Top 10 Tips For Writing A Great College Admission Essay

Do you want your college admission essay to distinguish you?

Are you looking for effective tips to write a winning college essay?

During the admission process, US colleges and universities determine which students to accept and which to reject through three criteria. They are:

1. Previous Coursework – your grade point average (GPA) and your prior learning assessment

2. Standardized Test Scores – SAT and ACT scores are highly evaluated

3. Admission/Entrance Essays

Of the three criteria, your college admission or entrance essay can easily distinguish you from others. If you have ever wondered how to write a winning college admission essay, in this article, I compiled the top 10 tips on writing a great college essay.

Tips For Writing A Great College Admission Essay

Let’s Find Out What They Are:

1. Plan Your Essay According To The Admissions Board Psychology – what is the most important thing to remember when writing a college admission essay is understanding what the admissions board wants. Give them what they are looking for. They usually look for students who:

a. Have the desire to succeed once admitted;

b. Can help other students gain educational experience; and,

c. Can bring prestige and honor to the university when they graduate.

2. Questions To Ask Yourself When Writing – ask yourself what you should write to reassure the admissions board that you will succeed. You must ask yourself how you can exhibit that you won’t drop out or get poor grades. What are the long-term goals you want to achieve?

3. Start Early Whenever You Have the Time – more time you have in your hand will make it easy for you to write. Starting early will give you plenty of time to write.

4. Be Yourself – what interests you the most? What do you love to talk about? Expatiate on it. Writing only about what others may want to hear can get boring to read.

5. Stay Focused – you will have a few essay questions to write about. Scribble a few ideas. Choose the theme you find the most interesting and fun to write about.

6. Be Honest – as the proverb goes, “honesty is the best policy.” The officers who will examine your essay have read hundreds of essays. They can detect plagiarism easily. Many opt for buying essays off the Internet. Don’t do this. It’s your college career. Don’t get someone else to write for you either. It’s about you. Keep it completely about yourself, your experience, and your thoughts.

7. Avoid Internet Acronyms Or Informal Writing – you’re writing an essay for the admissions board to read. You’re not writing to your Facebook friend. So, avoid addressing the officers as “bro” or “dude”. Don’t use acronyms like “thanx”, ” asap”.

8. Look For Inspiration From Other Essays – you can find lots of examples of great essays online or in books. Derive inspiration from compelling essays. Read them and understand how you can form an essay similar or even better than them.

9. Practice – writing is a skill that cannot be developed overnight. You need to constantly practice writing. Practicing writing will hone your skill as a writer. You may start writing about your dreams, what you envision for instance.

10. Proof Read – no matter how compelling your essay is, without correct grammatical and punctuation rules, your essay isn’t enough to grant you admission. Make sure you have plenty of time to submit a well-written and clear essay.

Related Post: 5 Steps to Becoming a Marketing Manager

Summary

When writing a college admission essay, remember, you’re a full-fledged person with a lifetime of experiences. You should think of what makes you unique and how you can put it in words. Simply being yourself is the key to enchanting and inspiring!

References:
1. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays/8-tips-for-crafting-your-best-college-essay
2. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-write-a-college-essay

Last Updated on January 21, 2022 by

Scroll to Top