Tips for Essays
Tips for Planning out the Essay Process
1. Write about something that's important to you.
It could be an experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life.
2. Don't just recount—reflect!
Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the summer they spent doing something new. When recalling these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from the experience and how it changed you.
3. Being funny is tough.
A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But beware. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks, and anything off–color.
4. Start early and write several drafts.
Set it aside for a few days and read it again. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer: Is the essay interesting? Do the ideas flow logically? Does it reveal something about the applicant? Is it written in the applicant’s own voice?
Along with this, write your drafts in a Word or Google doc and copy and paste it over when you're done to prevent losing your work.
5. No repeats.
What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your application–nor should it repeat it. This isn't the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores.
6. It’s ok to use first person- really!
We know it’s a cardinal sin to use first person in your English classes normally, but this essay is called a personal essay for a reason. It’s ok to use “I” and “you” and “we”. Try to speak a little more informally than you would for a regular English assignment.
7. Have at least one other person edit your essay.
A teacher or college counselor is your best resource. And before you send it off, check, check again, and then triple check to make sure your essay is free of spelling or grammar errors.
Choosing a Topic
Topics to consider: Anything inherently reflective ...
Family Members
Oftentimes, I hear students say “I don’t know how to write about myself,” but they can talk for hours about their family members.
Identifying ourselves in relation to family can help us recognize the qualities that separate us from them and make us unique.
Just make sure to use family in reference to yourself. The essay is about you after all, not your family.
Visual and Performing Arts
The world of the arts is inherently self-reflective. Actors, painters, musicians, they all have to look within themselves at some point in order to create their work.
The emotional highs and lows of the work lend themselves well to excellent storytelling.
Don’t force writing about the arts, if you don’t consider yourself an “artistic person.”
Topics to reconsider ...
“The Academic Achievement Essay”
Struggling in a class, getting help, then eventually succeeding in that class.
We need to see you outside of the classroom.
“The Mission Trip Essay”
Service work you did for a week abroad and how it “changed you.”
This work is valid, but it’s a story that Admissions Offices hear too often, and it’s unlikely your whole worldview changed after this short period of service.
“The Sports Essay”
This topic can be tricky. Sports can lend themselves well to a bunch of stories and experiences; but oftentimes, the focus stays on the team, rather than the individual in the essay.
If writing about this topic, proceed with caution and work with your adviser about how to best approach
** Take all of these with a grain of salt. If there is a story that falls into one of these categories, but you feel is important and reflective to who you are, then go for it! But, if you are brainstorming ideas, and you are only thinking of stories within these topics, challenge yourself to think a little deeper.
If you're feeling stuck choosing a topic, take a look at this worksheet! These prompts can help you reflect on moments in your life that help to paint a fuller picture of who you are, more so than your grades and activities.
Remember, an essay is like a paper interview. Help admissions counselors get a fuller picture of the uniqueness of you!
** Sidenote - I struggled with this during college applications, and I leaned on my English teachers and friends for guidance. Use your resources! I am always here to help.
Common Concerns
“But I’m not good at writing!”
That’s ok! That’s why you have your college adviser, English teachers, and high school counselors to help you articulate your ideas.
“But I’m not a good storyteller!”
If storytelling isn’t your strong point, then focus on the ideas of the paper. Elaborate on them and analyze. Admissions offices recognize that not everyone writes well or likes doing it, so if you can really hone in on the ideas, then those ideas can supplement the storytelling aspect of your essay.
“But I don’t want to write a sob story about myself.”
Being vulnerable is a tough job. But this can be the make or break of your college application, the difference between getting a full ride and not getting anything. If you don’t want to make it a sob story, then use your essay as a platform of triumph. How did you overcome your hardships and learn from them?
Advanced Writing Tips
The Hook
The hook is the first line of your essay that brings the reader in and grabs their attention. This is make or break. If an essay cannot capture a reader’s attention from the first sentence, then the essay will not be effective.
An example can be a quote, something bizarre, etc. as long as the example relates to your story and kickstarts the whole essay.
Sentence Structure
Do not make each sentence the same length of words. In real life, that reads monotonously. Instead, mix up the structure by having long sentences, followed by short sentences, or vice versa. Literally look at the paragraphs, see if the sentences appear the same length, and count the number of words in adjoining sentences. Then go back and rearrange/edit as needed.
The Semi-Colon
I think this is the most underutilized tool in a writer’s toolbox. Every now and then, use the semi-colon, instead of a comma or period, when separating two thoughts. Readers don’t see the semi-colon much, so when they see one, they know that they have an advanced writer on their hands.
Just don’t overdo it with these. A few semi-colons, rather than a lot, will be most effective.
Articulation
One of my favorite tools for helping a student write an essay is to have them literally talk about the topic and me write down everything they say in the process. We then go back and edit.
You can also do this on Google Docs - go to Tools and then Voice Typing - a great way to just get words on the page if you're feeling stuck!
This is really useful for those who don’t do well at writing since oftentimes they’re much better speakers than writers.