or question. Analyze the requirements and key points that need to be addressed in your essay.

2. Create an Outline: Organize your ideas and thoughts by creating a detailed outline for your essay. This will help you structure your arguments and ensure a logical flow of information.

3. Research Thoroughly: Conduct extensive research on your topic to gather relevant information and evidence to support your arguments. Use credible sources and cite them properly in your essay.

4. Write Clearly and Concisely: Avoid using jargon or complex language in your essay. Write in a clear and concise manner to convey your ideas effectively to the reader.

5. Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, make sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and ensure that your essay flows cohesively.

By following these ultimate essay writing guides, you can enhance your writing skills and produce outstanding essays that will impress your instructors and peers. Practice regularly and seek feedback to continuously improve your writing abilities.

Tips for Crafting an A+ Essay

1. Understand the Assignment: Before you start writing, make sure you fully understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. If you have any doubts, clarify them with your instructor.

2. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather relevant sources and information to support your arguments. Make sure to cite your sources properly and use credible sources.

3. Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main point of your essay and guide your readers on what to expect.

4. Organize Your Ideas: Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas in your essay.

5. Write Clearly and Concisely: Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentences. Be direct and to the point.

6. Revise and Edit: Always proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Revise your work to ensure coherence and clarity.

7. Seek Feedback: Ask a peer or instructor to review your essay and provide constructive feedback for improvement.

8. Use Proper Formatting: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your instructor, such as font size, margins, and citation style.

9. Stay Focused: Keep your essay focused on the main topic and avoid going off on tangents. Stick to your thesis statement.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice writing essays, the better you will get at it. Keep practicing and refining your writing skills.

Tricks to Improve Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are some tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Read widely: Reading a variety of genres and styles can help you develop your own voice and writing style.

2. Practice regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to practice writing.

3. Get feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for constructive criticism. Feedback can help you identify areas for improvement.

4. Study grammar and punctuation: Good writing requires a solid understanding of grammar and punctuation rules. Take the time to study and practice these essential skills.

5. Edit and revise: Writing is a process, and editing is an important part of that process. Take the time to edit and revise your work to improve clarity and coherence.

6. Experiment with different writing techniques: Try experimenting with different writing techniques, such as using metaphors, similes, or descriptive language, to enhance your writing.

7. Stay inspired: Find inspiration in the world around you. Whether it’s nature, art, or literature, draw inspiration from your surroundings to fuel your writing.

By following these tricks and practicing regularly, you can improve your writing skills and become a more confident and effective writer.

Step-by-Step Essay Writing Templates

When it comes to writing an essay, having a clear and structured template can be incredibly helpful. Here are some step-by-step essay writing templates that you can use to guide you through the process:

• Introduction: Start your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide some background information on the topic and end with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, provide evidence to support your point, and then analyze the evidence to show how it relates back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis in a new way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion and instead focus on tying together all the points you have made throughout the essay.

Expert Advice for Writing Top-Notch Essays

When it comes to writing a top-notch essay, it’s essential to follow expert advice to ensure your work stands out. Here are some key tips to help you elevate your writing:

1. Start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your main argument.

2. Conduct thorough research to support your points with credible sources.

3. Organize your thoughts logically and ensure your essay flows smoothly from one point to the next.

4. Use a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

5. Proofread and edit your essay carefully to eliminate errors and refine your arguments.

By following these expert tips, you can take your essay writing skills to the next level and produce work that is both informative and compelling.

Resources to Enhance Your Essay Writing Process

When it comes to improving your essay writing skills, there are a variety of resources available to help you enhance your process. Here are some valuable resources that can aid you in becoming a more effective and efficient writer:

• Writing Guides: There are countless writing guides and books that offer tips, tricks, and strategies for improving your writing skills. Whether you’re looking to enhance your grammar, structure, or argumentation, these guides can provide valuable insights.
• Online Writing Communities: Joining online writing communities can be a great way to connect with other writers, receive feedback on your work, and engage in writing challenges and prompts. Websites like Writing.com and Wattpad are popular platforms for writers to share their work and receive critiques.
• Writing Workshops and Courses: Participating in writing workshops and courses can help you hone your craft and develop your writing skills. Whether you prefer in-person workshops or online courses, there are many options available to suit your needs and schedule.
• Writing Apps and Tools: Utilizing writing apps and tools can streamline your writing process and help you stay organized. Tools like Grammarly can assist with grammar and spelling checks, while apps like Scrivener can help you organize your research and ideas.
• Libraries and Writing Centers: Visiting your local library or university writing center can provide access to valuable resources, such as writing guides, research materials, and writing tutors who can offer personalized feedback and support.

