Writing the College Essay
Learn about what exactly is the college essay!
Get advice on finding the perfect topic for your college essay and more!
Get tips on the do’s and don’ts of writing the college essay!
Writing the College Essay: The Basics and Brainstorming
What is the college essay?
The term ‘college essay’ is thrown around quite a bit during the college application process, but if you’re just starting to apply, then what exactly is it? The college essay, also known as the personal statement, is one of the core components of your college application. The personal statement is usually submitted to every school you apply to, especially if you’re applying through the Common Application or the Coalition Application.
It is also one of the best places, if not the best place, to showcase who you are as a person, from your personality to your values to what you do in your free time. This is your most significant opportunity to show who you are to college admissions officers, and a solid personal statement can boost comparatively weaker academics or extracurriculars. Your admissions officer is trying to get to know you, and that’s why learning how to write the personal statement is so important.
A common theme amongst college essays is showing how you’ve grown throughout the years, especially in high school. College is a place where you will develop significantly, and showing how you have utilized opportunities for growth can be helpful. If you were someone who was extremely shy when you were younger, but a particular experience or set of experiences you had in high school helped you get out of your shell, that could potentially be something you can write about. However, this is only a very general theme! If you have a unique story you want to tell that doesn’t fit into this niche, you should still tell it because it shows who you are.
How to find the perfect topic
It’s surprisingly hard to choose a topic to write about, and being stumped is completely normal. Many students think that they don’t have anything to talk about if nothing extraordinary has happened to them. However, some of the best essays are about the ordinary facets of life, like going to the grocery store, playing video games, or helping out at home. Sometimes these little moments are more representative of you as a whole than winning the championship game or that perfect grade. What does that memory mean to you? How is it representative of who you are? What is most important is that your essay is reflective and a good picture of you as a person. There are many different ways to brainstorm, and here are a few that might help: Visit booths of over 45 schools, attend 15+ education seminars with subject matter experts for resources and great information on topics like:
Read the essay prompts
This sounds like common sense, but read through the essay prompts first! The Common Application and the Coalition Application have a list of prompts for you to choose from where you can write about personal identity, challenges you’ve faced, or anything of your choice. For the questions that are more specific, write down what first comes to mind when you read the prompt.
For example, one of the prompts is, “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?” When you think about a problem you’ve overcome, what pops into your head? Try to write down as many as possible; maybe one will stick out to you. You do not have to be in love with your original thoughts, but this is a good way to get the creative juices flowing.
List the things that you want colleges to know about you
Often called an ‘application persona’, character traits you want to exhibit are helpful when trying to put your best foot forward. Choose traits or values that can’t be seen from just your academics or your resume, like compassion, family, or leadership. After you choose what character traits best represent you, you can try to look for instances in your life where you’ve demonstrated these traits. If you consider yourself someone who is compassionate, write about a time when you helped a friend that was meaningful to you. If you are family-oriented, how has that played out in your personal life? If you are a leader, what kind of leader are you, and what was a time you demonstrated that?
Talk to people
Oftentimes, the people you care about are able to describe you more easily than you can describe yourself. Your parents could bring up a memory you hadn’t considered before, or maybe a friend describes you in a light you hadn’t thought about. It’s very common for us to gloss over our prominent character traits because we exhibit them every day; it’s not something we think about ourselves, but it could be something others notice clearly. Ask your friends and family about a favorite memory they have with you or what they think is special about you.
Your personal statement is your best opportunity to establish yourself as a real, live person amongst a sea of other applicants. Your topic choice is critical, so make sure to take the time to truly reflect on who you are, what your hopes and fears are, and how your mind works. You want your essay to hook your reader from start to end, so don’t be afraid to let your own voice shine through!
Do’s and don’ts of writing the college essay
As you move forward with your essay writing process, here are some suggestions you should consider when writing!
Do: avoid cliche topics
It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid stories with predictable endings. Admissions officers go through hundreds of applications per day, and if they know how your story is going to end, it’s not going to catch their attention. Common examples of this are mission trips, a big game, or a meaningful relationship. While you definitely can still write about common topics, in order to stand out from other applications, you should try to put a unique twist on your story. A championship game that taught you the value of perseverance and teamwork can be extremely important to you, but it also is extremely important to a lot of people. But perhaps you actually lost that championship game, or you learned a different lesson and have a different spin on an otherwise popular story.
Do: make it personal
This is ultimately a personal statement, and that should show in all aspects of your writing. Write in your own voice--if you’re usually a more conversational speaker, write your essay in a more conversational tone. First person is not only allowed in a personal statement, but encouraged.
Take the chance to show something that can’t be found elsewhere in your application, and if you’re comfortable doing so, be vulnerable. Tell your story, and focus on showing your admissions officer who you are, not telling them. Use imagery, dialogue, or an inner monologue if it fits. If you’re a strong communicator, don’t explicitly say you’re a strong communicator; instead, write about a time when your communication skills made a huge difference in your life.
Be extremely careful about writing about other people. You don’t want your personal essay to turn into an essay about someone else! Remember that you are the star of your personal statement, and while you shouldn’t be arrogant, the focus is ultimately on you and your personality.
Don’t: repeat your resume
Your admissions officer already has access to your resume, and you uploaded your activities list and honors list for a reason. They are well aware of your extracurricular accomplishments and academic achievements, so take the time to touch on something that can only be found by speaking to you directly. No one wants to read the same thing twice, and it’s more genuine if you approach your personal statement like a story you’re telling or a conversation you’re having.
Don’t: choose a controversial or extremely negative topic
This suggestion depends on the topic, but keep in mind that your admissions officer is a human being. All humans will have biases, political leanings, and opinions. If you’re thinking about taking a stance on a polarized topic, it might be best to avoid that in your personal statement. If you’re really set on writing an essay about something potentially controversial, make sure to be sensitive in your wording. The same goes for extremely negative topics; if you write about something extremely morbid, it could be off-putting for the person reading your essay. Remember that you are talking to a real person, and if you wouldn’t say something out loud to a real person, you probably want to leave it off your personal statement.
Takeaways:
Writing your personal statement is a deeply personal experience, but remember that you are also trying to build a connection with the person reading your application. Following these guidelines will help you avoid some common mistakes and help your essay become one your admissions officer wants to read!
For more FAQs about the Common App essay, check out our article here! Wondering what else you need to do to prepare for college? Check out our article on how to get ready for college applications!
