The college application essay is an opportunity to give your application a personal touch. It allows application reviewers to understand who you are outside of test scores and your  high school transcript. This essay can feel a little scary, but you can tackle it! This post will cover some information to help you better understand the essay and prepare for writing it.

 

What kind of information does the college admission essay provide?

The college application essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and confidently and get your ideas across in an engaging and succinct manner. This essay may also do some (or all) of the following things:

  • Prove that you are committed to attending college at a particular school
  • Demonstrate your commitment to learning and developing
  • Show that you will be an active member of your college community
  • Draw distinctions between you and other students who have applied to the same school

 

What will college admissions officers look for in your essay?

  • Writing that is free of grammatical errors, typos, and other errors
  • An essay that directly and completely answers the prompt
  • An engaging opening paragraph that makes readers curious to learn more
  • Writing that stays on topic
  • An essay that conforms to the prompt’s limitations (including length and format)
  • An essay that is interesting throughout its length
  • A style that is consistent and is appropriate to the topic

 

How should you begin the writing process?

First, read through all of the prompts provided. If you are applying to colleges that use the Common App, you will be able to choose one of seven options. If you are applying through other application systems, the schools may provide different essay questions.

As you read, take note of any prompts that stand out to you. Do you have ideas for how you might answer some of the prompts? It’s normal to have answers for several prompts! To narrow down your selection process, MMT recommends brainstorming a list of any examples, facts, and information you might include in each of the essays you are interested in answering. Review your lists after you finish them and choose one prompt to answer. It may be helpful to ask a teacher, school counselor, or parent for advice if you get stuck at this point.

After you finish this step, MMT recommends creating an outline to guide your writing process. Separate your ideas into paragraphs and select which examples and information will fit in each paragraph. After that, you are all set to start writing!

 

Advice to guide your writing process:

  • Focus on the HOW and the WHY:
    • Some essay prompts ask you to write about a personal experience, significant achievement, or a person who had a major impact on you. Dig deep if you choose to write about one of these topics! Focus on the HOW and WHY, not just the WHAT. Your essay should contain a significant portion of analysis: the part where you explain why something was important and how it changed your life. Don’t spend the whole essay describing what happened, as this will result in an impersonal and surface level piece of writing.
  • Be personal:
    • It can be difficult to share personal details to a total stranger, but colleges are looking to learn more

• Often you will be asked to write about a personal experience, an
achievement, or a person who has been significant to you. Go
beyond the what or the who and dig into the how and the why.
• If you write about a trip or event, describe how this experience
affected you and is meaningful to you.
• If you are writing about a person in your life, be personal and
specific, not just sentimental. Explain how or what this person
did for you that is important to you.