By taking advantage of these resources, you can enhance your essay writing process and become a more skilled and confident writer.

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UIUC College Essay Example Prompts

Whether you decide to apply to UIUC through Common App or myIllini, you’ll have to conquer the dreaded essay portion of the application. Fear not! When writing your essay, you have several options to choose from , so you can select the topic you’re most comfortable with.

For your application, you only need to choose one prompt to complete (along with two major-specific responses). Your essay should be between 250 and 650 words. In this blog, we’ve provided an example response for one of our college essay prompts . The concept we wrote about may seem a little silly, but we hope this example gives you an idea of how to craft your own response. Here we go!

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

The chicken, or the egg? The hours I’ve spent pondering this question are countless. People frequently debate the seemingly simple idea of which came first. To me, it is more than just a question, but an example of how human beings think.

The question of “Which came first?” captivates me because it is a question without an answer. It has been asked for centuries and no progress has been made, but it still continues to be brought up. I think this is because humans prefer clear-cut answers. Like in any kind of competition, ending with a tie between teams or individuals isn’t a satisfying conclusion. People would rather the competition continue for extra time than admit there’s no real winner, or in this case, no real answer. So even though it’s obvious there will be no agreement, the debate over chickens and eggs continues.

When people label something a “chicken-egg” situation, it means there is no way to establish the order of cause and effect, again leaving a feeling of uncertainty. But human nature is to seek an answer. The chicken-egg question shows humanity’s inability to accept unfinished business, and this fascinates me most. People want closure in all aspects of life, and big questions like this are no exception. I think the question “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is so interesting because people will always try to answer it knowing they will never find a solution. It shows that humans desire understanding above all else.

When I want to learn more about this concept, I turn to my grandfather. He doesn’t have a degree in philosophy or psychology, yet he’s a reliable source on almost any subject given his extensive years spent at the University of Life. With so many experiences under his belt, he understands unanswerable questions much better than I do. “The only truth is uncertainty,” he tells me when I once again dive deep into the possibility of eggs without chickens or chickens without eggs. In his words, the most beautiful parts of life are the questions we can’t answer but spend out whole life trying to.

My own desire for answers keeps me thinking about this question for hours on end. I think there’s good points to grandpa’s perspective, but as an eighteen-year-old entering college, I don’t know if I can accept that the only answer is no answer just yet. Until I can, I’ll gather my own evidence and continue to spend my days wondering whether Aristotle was eating chicken and waffles or omelettes for breakfast.

Now that you’ve had a chance to mull over your opinion on Aristotle’s breakfast choices, think about what topic you might like to write about in your application. Remember, it’s not about trying to perfectly replicate this example or write what you think the admissions office wants to hear. The essay section of your application is your chance to let colleges get to know you on a more personal level, so show them who you really are! If you take your time and write about what’s important to you, you’ll be writing college essay prompts like a pro in no time.

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I must say UIUC as a college has the most intuitive website. I have seen no college that makes the process of writing supplemental essays so fun and joyful!

Thank you, Ishaan; we’re glad you’re finding this information helpful!

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4 Tips for Choosing Your College Essay Topic

College essays have two main purposes: to help your admission counselor evaluate your writing skills, and to communicate something about you as a person.

The admission staff at St. Edward’s looks forward to reading your essay because it’s usually the most personal part of the application. It’s the one place where we really hear your voice and get a glimpse of your personality.

These four tips may help you choose an essay topic.

Pick a topic that will reveal a truth about you.

Tell a story, but make sure the story illustrates how you developed a passion, changed your mind about something, re-evaluated a relationship, or grew in some other way. For example, if you write about repairing cars with your dad, your essay can reflect on how you realized you are mechanically minded, or how you and your father developed a bond you didn’t have before.

Choose something distinctive.

This doesn’t mean a once-in-a-lifetime event like winning the National Spelling Bee or skydiving – most students haven’t had that kind of experience. In fact, sometimes high-quality essays emerge from a student writing about a very ordinary experience in a personal way. For example, a student could write about her daily commute to school if she talked about a significant conversation she had with her mom in the car, or how she learned to love a new genre of music from listening to the radio, or imagining who lived down a long, mysterious driveway she passed every day. You can turn what might seem like a humdrum topic into an interesting essay when you focus on the details and what the experience reveals about you.

