College Essay Guide: How to Craft a Compelling Admissions Essay

Applying to college is, without question, an exciting time in our lives, but it can quickly become overwhelming when you realize the amount of work that goes into the college application process. Test scores and final grades are certainly important, but they fail to convey to college admissions officers who you REALLY are. There is more to the story that is you, and that's where your college essay (or personal statement) can set you apart from the rest. In this guide, we'll provide you with tips and tricks to ensure you have all the information you need to write a great college essay. Next stop, your dream school!

Choose a Prompt That Calls to You

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The first thing you should do when writing your college essay is pick a prompt that calls to you. Most selective colleges will provide a few different prompt ideas, but the most important thing is to pick the one you're most comfortable with (there's no need to handicap yourself and pick the toughest prompt; you'll have plenty of time to impress the college once you get accepted).

Generally, college essay prompts will be quite similar no matter what school you apply to. They are often centered around the following themes, which are also included in the 2024 Common App:

• Describe something about you, an interest, hobby, experience, etc., that you feel this application wouldn't be complete without mentioning. Please share your experience.
• Describe a time when your worldview changed. Why did it change? How did it make you feel?
• Recount a time when you experienced failure. How did this failure affect you?

The prompts you receive will be intentionally open-ended to allow you the freedom to take the piece in whatever direction you want.

Insider Tip! One of the biggest mistakes students make when writing their college application essay is to veer away from the prompt and try to capture the reader's attention another way. Don't do this. Your admissions officer wants to see a few different things, but one of them is how well you follow instructions.

Choosing Your College Essay Topic

After you've identified the prompt you want to tackle, you'll then need to decide what topic you actually want to write about. 

Just to refresh: the prompt is the predetermined, open-ended question or scenario that the application is presenting. The topic comes from your personal experience and life lessons. You get to choose how to want to respond to the question or scenario.

Think long and hard about this. This is when you get to show yourself off. College admissions officers want to know who you are and what it is that sets you apart from the other students, which is why most topics are fair game. It's vital to be honest and transparent about whatever it is you choose to write.

Let’s revisit some of the prompts we posed before and brainstorm some potential topic ideas:

Describe something about you, an interest, hobby, experience, etc. that you feel this application wouldn't be complete without mentioning

• Talk about an experience that shaped you, forced you to look inward, pushed you outside of your comfort zone, etc. Remember not to dwell on the negative -- highlight your resilience and personal growth.

Describe a time when your worldview changed. Why did it change? How did it make you feel?

• Do you have a moment in your life where something so impactful happened that it caused a shift in your worldview? Examples could be living overseas, volunteering, visiting an underdeveloped nation, etc. 

Recount a time when you experienced failure. How did this failure affect you?

• Talking about a time when you experienced failure shows your admissions officer you are willing to battle through adversity. You could mention a time when you failed a test, messed up during a big game, got rejected for a job interview, etc. Make sure to highlight your growth and not dwell on the failure.

Remember, you should choose a topic that allows you to showcase YOU. Your college essay is a time for you to brag a little bit (within reason, of course). If you need inspiration for what to write about, it's never a bad idea to reach out to a family member, friend, or high school teacher. 

The Essay Writing Process

You've chosen your prompt and topic -- awesome! Now it's time to start the first draft of your college essay. Remember, this is a process, so do not expect to nail this on your first try. Many students end up creating several drafts before they arrive at the final one. We encourage creating multiple drafts, as chances are your first essay draft will not be fully fleshed out and you may end up pivoting.

College essay tips to remember:

• Structure matters: Avoid an overly wordy essay and stick to a unified structure throughout the piece. You don't want admissions officers struggling to follow along with your incredible life story just because the essay structure is wonky. Make sure to identify if the essay guidelines have strict word limits, too. Going over the word limit is a red flag, but some guidelines may also have a word MINIMUM, which you’ll definitely want to clear.
• Be clear and concise: Part of the purpose of a personal statement is simply so admissions committees can see that you know how to write with clarity and follow a set of rules. They don't want to see you try to reinvent the wheel. Stick to the prompt, be clear in your message, and trust that your life experiences are engaging enough – you don’t need to exaggerate.
• Tell a story: This is where you have the chance to really set yourself apart from other applicants. It's a chance to tell your unique story, to share your experiences in a surprising way that captivates the admissions experts. Use vivid details, descriptive language, and anecdotes.

Insider Tip! Your unique voice and personality matter just as much as any of the three things listed above. You can write an essay that is structured, clear, and provides a good story, but if you don't properly convey who YOU are, you'll be short-changing yourself.

College essays can be daunting to take on, especially if you're not someone known for their writing skills, but we're here to remind you do not need to be perfect. Colleges don't need you to blow them away with your writing skills. They mostly want to learn who you are and how you carry yourself. With the assistance of this guide from Varsity Tutors, we hope you have all the information you need to write a college essay that you can be proud of!

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