What Makes a Good College Essay? Here Are My Tips and Tricks
College essays are an opportunity for admissions readers to get to know a student in a way that may not be reflected on the application itself. Readers can observe a student and hear a student’s voice. A college essay should show traits that an admissions reader wants to see. Perhaps that is resilience, patience, an ability to be flexible when things don’t go as expected, social intelligence, curiosity, or a welcoming acceptance of others. Readers should see a student who is on their way to being a successful, contributing member of the incoming freshman class.
The college essay is not a formal document. It need not have an introduction or conclusion paragraph. It may contain dialogue, humor, and contractions.
The hardest part about writing these essays is that they are personal. It can be really hard to write about ourselves. Many students have done very little personal writing, so this process can be unfamiliar. That said, a college essay topic does not need to be deep or dark. The topic can really be anything, which makes college essay writing very difficult.
To come up with topics, students might ask themselves questions such as:
What am I most proud of?
Was there a point in my life when I changed my mind about something?
What do other people often get wrong about me?
What are traditions in my home or my life that I really love?
What traits do I want to show college admissions readers?
What has happened in my life that made me change for the better?
Many times when I first meet with a student, they tell me they have nothing to write about. That has never been true. Not even once! I work with students to find their topics and tell their stories. The ideas and the details are all right there in their minds – they just need a little encouragement.