If you choose a popular topic, look for a distinctive angle.

Many students write about what they’ve learned from playing sports. If you choose this topic, try to come up with a fresh take: how did you get into playing your sport? Was there a particular skill you struggled with and finally mastered? Did you figure out how to work with a challenging teammate?

Narrow it down.

Focus on one event, person or activity. If you write about a trip that influenced you, consider describing one particular scene from the trip and then “zooming out” to explain the greater context. Don’t try to cover multiple years of your life in 500 words. If you have to leave out important events, that’s ok. Think of your college essay as a snapshot, not your autobiography.

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Writing as a College Student

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Writing at the college level involves new expectations that may require new strategies. While specific genres of writing have distinct purposes, college writing helps you develop skills such as thinking critically, communicating professionally, and articulating yourself well. Although common writing expectations and strategies are listed below, always follow assignment guidelines and write with your audience in mind.

General College Writing Expectations

Writing as a college student can seem daunting, but drawing on your previous writing experience and relying on instructors and campus resources can help to ease the transition. Although writing assignments may differ, many have similar expectations to those listed below.

• Understand what the assignment is asking . Assignment guidelines can be confusing or lengthy, and reading carefully and slowly can help to make sense of them.
• Refer to assignment guidelines , rubrics, and class policies for questions about the assignment
• Learn the conventions of your discipline , including genre, audience, citation style, and AI policies. Notice the writing style used in your field, then practice using it in your assignments.
• Ask questions of instructors, writing center tutors, and librarians.
• Present clear, coherent ideas . Consider if a reader would understand what you intend to say.
• Maintain a professional tone appropriate for your audience and their needs.
• Improve writing mechanics , such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Writing mechanics can be complicated, but your skills can improve with practice.
• Read feedback on your assignments, and incorporate those suggestions into your future work.

Refining Your Writing Skills

Using effective strategies when approaching writing assignments can help you mitigate worries, strengthen writing skills, increase confidence, and improve writing efficiency.

• Start assignments early to ensure you have ample time to pace your work.
• Break projects into smaller, manageable tasks ; set reasonable and achievable goals.
• Organize your work by using consistent note-taking techniques, such as highlighting, color-coding, or annotating. Experiment with different ways to accomplish your writing assignments, and keep track of any requirements, deadlines, and rubrics.
• Join a study group to encourage accountability, collaborate with others, and receive support.
• Regulate your time and energy for writing. One part of an assignment may require more effort than another part. Allocate your energy mindfully to help make writing sessions more productive
• Set aside time for both writing and self-care . Scheduling time to work and take breaks can improve your writing capacity and save you time in the long run.
• Create an environment for your writing needs. Consider different times, locations, and comforts that work for you (e.g., morning, evening; library, bedroom; snacks, lighting).
• Approach writing assignments with a positive and confident attitude . Remember that college work is centered on continual learning, and the writing process will have ups and downs.
• Use campus resources and opportunities . Consult with peers, talk with instructors or advisors, explore library services (in-person and online), and attend university workshops.

Developing Your Writing Process

College writing assignments can be complex, and assignments can build on each other within a course. It may also involve in-depth academic research. Create and maintain a personal writing process to organize your writing, research, and personal time.

• Prewriting : Understand the assignment requirements and identify your audience and tone. Brainstorm potential topics to expand on when writing later.
• Outlining : Determine your main point for the writing assignment. Create sections with brief notes and develop your thoughts from prewriting.
• Drafting : Elaborate on your outline and form sentences or paragraphs. Write about your thoughts and arguments in detail. If needed, add sources by using quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
• Revising : Read your draft and adjust it to clarify points and strengthen the argument.
• Editing : Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Change the format according to a style guide, example, or template.
• Writing processes are cyclical and take time . The first draft is not your final draft. Steps such as drafting and revising often occur more than once.
• Read the assignment guidelines carefully, and ask your professor about research requirements such as the number and type of sources required (e.g., primary, popular, peer-reviewed, etc.).
• Adjust your research topic to fit the requirements of the assignment. Narrow or broaden your topic by considering timeframes, locations, demographics, and contemporary issues.
• Identify your audience and adapt to their level of familiarity with your topic. Determine whether terms and concepts need to be explained. Your audience determine your tone or style.
• Identify patterns of feedback you receive from instructors, peers, or writing consultants. Use that feedback (both positive and negative) to inform your future writing.
• Avoid plagiarism by tracking and citing sources using your assigned citation style.
• Contribute to a larger academic conversation by connecting your ideas to sources through summary, analysis, and synthesis.
• Use library resources such as the physical library, online academic databases, and library research tutorials to become familiar with your field of study and help you identify relevant, credible sources to incorporate in your writing.
• Chat with a research librarian or meet with a writing center consultant for help finding, reading, and writing with sources.
• Learn how AI can facilitate or frustrate your writing and learning processes . Understand AI policies and expectations as outlined by your instructor, department, and university. AI policies and expectations may vary by instructor or program.
• Know that strengthening your digital literacy , information literacy , and academic reading skills will help you develop as a college-level writer.

