Five essential rules of the college application essay
July 2, 2012
When applying to colleges your AP class credits, SAT scores, GPA and extracurriculars all make a difference. But the fact of the matter is that numbers blend together, and don't differentiate you from the pack of applicants quite the same way words do. Your chance to really speak to the admissions officers at colleges is through your application essay.
College application essays are an art. They can be done well or badly in a variety of ways. Part of your angle will depend on the question you're asked. Maybe you'll find it easiest to respond to questions with a personal story. Or maybe you'll respond to a straight forward, "Why did you pick our school?" with philosophical musings. No matter your style, there are five rules you should always abide by with college application essays.
1. Double check your grammar and spelling, then have two more people do it. We seldom notice our own grammatical errors or typos, mostly because we've been pouring over the same document for hours. Give your eyes a break and return to it freshly the next day. Then print it off and hand it to a friend or parent to proofread. Then another person after that.
2. You can recycle, but be very careful about it. Since most college application essays ask very open-ended questions, it's easy to recycle bits of information, lines of texts and short anecdotes from one piece to another. When doing this be sure to carefully groom your writing to fit the tone and style of your new essay.
3. Don't be just like everyone else. Find your voice and run with it. Avoid the cliché topics - especially breakups. A complete stranger should find your essay interesting, not your best friend.
4. Don't treat it like your journal. There are some things the college admissions officers don't want to know. While you want to be honest, don't spill too much of your heart onto the page.
5. Always be happy with what you've produced. If you feel like you've been dishonest to yourself or written around the question as opposed to addressing it, don't be afraid to start over. One of the best tips for getting into college is to treat your application essay with care - as a piece of writing you can be proud of. It will show, and the admissions office will appreciate you all the more for it.
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