College Essay Tips

BY DANIELLE ONAFRAYCHUK

The dreaded time has finally arrived: college essays, a test of how well you can construct your best sob story and plead colleges to be your new home for the next four years. If there`s one lesson to take from high school and apply towards college essays it is don’t procrastinate! But how does one actually write a quality, college-accepting essay?

• Read the essay prompt several times. Most colleges tend to have different topics and it`s essential to get a clear idea of what they are asking you to write about so you don`t ramble on about something completely irrelevant.
• Peer Edit. Although you may have believed you wrote an award-winning essay, it would be helpful to have an English teacher, adult, or parent read over your essay. It`s always beneficial to have a second set of eyes check for grammatical errors. A fresh mind may also be able to create new ideas or provide you with a different angle. Constructive criticism is always encouraged.
• Allow yourself time to write. Before you know it, applications will be due and you`ll be left with a small time frame to both write and edit a paper that can determine if you get accepted into a university. So even though your mom won`t stop nagging you to “do your essays!” every day, know that it`s probably wise to listen to what she`s saying. You sure wouldn`t want to get rejected because you didn`t take your time to write a top-notch essay.
• Do your research and take the time to write. Maybe you aren’t the type of student to “suck up” to the teacher, but that might come in handy when applying to college. Look up what their ideals and morals are and find out what admission officers look for in a student then use this to your advantage. Now is the time to boast about any skill you`ve been holding in for the last twelve years.  At this point you`ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so give it all you`ve got.
• Check before you submit. It`s common to complete your essay and be ready to submit your application, but be patient. Re-read everything and make sure all the information is accurate and your essay is exactly how you want the admission officers to view it. Most importantly if you re-use an essay and apply it to a different college make sure you change the university name to match with the one you are applying to. There couldn`t be a simpler way to ruin your chances of getting accepted.

College essays will be strenuous, stressful, and quite frankly terrible, but all of it will be worth it in the end. So keep your heads up, seniors, and may the acceptances be ever in your favor!