Writing the Essay Doesn't Have to be Stressful

ForWord Consulting knows that writing the essay can be stressful. Here are some tips and tricks to consider. 

The Hook

Your essay needs a hook--a strong opening that grabs your reader. Since your essay is unlikely to have a headline like "Boy Earns Robotics League Award for 1st Time in School History," your job is to lead your essay with something that will make your reader keep reading. 

Consider what essays might follow these strong hooks:

• "I was born a failure."
• "Passing the American Girl Doll store in Tysons, I froze. Molly, my American Girl Doll was being retired, along with, apparently, my childhood."
• "I open doors."
• "Every day I ran for my life."

Each essay draws in the reader!

Know your Audience

Look at your school. Decide what sort of candidate generally applies. Are you one of those? If yes, that's not always a good thing. Why? Well, the admissions committee could just as easily pick your application or any of the 200 others that match yours. So stand out by knowing what the university needs. 

When writing your essay pay attention to what makes you outstanding and diverse:

• Location
• Race
• Religion

Be Specific

There's nothing more boring than an essay full of generalities. Look back at your essay and decide if any other student could have written it. If so, then you've fallen into the trap. 

One way to distinguish yourself is to be specific. Say Bullis High School instead of school. Say Langley Saxon Cheerleading Squad. Say Rhonda rather than best friend. 

The more specific you are, the more real you are about who you are. 

Proofread

• Their vs. They're
• Too vs. To
• From vs. Form

Typos and poor word choices just give admissions a reason to say no. 

Proofread: Seriously. Even professionals make mistakes.  This is just one time where you have to be sure you've gotten it right. 

Don't use words or phrases you're not really sure about:

• Simplistic: Does not mean simple. 
• Penultimate: Does not mean ultimate or last.
• Tow the Line

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 More Writing Guidance For Students

Advice

Seniors, What are Colleges Really Looking For in the Essay: By College Admission Book

Six Words of Advice for Parents of College-Bound Juniors: By Patrick O'Connor of the Huffington Post

Advice for Working with the Common Application Essay Prompts: By College Admission Book
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Standing Out from the Crowd: How to write an essay that colleges will remember

NPR Podcast: From admissions officers for what Harvard and Stanford tend to like.

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Essays that Worked

Tufts University: Past Essays That Mattered

Connecticut College: Essays that Worked

Johns Hopkins University: Essays That Worked

Hamilton College: More Essays that Worked

Writing Resources