Although many students are daunted by college essays, we think they are one of the most enjoyable parts of the application process. And, this year, they are also among the most important. With transcripts and test scores disrupted for many students, admissions officers are leaning even more heavily than usual on college essays to identify who will earn a coveted spot on the “admitted” list.
Below, we dive into five of the most important factors to consider as you write your Common App and supplemental essays.
1. Know Your Audience
Like any piece of writing, college essays work best when written with their intended audience in mind. In the video below, we explain who reads your essay and how to make sure that your essay speaks to their priorities.
Your college essay will be read by an admissions officer at your school of choice. In each application season, a single admissions officer has to read through hundreds upon hundreds of applications—including not only applicants’ essays, but also their Common App, transcript, teacher recommendations, and more. This means that they can only spend a few minutes on each essay. To make an impression in this tight timeframe, your essay needs to stand out.
So what, exactly, piques an admissions officer’s interest? First and foremost, they are looking for students who have made an impact in their schools and communities and who demonstrate the promise to continue doing so on a college campus. Admissions officers are also looking to create a diverse class in terms of background, interests, and skills. Finally, they want to know what kind of roommate you will be—in other words, who you are as a three-dimensional human being.
If these qualities shine through in your essay, you are already off to a good start. Remember, however, that you never know precisely who will be reading your essay. You don’t know the admissions officer’s background, their politics, or their sense of humor. As a result, it makes sense to steer clear of topics that may rub them the wrong way.
Remember, too, that admissions officers are usually career professionals, not members of the faculty. An essay that dives into an esoteric academic topic might not be the best way to connect with somebody who isn’t a specialist in that field.
2. Effective Essay Topics
For most students, the hardest part of writing a college essay is choosing what to write about. In the video below, we talk with former Brown admissions officer Michael Muska about what makes for a strong college essay topic.
When it comes to choosing your college essay topic, the golden rule is to write about something that you really, truly care about—something that engages you deeply, that you can’t stop thinking and talking about. The more you can demonstrate real passion for your topic, the better your chance of grabbing the admissions officer’s attention.
What’s more, the best essay topics are complex. The college essay does not call for you to argue a position like you might in a class paper. Instead, try to find a topic that allows you to explore the nuances of your own thinking. Don’t be afraid of uncertainty or conflict—in fact, these are essayistic gold.
Colleges are especially interested in applicants who show a commitment to service, particularly service within their own community. If you can talk persuasively about how your university education will help you to address a problem within your community and help others succeed, you will have a real advantage in the admissions process.
If you’d like to learn about which topics to avoid in your college essay, check out our three-part blog series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
3. Find Your Style
Unlike a paper in class, the college essay is all about you. The best essays allow a student’s individuality and personal voice to shine through. In the video below, we discuss the dos and don’ts of college essay style.
To keep admissions officers engaged as they read your essay, try to write in the active voice, incorporate specific and sensory details, use powerful action verbs, and add color and interest to your writing with rhetorical devices. Moreover, pay special attention to your opening and closing sentences so that you start and finish strong. You may want to ask a trusted relative or teacher to read your essay and ensure that everything is clear and logical.
As you write, keep in mind that the admissions officer wants to learn about you and your personality. You want your writing to really sound like you. Don’t be tempted to overuse the thesaurus or write with stuffy language. And unless you have a good reason, don’t waste space with an epigraph or quotes. Colleges are interested in what you have to say, not other people.
Finally, remember that the college essay is, at its core, a piece of creative writing. This style of writing can be challenging, even for excellent writers. If you’ve never taken a creative writing class, it may be wise to review some books or online resources that go into further detail on best practices for style, grammar, and rhetoric.
4. “Why This School” Essays
Many colleges require students to submit additional—or “supplemental”—essays as well as the primary Common App essay. One of the most common topics for supplemental essays is why you have chosen to apply to a particular school. In the video below, we outline the key ingredients in a persuasive answer to “why this school” questions.
Unless the college has separated academics and other factors into separate questions, a good portion of your “why this school” essay should be devoted to addressing academic fit. In other words, your response should describe the specific majors or programs you are interested in, discuss any unique opportunities the college provides for research or academic engagement outside of class, and so on. If there’s a particular professor at the school whose work inspires you, be sure to mention it.
You also want to talk about all of the non-academic factors that draw you to this school: for example, specific extracurricular groups you are interested in, something unique about the campus culture, the school’s athletic and career opportunities, and so on.
As a whole, your response should demonstrate that you have dug deeply into the school’s offerings, academic and otherwise, and that you have given real thought to how these opportunities align with your goals for college and beyond. Your response should be highly specific—if you can swap out the college’s name and your response still makes sense, you probably need to do some more homework.
5. “Short Prompt” Essays
Another category of supplemental essays, “short prompts” turn up in many colleges’ applications. These questions ask students to provide a quick take on a wide variety of topics, often in little more space than a tweet. In the video below, we explain how you can stand out in 100 words or less.
First things first, don’t be fooled by the word count. “Short prompt” essays usually take as much time and effort as longer pieces of writing. But don’t let that put you off: they can be a great opportunity to introduce a little fun into your application and reveal new facets of your personality.
As you get started with your responses, try not to overthink your answers. Short prompt questions are designed to help colleges better understand you as a person. So be yourself, and don’t try to predict what the college “wants” you to say. Answer the questions in a way that feels genuine to you. In doing so, don’t be afraid of the “mundane.” What’s everyday to you might be thrilling to someone else.
Finally, think about how you can use some of these shorter responses to reinforce the overall theme or narrative of your application—or perhaps to show off something about yourself that hasn’t come through elsewhere.
Looking for more guidance?
Our college advisers can help you to find the right topic and craft a compelling essay that sets you apart from other applicants. To get started, please contact us.