As a college writer, you will continually grow and improve. College is a learning environment. Getting support from others can ease anxiety and build your confidence as a writer. If you feel overwhelmed, remember that you are in college to learn, and faculty, peers and the Writing Center are here to help.

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Barnard Short Answer Questions

In addition to the personal essay which you will submit through the Common Application or QuestBridge, Barnard asks first-year applicants to respond to institution-specific short answer questions. We recommend spending time to thoughtfully consider these questions and your responses. Your answers to these questions, in conjunction with the rest of your application, will help the Admissions Committee understand how you may contribute to our community both academically and personally.

Below are the  2024  questions for first-year students.

• Required:  Barnard College is an extraordinary community of women committed to fostering curiosity and the exploration of new experiences and ideas. By utilizing the resources of our campus, our Foundations curriculum, and New York City, our students expand their world and discover their own capabilities. How do you envision these intersecting components of Barnard shaping your academic and personal journey? (200 words max)
• Required: Barnard College students engage in the bold questions that define their generation. Choose one question that you have about the world around you, and explain why it matters to you. (150 words max)
• Required: In college, you will encounter others with diverse viewpoints and experiences. Describe an instance where you engaged with someone who held a different opinion and explain how it shaped your perspective on the issue. (150 words max)

*Please note that the questions may change from year to year.

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The 13 Best College Essay Tips to Craft a Stellar Application

College Essays

In many ways, the most labor-intensive part of your college application process is the essay. It’s not just about forwarding transcripts or entering a list of extracurricular activities—you have to craft something personal and compelling to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your resume.

In this article, we’ll go over our 13 best tips for writing college essays. We’ll give tips for every step of the process including planning, writing, and editing your essay, as well as some quick and easy tips to boost any essays you already have written! With these college essay tips, you’ll be that much closer to the best admissions essay ever!

5 Tips for College Essay Planning

Doing a good job planning makes the college essay process that much easier. These five college essay tips will help you get started and pave the way for a great final product.

#1: Make a Plan of Attack for Your Essays

The first thing you’ll need to do is identify all the essays you’ll need to write and their deadlines. It may help you to make a spreadsheet with the essay guidelines for each school, the word count, the prompts, the due date, and any special instructions. This will help you figure out:

How many essays you’ll need to write, and how long those essays need to be.

Whether you can reuse any essays: In general, you can reuse essays for prompts that are about your life, broadly similar in theme, and have a similar word count. You probably can’t reuse essays that are very specific to the college, like “Why This College” essays .

Which essay you should write first: You’ll probably want to start first on the essay with the earliest application deadline. Alternatively, if you have plenty of time or the deadlines are close together, you could start with the longest essay (which will take the most time) or the essay that will be used for the most schools (like a Common Application essay). Do what you feel most comfortable with.

With all this information gathered, you’ll be able to make a plan of attack for your essays and make sure nothing gets lost in the application shuffle. (In fact, I actually advise keeping track of all necessary components of your application in a spreadsheet for the same reason).

#2: Start Early

You want to start writing way before the deadline. If possible, give yourself at least two months, and maybe even more time if you can. This will make sure that you have enough time to adequately plan your essay, draft it, and edit it.  

And, of course, the more essays you have to write, the earlier you should start!

#3: Choose the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic has two facets: first, choosing the right prompt (if there’s a choice) and second, choosing the right topic to write about for that prompt.

The Right Prompt

If there’s a choice of prompts, you may want to actually start by brainstorming the specific topic or thing in your life that you want to write about, and then reverse-engineer back to the most appropriate prompt. Most college essay prompts are pretty vague, so a broad range of topics and issues can be applied.

You can also use prompts to help you brainstorm if you’re having a hard time figuring out what to write about. Think about the prompt that seems most appealing to you at first. What intrigues you about it? What do you think you could communicate about yourself through that question?

