How many body paragraphs should I include in my college essay?
I've been drafting my personal statement for the Common App and I'm struggling a bit with structure. I know standard essays usually have three body paragraphs, but does that apply to college essays too?
Is it okay if my essay only has two body paragraphs if both of them are substantial, or should I try to split up my ideas more? I don't want it to seem like I'm missing something or that my essay isn't organized well enough for admissions readers. For context, I'm writing about a family trip and how it shaped my outlook, and my draft right now is mostly split into two main sections. Curious to hear what others have done!
Is it okay if my essay only has two body paragraphs if both of them are substantial, or should I try to split up my ideas more? I don't want it to seem like I'm missing something or that my essay isn't organized well enough for admissions readers. For context, I'm writing about a family trip and how it shaped my outlook, and my draft right now is mostly split into two main sections. Curious to hear what others have done!
4 months ago
•
33 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
The number of body paragraphs in a college essay isn't set in stone, and you actually have a lot more flexibility with personal statements than with traditional academic essays. Admissions officers care more about the clarity, flow, and impact of your story than whether you have a certain number of paragraphs.
It is definitely okay to have two body paragraphs, especially if they are both substantial and each serves a clear purpose in your narrative. The key is to make sure each section is distinct and pushes your story forward. For example, with your family trip essay, maybe one body section captures the build-up and your initial impressions, while the other dives into a pivotal moment or realization and its impact on your perspective. That kind of split can feel very organic and intentional.
A lot of strong personal statements use two body sections because the story naturally unfolds in two main acts—before and after a big insight, or two contrasting experiences. For example, an applicant who wrote about hiking in the mountains with their grandmother split their essay into two: the climb up, filled with conversation and anticipation, and the hike down, where a meaningful moment changed how they saw their family.
As long as your essay feels complete and your ideas are developed, you don’t need to worry about hitting a specific paragraph count. However, watch that your paragraphs aren’t too long—huge blocks of text can be difficult to read. If you feel that one paragraph is getting too unwieldy, you can break it into two even within the same 'section'.
Lastly, make sure your transitions are clear and your overall structure makes it easy for readers to follow your journey. Sometimes, adding a brief intro and conclusion paragraph, with two solid 'body' sections in between, works really well.
Trust your story, and organize it in the way that fits your experience best—quality of content matters far more than following a rigid formula.
It is definitely okay to have two body paragraphs, especially if they are both substantial and each serves a clear purpose in your narrative. The key is to make sure each section is distinct and pushes your story forward. For example, with your family trip essay, maybe one body section captures the build-up and your initial impressions, while the other dives into a pivotal moment or realization and its impact on your perspective. That kind of split can feel very organic and intentional.
A lot of strong personal statements use two body sections because the story naturally unfolds in two main acts—before and after a big insight, or two contrasting experiences. For example, an applicant who wrote about hiking in the mountains with their grandmother split their essay into two: the climb up, filled with conversation and anticipation, and the hike down, where a meaningful moment changed how they saw their family.
As long as your essay feels complete and your ideas are developed, you don’t need to worry about hitting a specific paragraph count. However, watch that your paragraphs aren’t too long—huge blocks of text can be difficult to read. If you feel that one paragraph is getting too unwieldy, you can break it into two even within the same 'section'.
Lastly, make sure your transitions are clear and your overall structure makes it easy for readers to follow your journey. Sometimes, adding a brief intro and conclusion paragraph, with two solid 'body' sections in between, works really well.
Trust your story, and organize it in the way that fits your experience best—quality of content matters far more than following a rigid formula.
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Camille Luong
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