How to Create an Impressive College Essay

Imagine that you are an Admissions Counselor assigned the task of reviewing a large stack of applicant files. You are tired, as you have been reviewing these profiles for days. And you have a deadline, which is quickly approaching.

Each applicant receives a fifteen-minute review before you decide whether to forward the file to the Admissions Committee. What type of college essay would stand out to you and potentially create a favorable admission decision going forward?

Colleges receive a large number of applications; some get as many as thirty thousand applications for a Freshman Class of four thousand. The majority of these applicants either meets or exceeds the Admission Profile. Within this competitive process, applicants need to stand out and the college essay is one area where a student can shine… or not.

Admissions counselors are looking for specific characteristics and seek the answers to these questions:

• How will this student contribute to our campus, classroom and community? What talents and strengths will they bring and how will they help to create a diverse, well-rounded community? 
• What unique perspective does this student possess and how is this demonstrated in a creative, well-written manner? 
• Who is this student? What has shaped them and what inspires them? What are they passionate about? 
• What sets this student apart from a candidate with a similar academic profile? 
• Are they successful, focused, resilient, independent, honest, and able to get along well with others?

So, how do you get started? What should you write about and what topics should you avoid?

How to Get Started Writing a College Essay

This is exciting! The college essay provides an opportunity to tell your story and write about what matters to you.

Begin by reviewing the essay prompts and select one that inspires you. Start with a short story about something you experienced that relates to the prompt. Write from your heart, not your mind. Most topics are fine as long as they are uniquely approached. Describe this event using emotions and descriptive details. How did you feel? What did you see, hear, think, or experience during the event? Next, how did it change you or inspire some type of growth? The focus of your essay should be narrow and personal. Grab the attention of the reader and make them want to find out more about you.

Begin by “free” writing; don’t edit or reread. Write anything and everything that connects to the prompt. Put this draft away for a few days and come back to it. Do you like it? What would you change? Keep only what you love. Complete this process again in a few days.

After the second review, continue to keep only the information you like. Demonstrate the way this event and the related feelings defines you and then relate it to other experiences in your life. How does this demonstrate who you are or how you have grown? What did you learn and how does this shape your future decisions? Show, don’t tell. Show by taking the reader on a journey into your mind, feelings and life by revealing the part of you that matters, is unique and is real.