Here’s some tailored guidance on some of the most common college essay prompt types . And if you’re writing a Common Application essay, here’s advice on how to choose the right Common App prompt for you .

The Right Topic

When you’re trying to choose something about your life to write about, consider the following:

What are you excited to write about? A good college essay can be about a wide variety of topics, but it should show that you’re passionate about something. This could be anything from a hobby you have to your favorite book or even your most beloved stuffed animal, just so long as you can make it memorable and positive. Also, your writing will be a lot better if you are writing about something you care about and are interested in!

Whatever you write about should be primarily about you. You should be the focal point. Even if you’re writing about someone who has influenced you, for example, you need to relate it back to yourself. What does this tell admission officers about you?

What makes you stand out? This should be something that goes beyond what’s in the rest of your application. Your test scores and GPA are already there. What really shows something unique about you?

Choose a topic you can be honest about . If you’re not being genuine, it will end up coming through in your writing. So don’t write about how much your membership in Youth Group meant to you if you only went to make your mom happy and you actually didn’t care that much.

In general, you should avoid topics that are overly controversial, like things that are politically charged, doing things that are illegal, or anything involving graphic descriptions of any bodily function. So if you’re going to write about recovering from hip surgery, probably leave out the gory details of you being constipated and your oozy scars.

Check out our 35 brainstorming techniques for college essays for even more help coming up with a topic!

If you’re really stumped, consider asking your friends and family what they think could be good topics. They may help you figure out something memorable and interesting. But also, don’t feel like you have to write about a topic just because someone else thinks it would be great. You need to be genuinely interested in what you’re writing about to write an engaging essay!

#4: Decide on Your Approach

In general, there are two main approaches you might take to write your essay. It might primarily take a narrative format, or it might take a thematic format.

In a narrative format, you’ll be relating a particular anecdote or experience and what it means to you. In a thematic format, you’ll present a particular theme—say, your love of parakeets or your secret talent for balancing books on your head—and expound on that theme in a descriptive way to reveal more about you and your personality.

Sometimes your approach will be determined by the prompt or topic that you choose. For example, if a prompt says to relate a particular event or anecdote, you’ll probably use a narrative approach. By contrast, if you want to write about how your favorite book changed your life, that will probably be a thematic essay.

#5: Write an Outline

Doing a little bit of outlining before you put fingertips to keyboard to write your essay is always a good idea. You don’t necessarily need to make a super-detailed plan before you starting writing, but a general idea of where you are going and the points you want to make will be very helpful when you start drafting. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending a lot of time staring at a blank Word document.

Yes, good, very detailed essay plan. 

4 Top College Essay Writing Tips

Here are four tips for writing college essays and making sure your work  stands out in a good way:

#6: Use Specific Details

The more details you use, the more your writing will come alive. Try to use words that are vivid and specific, instead of ones that are vague like “nice,” “good,” and so on. This will really flesh out the scene and help the reader picture what’s going on.

So take something like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my little brother to ride a bicycle. I encouraged him to keep going when he fell down. Now he’s a great cyclist!

To something more like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my eight-year-old brother to ride the racy red bicycle he got for his birthday. He wanted to give up when he took a tumble and skidded across the sidewalk. But while I bandaged up his knees with Batman band-aids, I convinced him to give it another try. I told him to think about how he would be able to bike all around the neighborhood exploring. Now I smile whenever I see him zooming down our street—wearing his helmet, of course!

See the difference? Wouldn’t you rather read the second one?

#7: Be Genuine

It’s important to get beyond the superficial in your personal statement. You should be writing about something that’s genuinely important or significant to you, so try to get beyond the surface. Instead of writing vague platitudes about how you really like the violin but it’s hard, really get at the meat: did you ever think about quitting? What’s frustrated you the most? What really keeps you going?

This means you shouldn’t try to write about things where it’s too painful to be honest. So if your parents got a divorce last year, it may be too raw to write about, which is perfectly fine. If, however, they got divorced when you were 5 and you can honestly reflect on how it changed your life, go for it.

Of course, you want to be honest in a reasonable and appropriate way. If you overshare, it will make it seem like you have bad judgment or don’t understand social norms—not good impressions to give the admissions committee. So probably don’t write about how much you despise your mother and think she is evil since she had an affair with your school librarian. It’s fine to feel how you feel, but there are some things that are a little too charged to write in your college essay.

