Five Tips for Writing Your College Essays
A Notre Dame student shares five practical tips for writing standout college essays — from reading examples online to writing in your authentic voice.
It's finally August. The college admissions process has arrived, and with it comes one of the most daunting and essential parts: the college essays.
From experience, I can confidently say that college essays are one of the most determining factors in the schools I was accepted to. I was more often accepted to universities where I put more effort and time into their respective essays. Here are five tips to help you write your best.
1. Read Essays Available Online
While all college essays sound different in content, there are similarities in the style of excellent essays. Search the internet and read as many as possible. See what patterns emerge — for example, many essays connect high school extracurriculars to what you want to do at the college you're applying to.
Never copy or plagiarize, but reading others' essays can spark ideas for your own unique voice and style.
2. You Don't Have to Have Fixed Every World Problem
Reading other essays can feel overwhelming — not everyone should be expected to broker world peace or cure cancer in high school.
Make a list of important aspects of your life over the past 4–5 years. It could be anything: being on the soccer team, working at Starbucks, a family trip to Utah's national parks. Look for patterns. Maybe a teammate's concussion sparked your interest in brain injury science. Maybe stage crew in theater led to engineering. The more unique narratives are often the most compelling.
3. Look to the Future
College is just a short step in your career path. When a university accepts you, they're choosing you for what you'll accomplish in forty years, not just four. Be ambitious! Show universities that their investment in you will better their school and the world.
4. Write in Your Voice
"Be Yourself" is over-saturated advice, but it still holds truth. Every applicant has a unique personality that can add flavor to their essays. You don't need 50 jokes or name-dropped books — but the voice you write in should feel like an authentic version of yourself.
For one school, I wrote about how Stan Twitter could be related to modern American political demagoguery. It was authentic to me, connected my personality to my academic interests, and showed that my academics weren't my entire personality.
5. Get People to Read Your Essays Over
This can be difficult, but it's essential. Ask teachers, family members, or older friends already in college. Having an extra set of eyes on your essay can make a huge difference. Better to have friendly eyes review it first than an admissions officer.