Whitney High School

Ten Tips for College Admissions Essays

(by Charlotte Lazor, Associate Director of Admission Information Systems at Wesleyan University, and Elizabeth K. Lyons, Associate Director of Admissions at Hawaii Business College)

Don't let the college admissions essay intimidate you. Remember, it's the part of your application that is fully under your control. Make it work to your advantage!
Don't "recycle" essays. Nothing will land your essay in the circular file faster than an obviously "recycled" or "near match" essay.
Be yourself. Choose a topic that is meaningful to you. Speak in your own voice. Write what you feel, not what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. The essay is the candidate's apportunity to explain who they are and why they are unique.
Don't overextend. Don't take on too big a topic and don't adopt a "preachy" tone. College admission officers don't want to be lectured on rainforest destruction. Instead, tell them how you became interested in enviromentalism.
Be creative. Try to come up with something different. Remember that the people reviewing you essay will have read hundreds - if not thousands - in the past. Don't give them one more "The Teacher Who Influenced Me Most" or "Drinking and Driving is Bad" to wade through.
Captivate your audience. You essay needs to be engaging and memorable. Try to draw the reader with a quick, enticing introduction. You want to catch their interest and give them a reason to finish your essay.
Accentuate the positive. If you're writing abou a traumatic experience, describe the negatives but don't dwell on them. Rather, explore how the experience changed you what you took away from it.
Leave time for drafting. Write a first draft. Let it sit for a few hours. Then review it carefully and look for weak or dull spots, as well as spelling and grammatical errors. Never let your first draft be your final draft.
Revise, rewrite, reword. Revision is the key to all good writing - college admission essays included. Hammer your draft into shape through various rewrites. Read each draft aloud; your ears can pick up problems that your eyes may miss. Pursue perfection. No essay needs to be error-free more than this one. Quadruple-check the spelling. Type your essay carefully.
Ask people for input. Teachers, counselors, friends, parents, siblings - ask people you respect for some candid feedback. "What do you think I'm trying to say?" "Does it sound confusing?" "Is it boring?" "Do I come across as the person you know?"


		Ten Tips for College Admissions Essays (by Charlotte Lazor, Associate Director of Admission Information Systems at Wesleyan University, and Elizabeth K. Lyons, Associate Director of Admissions at Hawaii Business College) Don't let the college admissions essay intimidate you. Remember, it's the part of your application that is fully under your control. Make it work to your advantage! Don't "recycle" essays. Nothing will land your essay in the circular file faster than an obviously "recycled" or "near match" essay. Be yourself. Choose a topic that is meaningful to you. Speak in your own voice. Write what you feel, not what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. The essay is the candidate's apportunity to explain who they are and why they are unique. Don't overextend. Don't take on too big a topic and don't adopt a "preachy" tone. College admission officers don't want to be lectured on rainforest destruction. Instead, tell them how you became interested in enviromentalism. Be creative. Try to come up with something different. Remember that the people reviewing you essay will have read hundreds - if not thousands - in the past. Don't give them one more "The Teacher Who Influenced Me Most" or "Drinking and Driving is Bad" to wade through. Captivate your audience. You essay needs to be engaging and memorable. Try to draw the reader with a quick, enticing introduction. You want to catch their interest and give them a reason to finish your essay. Accentuate the positive. If you're writing abou a traumatic experience, describe the negatives but don't dwell on them. Rather, explore how the experience changed you what you took away from it. Leave time for drafting. Write a first draft. Let it sit for a few hours. Then review it carefully and look for weak or dull spots, as well as spelling and grammatical errors. Never let your first draft be your final draft. Revise, rewrite, reword. Revision is the key to all good writing - college admission essays included. Hammer your draft into shape through various rewrites. Read each draft aloud; your ears can pick up problems that your eyes may miss. Pursue perfection. No essay needs to be error-free more than this one. Quadruple-check the spelling. Type your essay carefully. Ask people for input. Teachers, counselors, friends, parents, siblings - ask people you respect for some candid feedback. "What do you think I'm trying to say?" "Does it sound confusing?" "Is it boring?" "Do I come across as the person you know?"