#8: Be Unique, but Not Bizarre

You definitely want your writing to set you apart—but you want it to set you apart in a good way. This means you want high-quality writing about unique experiences and qualities you bring to the table that aren’t covered elsewhere in your application.

This does not mean you should get really avant-garde with your essay formatting. Don’t send in a piece of art instead of an essay, or make a video, or write a poem instead of an essay, unless those things are explicitly allowed.

Similarly, while your essay doesn’t have to be 100% deadly serious in tone, you should be careful with humor. This doesn’t mean absolutely no jokes or tongue-in-cheek moments or that your essay should read like an 18th-century book of sermons. But if your essay relies too much on humor, you’ve got a lot riding on whether or not the person reading your essay “gets” it. They may well be annoyed. So deploy humor carefully and selectively.

#9: Avoid Cliches and Platitudes

The more cliches you use in your writing, the more boring and less insightful your essay will be. Cliches are phrases that are so overused that they are essentially meaningless, and they are likely to make any reader roll their eyes. Phrases like “a dime a dozen,” “outside the box,” “cold as ice,” “dirt cheap,” “flash in the pan,” and so on are frequently deployed in conversation because they convey a common idea quickly. But you don’t want your essay to be common, so avoid cliches. Try to think about how you can communicate the same idea in a more specific and interesting way.

Here’s a list of over 600 cliches . But for the most part, you won’t need a list; you’ll know something is a cliche because you will have heard it a million times already.

You should also avoid platitudes or sweeping generalizations about life. These are statements that are so broad and far-reaching as to be both obvious and completely uninsightful.

So avoid making statements like “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” or “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” You may think you sound sage or wise, but the truth is, platitudes are going to sound immature and poorly-formed to the reader. Similarly, don’t say things that sound like they could come from an inspirational quote account on Instagram. (See, ahem, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take,” “Shoot for the moon,” and so on.)

How do you avoid the platitude problem? Try to keep what you’re saying specific to you. So instead of saying “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” try, “This experience helped me to realize that when I put concentrated effort into something that’s important to me, I can accomplish it even when there are roadblocks.” Keep the focus on what you can and will do in your own life.

Avoid  trite sayings like this one.

2 Tips for Editing Your College Essay

You may think that once you’ve gotten a draft done that you’re good to go. Not so! Editing is one of the most important parts of writing the best college essay possible, and here are two essential college essay tips for editing.

Tip #10: Ask for Help

It’s always wise to get another set of eyes on your college essays. In fact, several sets of eyes is even better! Other people can help you make sure your essay flows, you have enough detail, that everything is relevant, and that you sound as engaging and interesting as you really are! They can also help you catch typos and other minor errors—although you’ll want to double and triple-check for that yourself before submitting.

Here’s advice on how to ask for help with all parts of the college essay process , including editing.

Tip #11: Be Prepared to Cut a Lot

Brace yourself for cutting up your initial draft into tiny little ribbons and rearranging the remaining pieces Frankenstein-style. A first draft is really just a starting place to get your ideas down before you revamp the entire thing into a more streamlined, better organized, highly polished version. So you have to be ready to let go of pieces of your essay, no matter how much you love a particular turn of phrase or analogy. The ultimate goal is to turn the rough stone of your first draft into a polished and clear piece of writing—and that’s going to take a lot of chipping and sanding!

2 Final Tips for College Essay Success

Here are two quick but essential college essay tips you can implement easily.

Tip #12: Have a Standout First Sentence

One thing you can do to give any essay a boost is to make sure that your first sentence is attention-grabbing. If you can pique the interest of the admissions counselor right away, you’ll help keep their attention throughout your essay.

Here’s our guide to getting that perfect first sentence!

Tip #13: Triple-check for Typos and Errors

The most important quick thing you can do for your essay is to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. It will make your essay look sloppy and unfinished, and that’s the last thing you want! College admissions officers expect a polished product, and there’s nothing less polished than misspelled words and comma splices.

13 College Essay Tips: Key Takeaways for a Great College Essay

To recap, here’s our 13 tips for the best college essay ever:

College Essay Planning Tips:

• Create a plan of attack for all of your essays so you can keep track of everything.
• Start early—at least two months before the due date, if not more.
• Choose the right prompt and topic for you.
• Decide between a narrative or a thematic approach to the topic.
• Outline before you start writing!

College Essay Writing Tips:

• Use vivid, specific details.
• Be genuine—get beyond the superficial.
• Be unique, but not bizarre.
• Avoid cliches and platitudes; they are boring and unimaginative.

