Of all the factors colleges consider in your application, the essay is the one that causes seniors the most stress. How do you tell an invisible stranger on an admission committee who you are and what makes you you?

Let’s start with a basic question: Why do colleges require essays? Of course an essay demonstrates your writing ability, but it is also your chance to share something about yourself that you think is important. Don’t ask yourself, “What do colleges want to know about me?” Instead, ask “What do I want to tell them?” Your essay should highlight something about you that a reader wouldn’t discover in another part of your application.

I'm sure many rising seniors are wondering if colleges want them to write about our world's situation with the coronavirus. Here's my answer: YES. Write about YOUR experience with this virus. Everyone has learned different lessons from this situation: about yourself, your family, your needs, your strengths and weaknesses. Talk about your world from your point of view, as only you could tell it. And if you want to write about anything BUT your experience with the pandemic, that's okay too.

First, Some Do’s and Don’t's

There are many online tips from admission officers for writing a great college essay. Here’s an amalgamation of the best:

• It goes without saying that your essay needs to be written by you. Period.

• Choose a topic that’s right for you. Write about something that interests you. If you aren’t interested in what you’re saying, no one will be.

• Share something about yourself, not everything about yourself.

• Offer something only you could write and remember, the details make it interesting. Stay away from your obvious passion. We’ll learn more about you if you share something we’re unlikely to find out about you otherwise.

• Stay away from fads/current events. Stick to your own experience.

• Avoid writing about other people. We all have grandparents we love, but they’re not applying to college—you are.

• Don’t try to be funny if you’re not.

• Use a strong opener. Catch our attention right from the start.

• Rarely is an essay about breaking school rules or a run-in with the law a good idea.

• Your essay should not be one long excuse for academic issues.

• Put away the thesaurus.

• Show rather than tell.

• EDIT—use spellcheck and then proofread carefully to catch their/there and it’s/its kind of mistakes.

• Get someone to proofread, but don’t let that person over edit and make it stale.

• Make it your best, most correct writing.

• Be bold. You’ve got a great essay in you!

So, how do you start?

Here are some great FREE online resources and lists of questions to get you thinking.

Associated Colleges of the Midwest Tip Sheet

College Essay Hell’s “The Secret to a Killer College Application Essay”

The College Essay Guy’s Brainstorming Guide

What Do I Need to Know About You? Ted Talk

Still desperately in need of more help?

Try this exercise to force you to get something on paper.

Step 1: Lock yourself in your room (or any other quiet place) and turn off all social media.

Step 2: Get out your Chromebook or paper and a writing utensil—whichever is most comfortable.

Step 3: Set a timer for ten minutes.

Step 4: Start typing. Literally. Keep those fingers moving. Don’t allow yourself to stare at the cursor on the screen, even if you type “I don’t know what to write for this dumb college essay…” over and over again. Something will trigger you to put your thoughts down. And don’t stop. Keep Typing.

Step 5: After the timer goes off, take a look at what you’ve typed. Somewhere in there is a word/phrase/sentence/paragraph that feels okay to you. I call that your “nugget of goodness.” Now…

Step 6: Set the time for ten minutes again. Start with that word/phrase/sentence/paragraph and keep going. Repeat Steps 4-5 for a total of three times.

Step 7: Walk away. Come back after a snack, or a day, or even a week if you’re starting this early, and revisit what you wrote. What worked well? What didn’t? Is it too long? Too short? Now would be a good time to get another opinion.

Tips for Parents:

• Help your student find their voice! The essay should use active verbs and “I” phrases.

• Help your student avoid clichés. The summer mission trip, the travel experience, losing the big game: all are common—and overused—essay topics.

• Don’t overedit. Colleges can sense when a parent took over the writing process for their student—the essay no longer sounds like your senior.

Sample Essays

You can find tons of examples online. Read at your own risk! Sometimes it’s better to write without expectation or trying to be as good as the essays in the guidebooks. And certainly don’t try to copy or mimic them. Critique what makes them “great.”

Final Essay Polishing

A great college essay follows the “Into, Through, and Beyond” formula.

INTO: Your essay needs to grab readers from the first word. Take us (the readers) into your story with a moment in time. That moment must reveal a core quality. The INTO can be a sentence, paragraph, or series of paragraphs. Check out this article for examples of great opening lines.

THROUGH: Provide the immediate context of the INTO. Provide the overall context next. In other words, tell us the back story.

BEYOND: End with a BEYOND that is not sappy but powerful. Why does this story matter to you and why should it matter to the reader?

Avoid “to be” verbs. Utilize action verbs!

Finally -- Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!

Where Do You Go for Essay Help?

Ms. Belstra and Mrs. Cardinale are always willing to read and critique your essay drafts. The CRC offers specific times in the fall for seniors to share their essays.

The MASH resource center at LHS is staffed by English teachers specifically trained to work with college essays.

Former or current English teachers are always great resources.

Mom and/or dad know you the best—share your essay with them and get their opinion.

The College Essay Guy's Application Hub rocks.