A college essay is a big part of the college application process. This is a part where grades don’t mean a thing and where you are looked at as a person rather than a student.
“It is important to be yourself while writing your college essay,” senior Torendra Rasik says. “Sounding mature and being honest are key to a good college essay.”
I couldn’t agree more. Honesty and maturity are vital to make a lasting impression to the college you are writing to. You should also be able to answer each part of the essay topic question and explain properly.
“You should never brag in your college essay. You want to sound confident but not too confident at the same time. You should also never lie about yourself to make yourself more appealing to the college,” Torendra Rasik said accurately.
One main thing that should be avoided is flattery. Colleges don’t want to hear how badly you want to get in. They will figure that out themselves by how good your essay is. Generality should also be avoided. You have to make yourself stand out to the reader to get a better chance of being selected by the college of your choice.
“I feel like my college essay gave me an extra edge to getting into St. John’s University. My topic was about an event that changed my life,” said Amrita Singh, a fourth year student at St. John’s University. “I tried to sound as thoughtful as I could be and not boring to try and get through to St. John’s.” Topics for the essay may vary depending on the college.
You must know to avoid:
- Bragging
- Flattery
- Being too general
- Spelling/grammar errors
Try your best to:
- Be honest
- Be mature
- Unique
- Answer the question at hand