College Essay Editing Tips:

• Get other people to look at your essay.
• Be prepared to change, cut, and rearrange a lot!

Final Tips for College Essays:

• Make sure your first sentence is stellar.
• Triple check for typos and grammatical errors!

What’s Next?

You’ve read our tips for success—now see 10 college essay mistakes to avoid .

Looking for some college essay examples? See 133 essay examples and expert analysis here , along with 11 more places to find great college essay examples .  

Check out our complete guides to ApplyTexas essays , UC Personal Insight questions , and the Common Application essay !

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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AZ529 2023 Essay Writing Contest

Dream. Write. Win.

Your 5th or 6th grader could win $529 towards an AZ529 Education Savings Plan.

UPLOAD HERE CONTEST RULES

CONTEST IS OPEN AUGUST 28 THROUGH OCTOBER 1, 2023. ENTER TODAY!

Tell us how you’d make the world a better place.

For the fourth year, Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee and the AZ529 Education Savings Plan are hosting an essay contest for kids. The 2023 Essay Writing Contest invites Arizona 5th and 6th graders to submit essays explaining their dream job and the steps they’ll take to reach it. Winners will receive $529 toward an AZ529 Education Savings Plan to fund their future educational aspirations!

Contest Details

All current 5th and 6th grade students in Arizona, including district, charter, private, homeschool and tribal school students.

Answer the question, “What is your dream job and how do you plan on achieving it in the future?” Responses should be a minimum of three (3) paragraphs with a maximum of 350 words. The more creative, unique, and thought-provoking the better!

Entries will be accepted through October 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM (MST).

Online: Essays can be submitted online at AZ529.gov/EssayContest using the upload button on this page. (Accepted file types: Microsoft Word, PDF, JPG and JPEG. Max. file size: 256 MB).

Or you can mail entries to: 5th and 6th Grade Essay Writing Contest Attention: Jeffrey O. Office of the State Treasurer 1700 West Washington Street, #102 Phoenix, AZ 85007

Because winning $529 towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan is an incredible way to launch your 5th or 6th graders’ futures!

Twenty (20) prizes, each in the amount of $529, will be awarded towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan. Winners will be selected from each of Arizona’s 15 counties and there will also be winners representing all types of schools, including district, charter, private, homeschool, and tribal schools. We’re excited to help 20 young writers start saving for their educational plans beyond high school!

Contest Entry Form

Official contest rules.

One (1) original entry per person.

HOW TO ENTER:

Online: Upload entries using the “Upload Here” button on this page. (Accepted file types: Microsoft Word, PDF, JPG and JPEG. Max. file size: 256 MB).

All entries must be received by October 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM (MST).

JUDGING CRITERIA:

• Entries will be judged and scored by a panel of judges, including representatives of the AZ529 Plan Advisory Committee.
• Entries will be anonymously judged based on a scoring rubric of: 40 percent for overall content, 30 percent for originality, and 30 percent for organization. Any ties will be broken based on an additional score for overall readability and grammar.
• Judges will also ensure that a student is selected from each of the five (5) main types of schools in Arizona: district, charter, private, homeschool, or tribal school.

ELIGIBILITY: All participants must be Arizona residents, currently enrolled in 5th or 6th grade as of August 2023 in an Arizona school or homeschooled. The parent or legal guardian submitting an entry on behalf of the minor must also be an Arizona resident.

PRIZES: Twenty (20) winners will be selected to receive prizes, each in the amount of $529, towards a new or existing AZ529 Education Savings Plan. At least one winner will be selected from each of Arizona’s 15 counties and there will be winners selected from each type of school: district, charter, private, homeschool and tribal school. All prizes will be conveyed through a direct contribution to a new or existing AZ529 account in the name of the winner or their parent/guardian. No cash prizes will be awarded.

WINNER SELECTION/VERIFICATION: Winners and their parents/guardians will be notified by phone and/or email after the close of the contest and completion of judging. To receive AZ529 funds, parents/guardians must submit verification of an open AZ529 account within 90 days after the award notification. If verification is not completed within 90 days of the notification, the prize will be forfeited.

