What to Write in a College Essay
If you’re worried about what to write in a college essay, there are several simple tips you can follow to ensure your application is as winning as possible. The first tip is to limit your focus. Instead of talking about your favorite vacation spot, write about a specific event, hobby, or quirk. College admissions officers often cite essays that focused on something mundane and everyday. When in doubt, test your essay to make sure it reads well.
Refrain from writing about a person or place
Avoid writing about someone or some place in your college essay. While it’s tempting to cite an example or describe something that happened to you, this may not be the best approach. Instead, focus on the aspects of your personality that make you unique. These aspects may include your family background, upbringing, or a failure you had in high school. In short, use your college essay to sell yourself as a unique person!
Avoid controversial topics. Some college admissions committees discourage making decisions on controversial topics. For example, a college application essay prompt may ask applicants to discuss their interest in a certain field of study. However, a person pursuing a medical degree may have been inspired by the death of a close friend. Using a personal tragedy to illustrate a point can add an incredibly powerful element to an otherwise bland response. Just be sure to tie the story to the prompt.
Avoid writing about a vacation
When preparing a college essay, students often pick the wrong topic and write a terrible essay. This kind of writing is bound to make admission officers roll their eyes and put them off. Instead of writing about your vacation, write about a memorable part of your trip, like meeting someone new, experiencing a challenge, or meeting an inspiring person. Avoid using general terms like “family vacation” and “vacation” and focus on specific experiences instead.
Avoid writing about a disability
Many college essays focus on a person with a disability. The problem with these essays is that they often make the person’s disability seem pathetic or insignificant. In fact, a disability is not the problem; it’s the way they are presented. Disabled people are typically categorized as deaf, blind, or lame. Others are referred to as crippling, crazy, or even moronic. It’s even more difficult to differentiate between neurotypical and disabled people, who share many common traits.
Whether or not to disclose your disability in a college essay is a personal choice that should be discussed with a trusted adult. However, it is important to keep in mind that writing an essay is not easy. So, it’s important to focus on a topic that you’re interested in. Try to start early and use prewriting techniques. Do your research about the college. Make sure you stick to the topic and make sure to edit your work.
Test your essay for clarity
One of the easiest ways to improve your essay is to read it aloud. Most professionals read their work in this way to catch errors and grammatical errors they might otherwise miss. It also helps to listen closely to your work and notice if there are parts that do not flow well. In other words, test your college essay for clarity by reading it aloud. After completing the steps outlined above, your college essay should be much clearer.
Another way to improve your college essay is to re-read it. Reading backwards helps you focus on the language and make corrections in a focused manner. In addition, it helps you identify one type of error at a time. This way, you’ll ensure that the essay is free of errors. Remember, spelling check isn’t foolproof; it doesn’t catch every single mistake. You should also use a dictionary to ensure that all words have the same meaning.
