A college application essay is perhaps the most dreaded feature of the college application process. A lot of students spend a lot of hours crafting a good piece and some go to an extent of paying hefty amounts of money for college tutors and best custom essay writing services.
Most students see the college essay as the most overwhelming experience in their school life. But it can also be the most fun part of the college application process. You may be blinded by the idea that the numbers, statistics, and scores define you, but that is not the case. Your college essay is your best chance to define yourself and show the school committee what you are made of.
So, if you want to write an essay that you will be proud of, these tips will guide you on what to do.
- Understand why you need to write an essay
The main purpose of writing an application essay is to find out what you will bring to the college community. This means that you have to demonstrate that you will fit into the school community and stand out. The best way to achieve both of these targets is to choose a topic that fits the culture of your college. Remember that the school wants students that will fit in, so don’t brag about how gifted you are in doing things. Instead be discrete about what you will do that can benefit the college.
- Be specific
Be yourself when writing the application essay. Most information on the internet will tell you that being “too creative” or “too funny” in your application is not good. But, this shouldn’t be some sort of rocket science. So be try to bring out your personality. Brainstorm several ideas or events from your past that can be used to demonstrate certain unique qualities that you have
- Choose the right prompt for your essay.
Every applicant is supposed to write an essay that describes themselves based on their past experiences. You can choose an intellectual or creative opportunity that you may have enjoyed in your high school days. If you choose such a prompt, ensure you stick to it and don’t deviate to a story that you would prefer to write about.
- Choose the right format for your essay
When it comes to writing a great college application essay, the right format should take either of these two directions.
- A narrative: It is described as a story told in a chronological format. If you choose to write in this format, begin with abrief description of an experience that shows what the prompt requires. Perhaps when you were a teen, you helped put out a fire in your neighbor’s house and that sparked the interest to work in the fire department. Or you helped victims involved in a car accident that led to the interest of being a doctor. Write about what you did as a result of the experience described before.
- An expository essay: In this essay, the writer needs to state a point of view about something and support your argument in few paragraphs.
In the end, you need to identify a good format guided by the two plots described above.
- Seek a third eye to proofread your essay
Don’t submit your application essay before proofreading it. We know some students rely on spell-check program to check for mistakes, but remember these programs will miss some typos. Ask your teacher, parent or a friend to proofread your essay to check for grammatical errors and typos. Revise the piece several times until you are satisfied with the final draft.
Conclusion
So, your college application essay will give you the opportunity to express yourself before the school committee. Therefore, make it as interesting as possible and within the topic. These tips will guide you in making a killer application essay to present to your school. Enjoy the adventure.
