Before you give feedback on a college essay (or check to see how you’re doing on your own), there are a few things you need to know.
Writing a great college essay isn’t like writing an English paper. Your audience is different, the intention is different, and the kind of writing is different.
The thinking, organizing, and writing skills you’ve been developing in high school work great for academic papers. But, not so much for the kinds of essays that college admissions officers want to read.
The Common Application Essay
This is the dreaded College Essay people talk about. Students write up to 650 words on one of several topics. The last option is Write on a topic of your choice.
Think of the prompts as prompts to get you thinking. They aren’t asking specific questions like, What are the causes of the War of 1812?
Most college essays don’t give much useful information. In one survey, admissions officers said that about 80% weren’t helpful.
Know your audience
Picture of Tina Fey
The audience for the college essay is a bored college admissions officer who just wants to get to know you. Imagine a friendly college tour guide who just graduated and got a job in the admissions office. That’s how a lot of admissions officers get their start.
They’re not English teachers, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Know your role
Nifty image
The best college essays are written like a teenager telling their story around the campfire to friends. An academic or sales perspective won’t lead to the kind of essays admissions officers want to read.
Playing an academic, salesy, etc role Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Know your intention
Some nifty image
An effective college essay is an engaging, authentic short story that shows who the student is.
It’s not an academic paper, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
Supplemental essays
Supplemental essays
Many colleges require these in addition to the Common App essay. They can be as simple as Why do you want to come to our school?, as fun as Write a letter to your future roommate, or as weird as Where is Waldo, Really? (Those last two are pretty rare, so don’t get too concerned.) they can be anywhere from 50–650 words, but most are about 300. Some students don’t have to write any, others have dozens.
University of California essays
University of California essays
The UC schools use one application for all of their campuses. They have 8 prompts; students choose any 4 and write 350-word essays for each. UC schools are looking for information, not short stories.
Optional essays
Special circumstances and Covid essays
Applications have optional essays to explain special circumstances that may have affected your academic performance, home life, or ability to participate in activities. They also have optional essays asking about your Covid experience.