The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Writing a College Essay

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We’ve all been there—you have to write an essay, but you don’t know where to start. Then, you get stressed out because you don’t have enough time to do the essay right, and you either rush through it or end up with something that just doesn’t meet your professor’s standards. The good news is that there are some steps you can take to make sure that doesn’t happen again—and those steps are exactly what this guide will cover!

 

Outline your story

The most important part of your essay is that an outline will help you flesh out your ideas and structure your essay. Spend some time going through various prompts and brainstorming common elements (i.e., what types of stories do you often hear in college essays?). If you have time, try writing several sample responses using different points of view and story elements. The more times you sit down and think about how you want to tell your story, the easier it will be when it comes time for inspiration to strike during finals week.

 

Design your essay

First off, ask yourself what you want your essay to say. What type of tone are you looking for? Academic or informal? What’s your goal for writing? Do you want them to know more about who you are and how you fit into their program? Are you trying to sell yourself on paper, hoping they can see how awesome an applicant/student body member/student employee you’d be based on your statement alone? These questions will help you start with a better design for your essay.

 

Work on Introduction & Conclusion

A strong introduction and conclusion are critical. They are what will be read first, last, and remembered most. In other words, they need to be great! The introduction is often referred to as hooking your reader because you’re trying to convince them that your topic/blog post is worthy of their time. Make sure it has a grabber sentence or two so that readers who don’t make it past your intro won’t feel like they wasted their time reading something dull or uninteresting. A good rule of thumb is that if you have nothing interesting or unusual about your topic that might intrigue an audience, consider choosing another topic?

 

Focus on Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on one main point. Begin with an introductory sentence that clearly states your position and then present supporting evidence for it in three or four complete sentences. The body of your essay is where you’ll make most of your arguments and provide ample evidence for them. Each point or argument in your essay must have support from at least one outside source (that means direct quotations and paraphrases of other work). Still, ideally, you’ll use several such sources throughout. This ensures that your analysis will be thorough, accurate, and more persuasive—making these points less likely to be challenged later.

 

Know your audience

Many students fall victim to a common mistake when writing their college essays: they attempt to impress admissions officers instead of telling a story that will resonate with them. Avoid jargon, and don’t assume your reader knows what you’re talking about. Write like you would speak, using language that is concise and appropriate for your intended audience. While an essay on Martin Luther King might work in one context, for example, it may not be relevant or compelling in another. In other words, unless you are specifically instructed otherwise—don’t use jargon.

 

Practice, Practice, Practice!

It’s never too early (or late) to start working on your college essays. Whether you want to keep it simple or tell a unique story about yourself, now is always a good time to start brainstorming. The most important thing you can do is actually write! There are tons of writing exercises out there and if you’re struggling with an idea, try one of them. It may be just what you need in order for your brain to unlock that thought that has been nagging at you. If it’s not, don’t worry! Just remember practice makes perfect! You can use as many ideas as you’d like – no plagiarism necessary here!

 

Get feedback

Unless you’re used to writing college-level essays, it can be tough getting feedback on your work—especially since asking friends or family members will inevitably lead to hurt feelings. For example, even if they give you advice that would improve your essay, they might say it in such a way that makes it seem like they don’t think you can do any better. An alternative approach is asking professors and/or fellow students for feedback before turning in your essay. Just remember: Feedback is only as useful as how much attention you pay to it and how well you take that feedback into account when revising your work. But getting even one set of eyes on your first draft can give you insight into areas of improvement that may not have been obvious at first glance.

 

Polish it up and submit it!

Once you’ve written your essay, let it sit for a day. This will give you time to look at it with fresh eyes and figure out what you can do better. Print out your paper, go through it and make sure there are no grammatical errors or typos. Then ask someone else (preferably a professor) to take a look at it as well. This is especially important if English isn’t your first language since English majors are known for spotting mistakes others miss! When you feel like your essay is polished up and ready to go, submit! Don’t be afraid of rejection or that someone might criticize what you have written—after all, that might help you improve! Hope this tips on how I write my essay helps you.