COLLEGE ESSAY

THE COLLEGE ESSAY

Updated: March 19, 2021

One of the most stressful parts of the college application process for students is the college essay.  Many colleges require students to write an essay. The essay helps the college to decide if you would be a good fit to the school. Your essay should be personal and different. Essay topics normally fall into 3 basic categories: personal, academic, or discussion.  These categories and the topics are pretty open ended which gives the students a lot of room to personalize the college essay.

Tips

  • Don’t wait until the last minute. Give yourself plenty of time to plan, write, and revise your essay. Start writing the essay in your junior year of high school or at least over the summer before your seniors year.  This will allow you an opportunity to have a teacher, tutor, or adviser look over your essay before you apply.  If you are applying to multiple colleges or need supplemental essays, it will also give you enough time to write all of the required essays.
  • Have a friend or family member proofread your essay. They might find something that you missed.  It is common to read what you meant to write so you might miss a mistake or two.  
  • Type your essay in a standard font and size 12.  You want your content to stand out, but the typeface of the essay should be standard.  The admissions offices are reading thousands of essays so making the font easier to read will be helpful.  Your content and writing should be what they remember.
  • Make your essay stand out and personal. Each school receives thousands of essays; you want them to remember your essay.  Think about what makes you and your experience unique and different.  Make sure you include how this makes you a good fit for the college and what you will bring to the college.
  • Your essay should be about 500-600 words. Don’t make your essay too long or too short.  Again, the admissions office is reading thousands of essays.  They do not want to read a novel for each essay.  However, the essay should also be long enough that you can answer the question and provide details.
  • Give specific examples.  Use examples and imagery when possible. By making it more specific it will share additional information about yourself and help your essay to stand out.
  • Be honest.  College admissions offices can tell when the essays are not truthful.  In addition to your essay, they have letters of recommendation, your resume, your transcript, and your test scores.  Some colleges might even have an interview.

 

Topic ideas

Personal

  • Pick an event in your life that made you who you are.
  • What is your biggest accomplishment?
  • When did you fail at something and how did you handle it?

 

Academic

  • Why you want to attend a particular school.
  • What you want to do and why. (How you will contribute to the world with your degree.
  • Why you want to attend college.

 

Discussion

  • Both sides of a political problem.
  • How to make the world a better place.
  • Both sides of a social problem.

 

Written By: Stephanie Dunaieff