Intimidated by the thought of writing your admissions essay? So's everyone else--you have great company. Take a deep breath and follow a few of my favorite tips to help you write your best piece:
Click here for more essay writing resources.
- Give yourself time. Writing an essay three days before the application is due sets you up for a lot of stress and an essay that doesn't reflect how well you can write. Most students should start their essays the summer before senior year, but give yourself at least two weeks to write.
- Avoid the obvious. No doubt, playing football or managing online school during COVID-19 taught you a lot about leadership--that's why counselors will be tasked with reading thousands of those essays. Make yourself stand out and write about something unexpected, different, and unique to you--even a single moment. You'll find this year's Common App essay prompts here.
- Start with a story. Make it personal--that thing that happened when you were nine, the lady who lives around the corner, that time at camp. Take a few sentences to paint a scene. Find a hook (click here for more on that) and go with it.
- Get your first draft on paper. Don't worry about mistakes, whether it sounds good, or who might read it. Just get the words down.
- Step away. Once you have that draft written, save it and walk away. Give it 24 hours to mellow and then come back, read it, and make changes. You'll probably make a lot of changes at this point, and that's great!
- Show me. Use words to draw a picture--what color is it, what does her face look like, how does the pavement feel? Descriptive words are your very best friends. Make me see what you're saying.
- Write in a circle. That story you started with? Come back to it at the end of your essay. Tie it all together--that's your polish.
- Read it out loud. I know--you're going to feel silly. But good writing sounds like you talk. So read it aloud. If it sounds like you're talking to a friend, you're probably on the right track. If you're tripping over big words and complicated phrasing, it's a sign to simplify.
- Spell check and proofread. As in, with your own eyeballs. Built-in spellcheck and tools like Grammarly have their place, but nothing beats reading it yourself to catch all the nuances and possible mistakes. (Sub-tip: Read your piece backwards to catch all the extra letters and tiny typos.)
- Don't forget to save along the way!
Click here for more essay writing resources.