Graduation from high school is a very special period in the life of all young people. This is the time when they choose what they will be doing in life and apply for different colleges. One of the most effective means of communication with colleges is your college essay: even though grades and other indicators are important, nothing will tell people more about your personality and motives than an essay. This is what makes you unique essay, and it should be written properly. In high school, many students always had a backup plan like help with writing paper, but this is a very special paper and should be created by you. In this article, we will discuss the main ways you can stand out using your essay.
Standing out with an essay
How many times in high school have you thought, «God, I wish someone could write the essay for me»? Now you are almost in college, and the task doesn`t get easier. As the essay is the key opportunity for the applicant to describe their personality traits, you need to use it to the fullest. Here are some simple but working tips to writing a good college essay:
- Always plan
When it comes to learning how to write a college essay, the main thing is time. You are not going to write an essay with your first attempt, so be ready to work with several drafts. We suggest starting early (at least one month before applications star) and make a plan of what you are going to include in your essay. Divide it into smaller pieces and use each paragraph to describe one idea. Think carefully not to miss something important describing your strengths;
- Stick to the topic
You need to make sure that every phrase you wrote supports your viewpoint somehow. Include only relevant information that describes your character traits, life experience, dreams or beliefs no matter how tempting it might be to get off-topic;
- Don`t hurry
Put everything aside and concentrate on your thoughts. If you have problems with focus, then make pauses after writing some piece or paragraph and double-check the content once you finish;
- Be yourself
This is probably one of the main prompts as the key goal of the essay is to show your individuality, and no one can be you except for you. Don`t try to look like someone, even if this person is famous or has the qualities you don`t have;
- Express your opinion
Even if you think differently about common topics, this is even better for the admission committee. Be confident and open;
- Keep it simple
Of course, when writing an essay, you want to make it as good as you can, but too complicated sentences, phrases, or thoughts may make not the right impression. You want to demonstrate your abilities, not words from Thesaurus or turning your essay into a novel;
- Do research
One of the winning points is doing some research about the school you are applying to and including this information in your essay. It can be some history, interesting facts or other info that shows your real interest in this college;
- Don`t use the same essay for all colleges
Personalization of the essay is necessary to show how you can be a good investment to the institution and how you connect with it;
- Don`t forget to proofread your essay for typos, grammar mistakes, and logical connections
A better idea will be having someone else read it and suggest to you how the essay can be improved.