What are some tips for writing a standout college essay?

Feeling overwhelmed at the start is normal, so you're definitely not alone. The most effective college essays are ones that enable the reader (an admissions officer) to visualize you as a student on their campus. They help admissions officers understand how you would contribute to the social and intellectual vibrancy of the incoming class and broader campus community, and how you would tangibly benefit from the social and academic opportunities available on campus.

Here are 9 tips to help you get started:

1. Focus on Specificity and Authenticity: Avoid generic statements like "I learned the value of hard work" unless you can ground them in a very personal, vivid story. Reflect on moments that changed your perspective, even in small ways. For instance, instead of writing about the big championship win, write about a single moment in practice where you connected with a teammate or had a personal breakthrough. Remember, it is better to write more about less, then less about more.

2. Focus On The Present: Admissions officers want to know about the person who might be a guest on their campus for the next four years. That's why it is critical that the bulk, if not your entire essay, centers around who you are now. The person you are now is the best approximation of who you will be when you are a freshman on campus. That's who they want to know about. Try to avoid essays about childhood, and if you do include snippets of your childhood, keep it to the minimum amount needed to move the story along.

3. Small Moments Work: Everyday experiences can be powerful if you show why they mattered. One successful essay I saw was about a student who loved working with a particular type of screw while building robots as part of his robotics team. The essay was very vivid, giving the reader a front-row seat into the applicant's mind, providing them with a clear sense of how he would interact in a positive and productive manner with other students on campus, and demonstrating that he was an introspective thinker who would benefit greatly from the academic offerings available.

4. Brainstorm with Variety: Jot down three lists: significant life moments, daily routines/habits, and issues you care about. Look for topics that keep showing up or stories you keep returning to in your mind. Sometimes the story you tell friends ends up being a great essay topic. Remember, you never know how good an essay will be until you write a draft of it first. Drafting multiple essays centered around different topics, even when some of them turn out to be duds, is a healthy part of the writing process and how many successful personal essays are created.

5. Don’t Try to Tell Your Life’s Story: You only have 650 words for your essay. That is an incredibly small number of words. You can't fit your whole life story into it. If you tried, your essay would sound very watered down. Instead, focus on distinguishing yourself by going all in on what you believe is the single quality that people remember most about you whenever they meet you. That’s how you standout. That’s how you win.

6. Your Reasons for Choosing a Major Are a Perfectly Valid Topic: So many students want to write about why they want to major in their chosen field of study in their college applications, but are afraid to because they think it is unoriginal. Nothing could be further from the truth. People who are committed to studying something all have unique reasons for doing so. I've seen many students get into Ivy League schools by simply writing about what they want to major in. Focus on showing vivid, first-person descriptions of the moments in your life that only you have experienced, moments that sparked your interest in that major, and nerd out about it. If you can get the reader excited about a topic in your proposed major, or about what you might do with the knowledge your major will provide, then you'll have a strong essay!

7. Multiple Drafts are Normal: Most people write at least three or four drafts, and some go through seven or more. Your first draft is just to get your ideas out. From there, keep refining so that every sentence has purpose, and the essay always sounds like you spoke it out loud.

8. Don’t Be Afraid of 1000+ Words Drafts: Although your final essay submission must be no more than 650 words, don't abide by that word limit during the draft phase. Completely throw it out the window as you put all of your thoughts and ideas onto the page. This approach increases your chances of discovering your best ideas and ensuring they make it into your final essay. All great 650-word college essays start out as drafts of 1,000 words or more, which are then meticulously trimmed.

9. Peer Review: Remember, everyone has a bias towards their own writing. That's why having friends, family, or a teacher read your drafts is critical. You don't want your natural bias. either for or against your writing, to hinder the impact your essay can have on admissions officers. You want to make sure that points obvious to you, the author, are evident to the reader. They might point out moments where you're not sounding like yourself or where details can be sharpened. But don't let too many voices in, choose a few ideal readers who understand your voice.

In short: dig deep, choose moments that matter to you (not what you think they want), be specific instead of broad, and expect to revise several times. If you can tell a story only you can tell, you’re on the right track.

Good luck! The process is challenging, but it’s worth it in the end when you see your story come together.