4 Tips for Writing Impressive College Application Essays

Teachers don’t really give students a heads up about how to write college application essays – in fact, they kind of just throw them into it. Students that desperately desire to go to college, but have no idea how to write a competent application essay, are in real trouble. They need help, and it doesn’t look like they’re getting it in school. Luckily, we’ve come up with a few proven methods that are guaranteed to help even the most utterly lost student produce a fairly good application essay. These rules are the basis behind all impressive admissions essays; follow them, and you too can join the ranks of higher learning college students!

  • Have a good hook. What can you throw into your application essay to really get those admissions officers’ attention? Can you start off with a witty, relevant story? Can you incorporate a meaningful quote? Is there a hypothetical situation you can pose? Admissions officers read thousands of application essays; what’s going to set your apart from the leagues of competitors? It’s simple: make it memorable. Have a great hook. Have a great running gag throughout the paper. However you can make the essay a little more entertaining and intriguing, alongside clear and pointed arguments, will help you in your cause.
  • Address the needs of the college. When you write a college application essay, you’re essentially trying to convince the college why they should admit you. This is difficult to do if you’re stressing all the reasons you need the school – and not the reasons the school needs you. Show the admissions officer what you’ll bring to the college individually. How will they benefit from admitting you to the college? Address this in your essay and you’re far more likely to get that desired acceptance letter.
  • Don’t go with your first idea. Sometimes, you get a stroke of brilliance, and you just want to run with is. This is the opposite of what you should so with college application essays. Yes, you may stumble on a good essay idea right off the bat; but don’t stop there. Keep tossing ideas around, brainstorming and developing new essays to compete with your first idea. You want to give yourself options, so that you can choose the best of the bunch. You may find that your fifth essay attempt outshines your first!
  • Edit and proof. Do not, ever, forget this step! Admissions officers like nothing so little journeying through a pretty good essay, only to find some grammatical and spelling stumbling blocks along the way. Not only can this make your essay harder to read, but it can cause the reader to lose interest almost immediately. Revise your essay so that it’s clear and well organized. Make sure it flows easily and logically. Present your ideas clearly, and most of all, check for spelling and grammar! It can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
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