IMPORTANT: Essay Tips for Everyone!

College Essays
1

<p>I’ve spent the last few days poring over books and websites, seeking valuable advice for writing college admissions essays. After reading dozens and dozens of successful essays (mostly Ivy League-caliber), I’ve compiled a list of the 20 most useful tips, all based on comments from professional editors and adcoms. I’d recommend using this as a checklist when you’re writing your own essays.</p>

<p>Enjoy, and good luck!</p>

<p>DO:

  1. Choose uncommon topics
  2. Capture the reader’s attention with your introduction
  3. Clearly illustrate why your topic is important to you and how it has shaped you
  4. Create a strong structure and straightforward narrative
  5. Be creative with language, tense, and style
  6. Write honestly and naturally
  7. Use a unique and consistent voice/tone/mood throughout
  8. Pay attention to detail and include vivid descriptions
  9. Arouse sympathy in the reader
  10. Proofread!</p>

<p>DON’T:

  1. Focus too much or too little on context
  2. Experiment with free form…unless you’re completely confident in your abilities to execute it well!
  3. Avoid writing about your shortcomings
  4. Impose your accomplishments on the reader
  5. Be afraid of a little charm and humor
  6. Use excessive detail
  7. Bore the reader with repetition and unnecessary descriptions
  8. Write too simply
  9. Use clich</p>
2

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<p>But remember that the weirdest topic in the world won’t make up for boring or impersonal writing. </p>

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<p>I think a lot of people do this badly and immaturely. The intro doesn’t need to be gimmicky…just start telling your story.</p>

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<p>You should make yourself relatable, if that’s what you mean by “arouse sympathy,” but I can’t imagine they want to read any sob stories.</p>

3

<p>That’s all true; I’m just telling you the patterns I’ve seen after reading adcoms and deans’ comments on at least 50 essays.</p>

4

<p>There are a lot of well-written essays that have common topics. I feel like some of these tips could misguide people, for example the “arouse sympathy” tip. A better tip would be to make yourself memorable in the adcoms.</p>

5

<p>aside from arouse sympathy I agree!</p>

6

<p>Here are some tips:</p>

<p>[19</a> Common Application Essay Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - In Like Me](<a href=“http://inlikeme.com/19-common-application-essay-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/]19”>19 Common Application Essay Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - In Like Me)</p>

<p>[Common</a> Application Essay Prompts - Tips for a Winning Essay](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/common-application-essay-prompts.htm]Common”>2021-22 Common Application Essay Prompts: Tips, Samples)</p>

<p>[Dissecting</a> the New Common App Essay Prompts - In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review](<a href=“http://in.princetonreview.com/in/2013/07/dissecting-the-new-common-app-essay-prompts.html]Dissecting”>Popular Application Essay Topics | Apply | The Princeton Review)</p>

7

<p>Thank you bill shoo for the great links. My son and others will definitely benefit from this information.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the helpful tips! :)</p>