10 Tips For Writing A Killer College Essay

10 Tips For Writing A Killer College Essay The college essay allows you to present yourself both personally and academically to the admissions officer. The teacher told Tiso that someone she knew had been talking to an admissions counselor at the University of Delaware, who was praising one of the best college essays they'd read. What questions do you have about writing college admissions essays? If you’re already in college, do you have any advice for current high schoolers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or post about it in the College Info Geek Community. It is well-written with college bound vocabulary and style, but easy to read and somewhat unassuming. Like great works of fiction, these essays clearly paint a picture in the reader’s mind. The main character is developed with depth and detail. Great essays are memorable because they distinctively portray their subjects without relying on clichés or formulaic topics. They convey on paper a sense of who the writer is as a person. After reading a great essay, I feel as if I have just had an enlivening conversation with the person even though it was entirely on paper. We haven’t all pulled babies from burning buildings or sailed around the world in a catamaran. So you don’t need to have great exotic vacations or heartbreaking stories of community service in some far off land â€" you just need to reveal your point of view about a topic. When you can show the reader a slice of your genuine self â€" you are on your way to a great college essay. The uniqueness of an essay stems not from some external experience, but your internal responses. A great college essay combines creativity, excellent writing, and honesty. It’s important that your essay be a solid reflection of you as a person and as a student, and that you follow the guidelines provided in terms of topic and word-count. It can be hard to choose what to talk about in your college essays. In addition to this, the schools that you’re applying to may have different prompts â€" which could mean having to write multiple essays. This is why we recommend sitting down and coming up with a few different topics to consider. No wonder people feel stressed out about their college essays! Tell a story from your own life that shows something unique about you. The story that your friends perk up to listen to- that’s the stuff that makes for great app essays. More than anything, officers want to get to know you through your essay. You will end up sounding like every other applicant. I truly love helping high school seniors find the perfect topic for their college essays and then guiding them through the process of writing it with honesty, voice, and style. Don’t be too formal â€" or too reliant on a Thesaurus. A great college essay gives the reader a glimpse of the person behind the page. Lots of counselors tell students to “tell a story only you can tell,” and I definitely agree with that. But sometimes students misinterpret this to mean â€" “tell me about a totally unique experience” â€" and they get totally stressed out because they don’t feel that they have any unique experiences. Telling a story “only you can tell” means that you tell the reader a story from your perspective. Here, you can sample actual essay questions from several colleges, as well as get an overview of the type of questions colleges ask prospective students to answer and what they're looking for in your answers. This site offers tips for writing effective essays; advice on creating your essay draft; and two sample essays with imbedded drop-down menu critiques. Boise State University is one of many colleges that don't require an essay for freshman applications. Some colleges, like North Carolina State University, offer students the option to write a personal statement. The college essay is one of the most important parts of your college application, and it’s easy to see why. When reviewing applications, colleges and universities are looking at two main things- who you are as a student, and who you are as a person. Don’t bury the lead…College admissions reps read hundreds of college applications each year but they rarely come across an essay that really surprises them. So, to capture your reader’s attention from the opening sentence, start your story in the middle of the action, rather than writing in a linear fashion.