College Application Essay Tips

The key is to not attempt to fit your entire life story in to an allotted number of words.  When an author writes a novel, the intent is to allow the reader to get to know the character without describing every aspect of the characters past and present.  Recounting a time when you were faced with a difficult situation and had to make decisions quickly will provide the reader with a mental picture of your ability to diagnose a problem, your reasoning skills, and your teamwork or leadership characteristics just from your description of how you handled the situation.

College admissions officers understand that not everyone has the potential or desire to be a famous author. What they look for in an essay is the ability to clearly express your ideas through words. They want to see that you took the time to plan your essay and used care when selecting your words. They expect a neat piece with no spelling or grammatical issues, and they expect the tone of the article to be consistent from start to finish.

Brainstorm ideas while asking yourself who will be reading the essay and what you want it to say about you, create an outline, and remember to proofread your essay. It is also a good idea to use your resources. Let your teachers and school counselors read your finished essay before you submit it. They know what you are capable of and can offer sound advice for polishing your work.

These tips should also be considered when authoring scholarship application essays. You usually will not need to write a new essay for every scholarship application. If you have one or two well thought out essays that have been spell checked and critiqued by teachers or counselors, they can be submitted to multiple organizations. There is no requirement that your essay be unique to your application, it just needs to be original and written by you.