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Top 10 Tips for Writing a Remarkable College Essay

Have you always wanted to write that excellent college essay but don’t know how? This post will guide you through the process of writing an amazing and eye-catching college essay.

College essay is one of the means you can make your voice shine through as a student. It’s also a means you can showcase your writing skills. With college essays, you can give information about your creativity, interests, attitudes, and history. It helps the admissions office have a sense of how you can perfectly integrate yourself into their institution.

Also, don’t forget that essay is essential because it reveals what test scores and grades cannot reveal about your personality. With college essays, you can showcase your writing skills and what distinguishes you from other talented candidates. The admission officer spends over 3 minutes reading your essay, so it is important to come up with something unique to have a better chance than other talented candidates.

Writing a Remarkable College Essay Tips


1. Begin on time

It is very important to be among the early birds when crafting your college essay. This helps you have ample time to go write everything you intend to write. Starting late can put you under intense pressure. As an early bird, there will be enough time to write as well as proofread correctly.

2. Be yourself

College essays are meant to showcase who you are, what you love, etc. Don’t waste your time beating about the bush with irrelevant details. Write about what you love, your interests, and what you’re good at.

3. But truthful

This stage entails being honest with yourself. Don’t give details or information that doesn’t apply to you, like searching the internet for past candidates’ essays or copying your friend’s essay just to appear as what you’re not.

College admission officers have seen and read thousands of essays, so don’t think you can trick your way through without getting caught. If you’re plagiarizing, it could jeopardize your chances of getting admitted. Never consider the easy route as far as college essay is considered. Be honest and true to yourself.

4. Approach it differently

One of the easiest ways of distinguishing yourself from the crowd is to be unique. You don’t have to write what others are writing or align with the same pattern as others. You have to be unique in your content because it can easily get boring for admission officers to sit for hours reading similar essays. Dig deep and come up with something unusual.

5. Be specific, focused, and maintain one theme all through the essay

It is very easy to jump into writing essays. However, it’s important to keep your essay creative to give the admission officers a better sense of your personality. Find the essay question that appears fun to write about and stick to the primary theme throughout the essay. Deviation can give the impression of unprofessionalism.

6. Write and refine

No great writer writes a masterpiece the first time. Don’t expect the first draft to be a ready-to-use essay. In the first draft, write whatever comes to your mind about the topic. After that, come back to the draft and make it more refined by rewriting it.

7. Find a critique

It’s always important to have a second opinion and view about your writing. After you have rewritten the first draft, look for someone who can offer his view and opinion about what you have written. It can be an English teacher, a friend, or even a parent. A second opinion can make the essay better.

8. Proofread the entire content

The proofreading stage entails going through the entire paper, checking for little errors that might have come up while writing the paper. You can run a spell check to check more thoroughly for grammar, concord, or sentence errors. You can also detect the error by reading the essay out to yourself from the first to the last sentence, vice versa.

9. Avoid abbreviations

One of the things you must avoid while writing a college essay is informal language, abbreviation (such as ‘ur,’ ‘thanx,’ ‘BTW,’ etc.; and incorrect capitalization. Sometimes, online application can feel like you are sending an email, but it’s not, and you have to be more formal and have a good representation of yourself.

10. Don’t pressure yourself too much

Don’t pressure yourself over your essay. Though it’s one of the important considerations, admission officers also consider other aspects like your standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and academics. Therefore, ensure your essay is well-written to the best of your ability, but never pressure yourself.

FAQ
  • What do admission officers look for in college applications?

Admission officers consider many things in your college applications. They pay attention to your letter of recommendation, transcript, grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, essays, etc. However, to better understand what you should include in your application, it’s better to visit the school’s official website to see their requirements.

  • When can I begin my college essay?

It’s better to start your application early to have enough preparatory time and present yourself properly.

  • What should I include in my college essay?

Try to focus on yourself in your college essay, keep it real, be honest, and ensure you present yourself in the best light. Your college essay is a way to talk about your interest and what you’re good at.

Conclusion

Writing college essays can be an interesting experience if you know what to write. See it as an opportunity to express yourself, your interest, personality, and what you’re good at. Your test scores and grades are one of the considerations of the admission officers. However, competitive and selective colleges get excellent applications from worthy applicants who have similar grades and scores. In this sense, they would have to make use of your extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays to determine what distinguishes you from other worthy applicants. Despite the number of worthy applicants, you don’t have to pressure yourself while writing your essay.

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Michael

Michael Reddy is a tech enthusiast, entertainment buff, and avid traveler who loves exploring Linux and sharing unique insights with readers.