AGREEMENT TO THE OFFICIAL RULES: By participating in the Contest, each Entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to accept these Official Rules and the decision of the sponsor and judges which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

AGREEMENT TO USE OF CONTENT: By submitting an entry, each participant (and their parent or legal guardian) agrees to allow The Office of the Arizona State Treasurer , AZ529, Arizona’s Education Savings Plan and its agents to use the content of each essay. Verbiage from selected essays may be shared online or in print for marketing purposes, either in full or in excerpts. The child’s last name will not be shared or posted online or in a social message but may be used in news releases or media coverage. Further, by submitting an entry, a parent or legal guardian agrees to allow AZ529 to use their own or their child’s likeness, photograph(s), video recording, voice recording, or name in any advertisement, publicity pamphlet, social media post, or for any other lawful purpose in any medium now known or hereafter, without compensation, consideration or remuneration and without any review or approval.

DISCLOSURE OF SPONSORS: The AZ529 Education Savings Plan is managed by the Arizona Education Savings Program, a division of The Office of the Arizona State Treasurer. Approved AZ529 Plan providers include Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. This contest is being managed by Davidson Belluso, marketing partner of the Arizona Education Savings Program.

TAX LIABILITY: The Sponsors and their agents make no representations as to the tax liability or deductibility of a prize. Each participant (and their parent or legal guardian) shall be solely responsible for filing and paying any taxes arising from the receipt of a prize.

Who will judge?

The 20 winners will be declared by a panel of judges which will include at least one representative from Arizona’s Education Savings Plan. The panel will read and judge each essay based on content, originality, and organization.

What is an AZ529 account?

The AZ529 Education Savings Plan is a designated account to save for qualified higher education expenses at universities, colleges, vocational, and technical schools. Contributions to this account grow on a tax-deferred basis. Funds in an AZ529 account can be used for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, a computer, internet services and other related educational expenses.

Does my child have to attend an Arizona university to use the AZ529 funds?

If your child wins, you will receive a $529 voucher towards an AZ529 Education Savings 529 Plan. AZ529 funds can be used to pay for higher education institutions across the country and some schools abroad. There is no obligation to use the winning funds at a specific vocational school, college or university.

AZ529 funds can be used for education expenses including tuition and fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for an accredited postsecondary institution or participation in an apprenticeship program registered and certified with the Secretary of Labor under section 1 of the National Apprenticeship Act. AZ529 account funds can also be used for qualified student loan repayments, up to a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per beneficiary. Students who are enrolled at least half-time may use AZ529 account funds for room and board expenses.

• Privacy Policy

The 2022-2023 Average College Attendance Costs as provided by the College Board were used to estimate current college costs.

National Average College Attendance Costs*

Tuition & Fees

Room & Board

Books & Supplies

Annual Basic Expenses

Private College / University

Public University (In-state)

Public University (Out-of-state)

Community College (In-state)

*Source: College Board, 2022 – 2023

The Savings Goal is calculated by multiplying the Shortfall by the savings percentage selected.

If the account owner wanted to make a one-time investment now to save enough to cover the shortfall, the amount needed was calculated by multiplying the Shortfall amount by an investment index multiplier that corresponds to the selected number of years until college as seen in the Necessary Investment Index.

Necessary Investment Index

Years Until College

Contribution LumpSum

If the account owner wanted to make monthly investments to save enough to cover the shortfall, the amount was calculated by multiplying the Shortfall amount by an investment index multiplier that corresponds to the selected number of years until college as seen in the Necessary Investment Index.

Contribution Monthly

The Monthly Savings Goal Amount was calculated by multiplying the Savings Goal amount by an investment index multiplier that corresponds to the selected number of years until college as seen in the Necessary Investment Index.

The Value of Current Investments When College Starts was calculated by multiplying your current college savings by a growth index multiplier that corresponds to the selected number of years of possible investing (e.g. years until college), assuming a 7% annual rate of return as seen in the Growth Index table.

Growth Index (Assumes 7% Annual Rate of Return)

Years Investing

Multiply By:

Future Annual College Costs are calculated by multiplying the current annual college costs by an 8% inflation rate multiplier that corresponds to the selected number of years until college as seen in the Rising Cost Index.

Rising Cost Index

8% Inflation Rate Multiply By:

Most families set a goal to save for a percent of the total cost of college, not necessarily the whole amount. Some save 25%, some want to cover 30%, others 50% and some families aim for 80%. Use this calculator to find out what amount works best for your current budget.

The Shortfall was calculated by subtracting the Value of Current Investments When College Starts from the Projected Total Cost of College.

Projected Total Cost of College was calculated by multiplying the future annual college costs by the planned number of years of attendance. The projection does not allow for inflation rate adjustments beyond the first year of college.