Tips for Creating the College Admission Essay

Do not try to figure out what the admission officers want to read. Write what you know about and care about. Write about something which is important to you and about which you will enjoy writing.

2. Be careful in choosing people to critique your essays. Your parents will have a difficult time being objective and may want you to tell your reader how wonderful you are. Have someone read your essays who is a good writer, knows something about the college admission process and is willing to tell you what they think.

3. Try to write in your own voice. Write about something that is uniquely you.

4. Avoid vagueness, blandness, and banality. Be specific, colorful, and descriptive. Be clear, give details, make your verbs active and interesting. Never use words such as "get" or "a lot." It is alright to express your emotions.

5. Your essays should have an informal and familiar tone. These essays are personal statements, not formal writing exercises.

6. Remember your readers are hard workng, hard pressed college administrators. Don't be afraid to entertain them.

7. Be as consise as you can. Polish your writing but don't lose the informal touch.

8. Prepare a rough draft of your essays and let the draft "cool off" for a few days and then go back and re-read your work to see if it still says what you want your essay to say.

9. Proofread and prepare your essays as carefully as you can. Don't rely on "Spellcheck" to catch all the errors. It may be the wrong word spelled correctly. Read your essays backwards, word by word to correct for spelling and then read them beginning to end to make sure grammer and punctuation are correct.

10. Use anecdotes and stories to vitalize your essays. Actual incidents, conversations, colorful characters, and dialogue to add zest to your writing and hold the interest of your readers.