How To Make Your Essay Stand out During the College Application Season

The college essay can feel like a major hurdle for many young applicants. While writing a strong, impactful essay is an important part of a holistic application, Ronda Arking, senior director of language arts programs at Sylvan Learning, says it doesn’t have to be scary.

“The most important thing that students need to know about the essay is that it really is an opportunity, not a burden,” she said. “This is a way for you to show that you’re more than just your GPA and some test scores. It’s a way to show who you are as a human being, which is what colleges want. They want a diverse group of people who are going to offer different perspectives and bring different life experiences. That’s what allows everyone to really learn from each other.”

Be Authentic and Remember the Purpose of the Essay

Arking says that one of the most important things to remember when working on a college essay is that it is one part of a larger application. The essay really is the time to tell a personal story or write about something that you’re truly passionate about, not another space to focus solely on reinforcing academic strengths.

“The number one ‘do’ that I would recommend is to be really authentic to who you are, really passionate about what you’re writing about and really honest,” Arking said. “Do not use language that you wouldn’t ordinarily, and don’t think, ‘Well, what will impress other people the most about me?’ You have a whole resume that you’re attaching, so you don’t want to just list your accomplishments here. You want to be able to share a very specific event, story or experience that enabled you to reflect or change as a person.”

Starting to think about and work on the essay early on allows you enough time to hone in on a chosen topic and ensure that you have the vivid details necessary to express yourself and fully answer the question at hand.

Think Beyond Cliche College Essay Topics

An easy, go-to topic for college essays is a time when a student has overcome adversity. While this can be an important part of an application, students who do not feel they have overcome any major obstacles are not at a disadvantage, and those who have are not confined to just this topic.

Arking said some common college essay prompts include:

• Reflecting and discussing a moment or experience that led to a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you. 
• Describing an engaging or exciting topic: Share a subject or activity that captivates you and why it holds your interest.
• Exploring your background, identity, or interests: Provide insights into a key aspect of your background, identity, or passions that is essential for presenting a full picture of who you are.
• Reflecting on a challenge to your beliefs: Describe a time when your beliefs were questioned or tested and the impact it had on you.

“You don’t have to share a majorly traumatic event. Your essay can be about the most mundane thing, but if it demonstrates that you’re a person who learns from life, it’s telling a very valuable story,” she said. 

Ask For Help, but Stay True to Yourself

Once you’ve identified the topic of your essay, it can be helpful to talk with friends, family and teachers about the topic and initial drafts. Having someone else read the essay can help you identify spaces where you might need more detail or have an opportunity to insert a valuable tidbit.

“You do not want to do this all on your own because sometimes what makes sense to you doesn’t come through in writing. The more people who read it and share what questions they still have, the better feedback you’ll have,” Arking said. “Whenever you ask for feedback, make it very clear that you want questions and comments. You don’t want a parent or teacher to rewrite your essay — you want feedback that you can take and integrate into the essay in your own way.”

When writing and revising your essay, one of Arking’s final takeaways is to remember that even things that seem ordinary to you may be very interesting to a reader.

“It can be hard to think of yourself as interesting because your activities and passions might feel like something you ‘just do.’ It’s important to remember that even if it feels normal and average to you, it might be really meaningful for somebody else to see those things about you,” she said. “Look at your activities and accomplishments as if you’re looking at a friend’s list. Try to look at yourself from a bird’s eye view, and recognize the truly interesting traits, experiences and perspectives you have.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sylvanlearning.