How to Write a Stellar College Admission Essay

Writing an effective college admissions essay can be an intimidating task, especially as the number of qualified applicants rises significantly each year. Your personal essay can seal the deal for you receiving that sacred admissions letter from your college of choice. So, how do you go about writing the most effective college admissions essay? There is no easy answer or magic formula that will guarantee you a perfect essay; however, following some simple techniques will ensure that you end up with an essay that is worth reading.

Think Creative. College admissions officers are reading thousands of essays every week and many of them are repetitious. Many essays are written about strengths of a particular university, the problems with terrorism, and the personal dedication required in becoming a doctor. To stand out you must bring something new to the table. Reading virtually the same essay over and over is dull for the admission officer and therefore, to gain the consideration you deserve you will need to be different. The most effective essays will be the most creative and catch the attention of the reader in the first few lines. Before beginning to write even one line of your essay, start brainstorming a list of topics. These can be extraordinary personal experiences, stories about household pets, and practically anything else. Eventually, you will come to a topic that is both original and interesting to you. This will create a solid and impressive foundation for the rest of your essay.

Write Vividly and Concisely. The most effective college admissions essays will be straightforward and easy to read while still creating a mental image for the reader. Admissions officers have literally seconds to read through your essay therefore, if it is loaded with unnecessary words they will miss the point you are trying to make. Use vivid language to spice up your sentences and create the mental picture. For example, if you are writing about a basketball game make sure you go into detail about the dripping sweat and screeching sound of the sneakers against the court. These types of sentences will catch the attention of the admissions staff and prove that you are a successful writer.

Always Edit. This is perhaps the most crucial step of the whole writing process. No college admissions essay is complete without being thoroughly proofread. It is a good idea to have at least two people read your essay and provide feedback before your submit it. This will allow you to see any flaws in your paper that you and your computers spell check may have missed. Spelling or grammatical errors in college admissions essay can be interpreted as carelessness and poor writing skills. These types of errors will hurt your impression to the admissions staff so it is vital that your essay be edited and proofread multiple times!

Remember to take your time when writing your essay. It is the only part of the admissions process that you have complete control over. Good Luck and Happy Writing!