As the college application deadlines are rapidly approaching, it is important that students write winning essays. Students need to use their essays as an opportunity to tell admissions officers much more than their applications can. Below are five strategies to help your essays stand out from the application pool:
1. Use Your Voice
Many students try to write in a style that doesn’t reflect who they are. They try so hard to write the perfect essay that they lose their voice. The essays come out too polished or professional lacking the personality of the student. I worked with one student in particular last year who was a fantastic student with a great personality. He always made people smile and he was full of energy; however, his initial essay drafts were completely mechanical and boring, not reflecting his real personality. After working with him, I insisted he write an essay that reflected his true personality. His new essay was amazing. It was entertaining, had depth, and most importantly, it showed off who he really was. He was accepted at top universities throughout the country. It is important that students use their voice and tell admissions officers who they really are.
2. Tell Compelling Stories
People love stories. Students who can write rich stories are at an advantage in the admissions process. One of the best ways to support a point is to tell a great story. I remember one student who wrote about an experience of walking on stage to sing an important solo performance. She did an amazing job of sharing what her experience was like. Her hands were trembling, sweat was coming down her forehead, and her eyes were fixated on the vast audience as she nervously walked onto the stage. I could actually see myself there – it was a captivating story. She did a great job of sharing an experience with the reader of how she overcame a challenge and triumphed. For a story to work well, show don’t tell, get down to details, develop characters, and use lots of descriptors.
3. Have No More than Three Points
Many students want to fit in as much as possible in their essays and show off their accomplishments; however, admissions officers start getting lost in an essay if there are too many ideas. Essays should be well-developed, structured, and have no more than three points. Each point should reflect an important theme about the student and enhance the application. Examples of important themes might be leadership, global awareness, passion, and curiosity. Each theme should be supported by examples and specific stories that relate to the student’s experiences and background.
4. Edit, Edit, Edit
Writing strong essays is a process and many times it will take quite a few drafts to get a winning essay. Students sometimes get frustrated because their drafts in the beginning are off the mark, or because they have to revise a lot to get a strong essay; but, students need to realize that editing is all part of the natural writing process. In fact, if you look at many of the most famous authors, they had to write many drafts before their final product was a masterpiece. In addition, my book, Unlock Your Educational Potential had to go through a lot of revisions before it was published. It has now won 20 international awards, winning in many of the most prestigious awards competitions in the country. Do not get frustrated if your essays take a long time to develop. It is just part of the writing process.
5. Answer the Question
This point seems like common sense, but you would be surprised to find out how many students miss the mark here. As an admissions officer serving and directing on the UCLA Scholarship Admissions Committee for over five years, I continually read essays that do not answer the question. For example, UC 1 is a 2-part question and UC 2 is a 3-part question – 1. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that is important to you, 2. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and 3. How does it relate to the person that you are? Many students do not answer every part of each question. Make sure to clearly answer the entire question whether it is a UC or another college essay.
The essay writing process can be a labor intensive process, especially if you are applying to many colleges; but, realize that your essays are an important part of your application, and they are your opportunity to let the admissions officers learn a lot more about you. Resumes and applications can only tell so much about you. Your essays should enrich your applications and help admissions officers understand more about your experiences, accomplishments, and background. Develop winning essays that stand out from the application pool by incorporating these five strategies into your writing.
Jeff Haig
Educational Consultant
www.StrategicCollegeConsulting.com
B.A. UCLA, MBA / Doctor of Education (’11), USC
Harvard Institute on College Admissions, Harvard University
20-time International Award-Winning Author, “Unlock Your Educational Potential”
