How to Write an Impactful College Application Essay
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A strong personal essay can be the difference between an enthusiastic acceptance letter from a top university and a rejection or waitlist notification from an inferior one. Your college application essay is an opportunity to show a university what can’t be described on your resume, and these college application essay tips will make sure you grab (and keep) the attention of admissions officers. In this article, we’ll explore the three secrets to writing an impactful college application essay:
Start with why
Be authentic
Be specific
These three points can be applied not only to application essays, but scholarship essays as well. Starting with these three questions, as well as multiple rounds of editing, is ultimately what helped me win over $210,000 in scholarships, completely paying for my university attendance! I basically got paid to go to college, and with these simple (but critical) tips, you can too. So let’s get started!
1) Start With Why
Inspired by an amazing book (Amazon) with the same name, this tip is by far the most important on the list. Thinking about your “why” should begin long before you ever put pen to paper. What has motivated your past success? What is the source of your passion and drive? What is the reason behind your goals? Though all of these questions begin with the word “what,” the question asked is really “why?”
Why do you really want to go to college? Why do you deserve this scholarship money?
Your “why” could be a number of things. For me, it was to make my dad proud, to take a step up in the world and bring my family with me. My father was a brick and stone mason for most of his life and only finished the eighth grade. He taught me a lot about hard work, and to keep going until the job is done. When I was a young teenager, we sold our house and lived in a camper while my dad built our new house entirely by himself. After two years and four months of unusually heavy rain, frigid winter temperatures, and suffocating heat, he finished the job. And did it with excellence. In his fifties.
This was not only a unique experience, but it impacted me greatly. I thought,
“If a man with a little education and a big dream can accomplish something that amazing, just imagine what I can do with a lot of education and a bigger dream...”
When it comes to writing your college application essay, identify your most meaningful experiences first, then focus on the prompt. Especially if the prompt is more general, like many of the CommonApp essay prompts, this method will be more effective. Your goal is to make a short list of experiences that have helped form your identity. You have a story, no matter how average you may think you are. Your “why” can be related to an obstacle you overcame, a strongly held belief, deeply-rooted family values, immigration in pursuit of a better life, a critical experience that changed your views, a passion for social justice, affordable education (amen!), reliable journalism - it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you communicate the “why” behind “what” is on your resume. Your accomplishments are obvious. Tell them intangibles.
Talking about yourself isn’t always easy, but here is a general framework to help you outline your key points. Talk about:
Where you’ve been - your mental attitude, general outlook, personal development, or unique circumstances
Where you’re going - goals and aspirations
Why
Starting with “why” is the first and most important step to writing a killer college application or winning scholarship essay, and the rest will flow naturally. Taking some time for solitude and self-reflection can clear your headspace and let your unique “why” come into view.
2) Be Authentic
It can be tempting to write in the voice that you think admissions officers want to hear, but what your readers really want is to pick up an interesting essay. And what makes that essay interesting is you.
If you’re a naturally comical person, don’t try to adopt a serious voice because you think it will impress your readers. A college application essay may not be the place to plan your writing entirely around jokes, but comedy can definitely enhance your application if that’s truly a part of who you are. On the other hand, if you’re intense and maybe even a little angsty by nature, please don’t try to be funny. It’s far too easy to spot a forced joke. Chances are, that intensity you possess is connected to a deep passion you have or a sincerely held belief. Focus on the strengths you genuinely possess and cut the nonsense. That is what admissions officers want to read about.
If you’re a person with controversial opinions, I won’t tell you to completely leave them out of your essay. I just ask that you consider the risks. Perhaps your controversial views have led you to volunteer for a political campaign, spearhead a student organization, or challenge the status quo in a big way. They are at the core of your “why.” If so, these topics are great ways to show admissions officers your passion and leadership ability, as long as you can also communicate tolerably and respectfully of opposing views. However, always keep in mind that no matter how professional your readers may be, they possess their own opinions and biases. A real person will be reading your essay, so if you have little to gain from stating your controversial opinion, you might have better luck leaving it out of the picture - especially if you have a tendency to “preach” to your audience.
