Everyone would agree that composing a college essay as an integral part of the application procedure is one of the most laborious types of essays. The thing is, you have to pool all your mental resources, exploit your writing potential to the fullest, and think outside the box to create an exceptional piece of writing that would convey a subliminal message to the admission committee that your resume can’t. In other words, your college essay should present you as an interesting personality, subtly underlying your strong suits.
Let’s be honest, many students don’t want to face the music and toil at this assignment themselves researching the details like, “How long should a college essay be?” Thus, they reach out to online writing services that offer best college essays. However, you may test your capacities by accepting the challenge. Dare to take the plunge? Don’t worry as we’ll navigate you through a jungle of writing complexities related to the college essay format.
In this article, we’ve made up a list of handy college essay tips with detailed explanations that will help you make your essay a ticket to admission to a college of your dream.
How to Start a College Essay at One Stroke?
1. Start with picking an essay heading.
Opt for the topic that you take an interest in. This way, it’ll be easier for you to show your zeal for something. This could be as simple as discussing your hobby or an issue you want to voice concern about as long as you present it in an engrossing manner. Forget about clichés and hackneyed phrases and review three modes of persuasion. They may direct you toward a proper structure of your essay.
Choose a topic you genuinely care about.
If you’re not honest with your audience, your attitude may be revealed in your writing as most of the college admission officers are jaded and know how to read between the lines. If you’re out of college essay ideas, you may turn to your friends and relatives for help or check out common app essay prompts, but the ultimate decision on a topic falls on your shoulders.
2. Come up with a college essay outline.
Before getting down straight to business, draw up an outline of your future essay. It doesn’t necessarily oblige you to prepare a comprehensive plan, but having some points at your disposal will serve you in good stead. When you’re done with the outline, you can move on to writing a rough draft. Here, you don’t have to be meticulous, just put your thoughts into words.
3. Write in a succinct yet outright manner.
The more details you incorporate, the more elaborate your work will look. Omit ambiguous and redundant words, as well as phrases. Instead of writing “It is important to note,” say “notably,” “most importantly,” etc. Also, avoid phrases that don’t communicate any sense but extend the word count; the admission committee can easily detect such tricks.
Make your essay unique.
You should make your essay exceptional in some way. You might want to tell about an experience that has shaped you as a personality, the genuine reasons for applying to a specific college, or an event that has changed your perception of some notions; whatever you choose, include a couple of your innermost thoughts to sound sincere.
In case you’re telling about an event or experience, you should explain in a detailed way what emotions and feelings it evoked, how it altered the way you think or perceive some notions/phenomena, and whether it influenced your outlook or life principles.
In college essays that worked, personal growth and self-analysis were under discussion. Thus, your work should make a connection between you as a personality in the past and your steps to self-development that have made you a better version of yourself. Keep in mind that colleges usually value students who are in constant quest of self-improvement.
Furthermore, it’s better not to state directly the topic of your essay, as it may deprive readers of a feeling of intrigue. Let them come to the underlying idea on their own.
4. Proofread your essay.
Review your work carefully to find and eliminate any grammatical or spelling slip-ups. You can also ask someone who hasn’t seen it yet to scan your paper for you and provide feedback.
