The Perfect College Essay

While your junior year may be winding down, the process of applying to college will only become more fast paced. With the assistance of your college counselor and family, you are already beginning to determine what kind of schools will be the right fit for you.

This is also a great time to start brainstorming for your college application essay. Application essays are imperative in the admissions process for most institutions. Therefore, an engaging essay is an opportunity to not only craft a stronger application, but also showcase your personality to admissions representatives.

Keep reading for some tips on writing a great college essay.

Who Are You?

Writing the perfect college essay requires you to be in tune with yourself. That means you must know who you are, what motivates you, and what guides your thinking. Being able to express yourself and knowing what guides your thinking will allow you to articulate what is unique and special about you as a person. You want to be memorable to the Admissions Officer.

Feedback

Take the time to really think about what is being asked of you in the essay and answer the question honestly. Be sure to take special care during the editing phase as well, critically looking for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Make sure you also have a few people you trust – and who know you well – read it over. This could be family members, friends, teachers, or your college counselor. After you receive feedback and make changes to your essay, it is imperative that the essay truly exemplifies who you are – you do not want the essay to be an expression of someone else’s thoughts or ideas.

Creativity

Some essays that you write will not actually ask you a question. Instead, the essay will prompt you to share and discuss an event with the Admissions Officer. If you are asked to write an essay without a question, you want to be creative in how you approach writing your essay. Take the time to think through your response so that you can write it in a way that is interesting to others but still accurate. Be vivid with your words. Try to take the Admissions Officer directly into the action!

Start Typing

This is your opportunity to reveal yourself in a way that cannot be captured through SAT scores or your GPA. A great SAT score or a great GPA shows that you are bright, while a great essay shows that you are thoughtful and mature. Though you have many months before submitting your applications, the SEEDS Guidance Department urges you to just start writing! Your first draft does not have to be a work of art. Instead, your first few drafts will help you hone in on ways to focus your writing and engage the interest of the Admissions Officer. Please feel free to contact the SEEDS Guidance Department for assistance as you begin the writing process.