What Makes a Great College Essay?

Every fall, thousands of families go through the college application process. It’s often accompanied by tears (from all parties!) and no small amount of frustration, so let’s break down one of the most important parts of any student’s application: the college essay.

College essays should:

1.     Tell a story

The format of the college essay is a narrative essay. Narrative essays must tell a story; they must have a clear beginning, middle, and end; and they must describe a change that you went through. Would you feel satisfied if you read a book and, at the end of it, the main character was in exactly the same emotional place as they were at the start of the book? Of course not. Similarly, your college essay should detail a story in which you, the main character, are distinctly different at the end than you were at the start—ideally, explaining some sort of realization you had or transformation you underwent.  

2.     Use all of the allowed 650 words

The college essay is the only time the college admissions counselors get to hear your voice. The rest of your application is numbers, letters, and other people’s words—so don’t waste this chance to be heard by leaving words unused. Make sure your essay is the full 650 words long.

3.     Be extremely specific to you

One of the most common errors students make is writing a personal narrative that is too general. For example, many exchange students write about the difficulties of acclimatizing to a new culture, but the issue with this is that all exchange students could write the same exact essay. This isn’t to say you can’t write about the difficulties of living abroad, but you have to approach it from a unique point-of-view. If any other applicant could write the same story that you are telling in your narrative, then it is not specific enough and won’t help you stand out in the minds of college admissions counselors.

Hopefully this helped you unpack the purpose of the college essay! If you’re ready to get started, contact me today to schedule your session and get support throughout 100% of the process—tear-free, I promise.  

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