College applications consist of several key elements: school/college transcripts, standardized tests scores, college essays/personal statements. However, unlike test scores and academic transcripts, college essays offer a chance offers students a chance to reveal their personality to the admissions committee and use their voice to their application. Colleges require these essays from students in order to gain insight into which they really are outside of the classroom. College essays are a great way for students to personalize their application and set themselves apart from the sea of applicants that apply to colleges every year.
College essays in college applications are now more important than ever with a lot of colleges/ universities globally having adopted test-optional policies in the wake of the pandemic. Writing these college essays/personal statements is often a daunting task for students. With college essays now in the spotlight more than ever before, here are a few tips to make writing an essay painless:
- Brainstorm, Collect & Organize Thoughts: In order to write a great college essay, it is necessary to first, brainstorm about potential topics that you can write about and second, collect & organize all your thoughts about the topics in question. By taking what is in the head and putting it down on paper, it becomes easier to establish links between ideas clearly. If you find it difficult to brainstorm about potential essay topics, it is advised to seek help from friends and family members who know you well to do so. In order to collect your thoughts, it is a good practice to use a reliable collection system be it your phone, a diary, index cards, voice recorder- anything that works for you! This system will help you compare different topics and enable you to get an insight into what your finished essay could look like. Once you pick a topic, this serves as a foundation for writing your essay.
- Open Strong: A strong opening statement or hook or even the whole first paragraph that captures the reader’s attention is essential to a great essay. Admissions officers spend only a brief amount of time reviewing stories, and hence it is essential that you engage them from the beginning and make them curious about what your story holds.
- Open Up: When writing about specific events/experiences in your essay, make sure you open up about how it affected you, how it made you feel, how it changed the way you think, and what kind of an impact it had on you. Admissions officers find it easier to connect when students really open up about their vulnerabilities than when they tout their strengths or achievements.
- Be Your Unique Self, Write Your Unique Story: What admissions officers often look for in college essays is a good story that helps them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application. The essay must explicitly talk about what makes you unique, what makes you, you! Be it hobbies, extracurricular, intellectual interests, jobs, significant events, family history or anything else that has shaped your perspective on life, your college essay must be all about you. It is also important to sound like yourself on your college essays- write like you speak. Avoid using words on your essay that you don’t normally use. Ditch the thesaurus while writing your essay!
- Experiment with the Unexpected: It is great to give your story a twist or reveal something unexpected, something readers wouldn’t have expected you to do or think or care about. Talk about your unconventional talent or passion, your quirky character, challenging family history or serious illnesses. As long as you are comfortable sharing unexpected details about yourself, experimenting with your college essays often sets yours apart from essays of scores of other applicants.
- Stick to The Word Limit: Admissions officers value succinctness. Make sure to keep track of the word count as you type out your essay. It is strongly advised to stick with the recommended length and not go above the word limit provided for each essay.
- Proofread, Proofread, Proofread: The usage of correct grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary in your college essay is essential. Perform spell-check on the final essay to make sure you avoid any typos or grammatical errors. Make sure you proofread the final essay several times before submitting it. Ask a teacher/ parent/ counselor/ friend to read your essay so you can get their perspective on how you essay might be received.