College Essay Writing Tips:
- Give the reader a sense of who you are. Don’t just rehash the info already in your
transcript or that which can be found elsewhere in the application.
- Write about what you really understand, what you
really care about (your world/experiences).
- If you are given a topic on which to write, be
sure you address it clearly in your essay.
- Be careful with “the challenge” essay – if it is
a challenge most students your age have faced, it might sound trite (i.e.
losing the “big” game or breaking up with your girlfriend/boyfriend).
- Avoid cynicism, negativity, sadness, failure,
etc. If part of a “challenge essay”,
don’t dwell – focus more on your impressive achievements in the face of
adversity.
- Be careful with “the influence” essay trap – too
much time describing the influence and not enough about you!
- Show; don’t tell – Be specific. Include sights, sounds, smells; appeal to the
senses. When you make a point, back it up with details. Prove to your reader why you feel as you
do.
- Sound like yourself. Read your essay aloud and revise any sentence
you would be embarrassed to read to someone.
- Do NOT overuse the thesaurus – clear and direct
is always better! Correct,
conversational English is appropriate for this essay. Be sure you really know how to use the
vocabulary you choose.
- Avoid clichés and high-minded quotations unless
cleverly used as the basis for your essay.
- Do NOT forget to proofread! After several revisions, remember – form
counts. Do check for spelling,
punctuation, and typing errors. While
you want your voice to come through, careless errors won’t win you points.