Regardless of the voice you choose to portray yourself, keep these words in mind:
“Humility, not self-degradation; Confidence, not bombast”
Admissions officers would like to see a measure of self awareness and personal maturity in your essay, and knowing how to balance humility with confidence is the key in doing so. Humility does not mean that you are inferior to everyone else, that you deserve no credit for any of your accomplishments, that you must minimize yourself completely. Humility is simply recognizing your shortcomings and being willing to give credit where credit is due. A great way to express humility is through gratitude. Whether it’s for a mentor, a family member, or an impactful teacher, gratitude expresses that you acknowledge the role that others have played in your development and success. (Not) in contrast, confidence is equally as important. Humility and confidence go hand in hand, contrary to popular belief. Confidence gives the assurance that you have what it takes to accomplish your goals. There’s no need to boast about all you’ve accomplished - again, they have your resume - but communicating that you not only acknowledge the role of others in your success, but you also have the confidence in yourself to continue achieving greater success, is vital to writing an effective college application essay, scholarship essay, or personal statement.
3) Be Specific
People remember stories. It's the lens we live and interpret through. The story I shared about my dad is memorable and inspiring, and it’s one of the reasons the staff from the Goodnight Scholars Program remembered my name and invited me for the interview that eventually led to a full-ride scholarship. People connect with specific experiences, so it’s important to avoid vague generalities like “my dad is cool and he’s been through a lot” or “my mindset changed over time so I started wanting to help people.” Both of these examples reflect impactful experiences, but they offer no specifics to hold onto and remember. Even if a transition you experienced happened over many months or even years, pick a meaningful moment from that time to describe in detail. Highlighting significant experiences with stories or detailed descriptions can take your essay from good to spectacular.
Related: “Well-Rounded or Angular Applicants… Which Is Better?”
When describing an obstacle you overcame or a challenge you faced, be mindful of where in the story you provide most of the details. Your story should be 30% problem and 70% solution. Focusing too much on the challenge or obstacle itself can distract from the point - which is how you overcame it or were transformed by it. Adequately describe the circumstances around the challenge or obstacle, but spend most of your time focusing on these topics:
How you overcame
The moment or climax of your transformation
How your identity, character, and perspective today is shaped by that experience
Focusing on these aspects of your story displays a sense of self-awareness and personal maturity previously mentioned.
Lastly, be clear in describing your goals. You don’t have to have your life mapped out, but spend some time pondering how you want to impact the world, setting SMART goals to measure your progress, and thinking about how higher education (specifically at this university, this major, and/or in this location) will help you achieve them. These goals, and maybe even your major, are likely to change and adapt in the future as your experiences and passions broaden, but your task is to make a plan based on who you are right now. Even if the plan itself changes, making a plan and pursuing clear goals shows that you are a person who has the forethought and resolve to achieve success, no matter how you define it.
If you need extra help brainstorming or would like a professional editor to review your essay, consider EssayEdge. They are the leading essay editing service and employ editors from top universities. Make sure your essay stands out by taking advantage of this amazing resource, and get your expertly edited essays returned in just 24-48 hours!
And that’s a wrap! The three keys to college application (and scholarship) essay-writing success!
If you’re invited for an interview, be sure to check out “Top 10 Scholarship Interview Questions & Answers with Examples.” These questions are commonly asked in both scholarship interviews and college admissions interviews.
Preparing to write your college application essay can be daunting, but with these three tips, you can write an extraordinary essay that seals your acceptance to top universities. You know what else is daunting? Paying for college. That’s why I’m offering a free workshop with more details on the essay writing tips above as well as:
How to graduate from college debt-free
Senior year application timeline checklist
How to answer the 3 most difficult scholarship interview questions (with EXAMPLES)
College money hacks to cut down on living expenses
Graduating from college debt-free is within your reach, and no matter where you are in your journey, this workshop will help you chart your course toward financial success…
