College application essays isn’t a new topic. An Amazon search shows 7,000 books and articles claiming to have the key to writing the short and long college application essays.  I don’t propose a new approach here, only some reflective thoughts I hope are insightful. Every student I work with reminds me of the two fundamental truths about the college application essays. First, they are not 5 paragraph persuasive essays–an essay format every US student is well trained in. Second, they force students to share deep self-reflections in a creative (albeit narrative) format–not something students typically have much practice with. As admission to college grows exponentially more competitive, students and families look desperately for ways to stand out. The essay is it. It can play an integral role in helping students stand out in a crowded field of other excellent candidates.

The First Truth About College Application Essays

As I mention above, there are two fundamental truths about the college application essays. First, they are not 5 paragraph persuasive essays, the cornerstone of writing curriculum in the U.S. While this is a good start in teaching students how to write, it is, unfortunately, ill preparation to write a response to the prompts asked in college applications. It is one of the many disconnects between high school and college. By the time a student’s college admission journey begins, it’s almost as if someone flips a light switch, expecting students to turn off everything they know, while turning on a new writing approach they have little to no experience in.

The Second Truth About College Application Essays

College application essays are both creative and reflective, requiring students to dig deep into the depths of their self. They are pushed to find an anecdote offering a glimpse into what defines them. Students have to write for an audience they know little about. Truthfully, this would be hard for professionals let alone adolescents. Certainly, there is the rare student who effortlessly composes an essay so moving that they are often used as public examples on admission websites. Though, as I note, they are an exception, not the rule. American filmmaker Barry Jenkins states, “As a writer, a blank page will humble the hell out of you. It always does, and it always will.” This is certainly true with the college application essay, its humbling nature only intensified as students are thrust into being vulnerable for complete strangers who are deciding their future.

How To Start Writing The College Application Essays

Logically the next question to consider is: how should students deal with the two realities of college application essays? As I stated at the beginning there are a lot of books and articles which outline strategies, provide worksheets, and so on.  What I think you will find in reviewing the various how-to books and articles is the experience boils down to something very simple: brainstorm, pre-write, draft writing, and editing. Again, this isn’t ground breaking stuff, though it is extremely important to highlight.

Brainstorm & Pre-Writing

Brainstorming and pre-writing come in different forms, but the end goal is to get thoughts on the page. A critically important part of this stage is ensuring the thoughts and ideas work towards answering the prompt. Failure to answer the prompt is by far the most frequent mistake and the biggest cardinal sin. This stage is an opportunity for the student to explore themself by identifying the pieces of their identity they feel are important for the admission committee to know. Stated another way, what is something the admission officers do not learn about the applicant from their transcript, letters of recommendation, test scores, and extracurricular resume.

Drafting College Application Essays

Once students have ideas down on paper, they can then organize them into a cohesive story. This is the draft writing stage. Again, there are lots of ways to go about this process–my favorite is to use bullet points. Students should focus on organizing their thoughts into a story. This takes time and care. I often encourage students to look at their favorite authors for examples of good story telling. Yes, the college application essays need a beginning, middle, and end. More importantly, they need to take a reader to, through, and beyond.

Editing College Application Essays

The final stage is editing. This is an opportunity for the student to get advice on how to hone their story. This could mean moving sentences or paragraphs around, asking more questions that could help tease the writing out, considering word choices, fixing/adjusting grammar, or making the story flow smoothly. There is such a thing as “too many cooks in the kitchen.” I think asking a diverse array of people for feedback is good. Asking them all at the same time is counter productive. So after a student has picked who they want to get feedback from, I often ask them to come up with a strategic plan of who they will ask first, second, third, etc.

College Application Essays Is Hard, Not Impossible

Without a doubt college application essays are a challenging component of the college admission journey. It is an opportunity for students to express themselves and tell the admission officers something new about who they are. Many students have great grades, challenging classes, and solid test scores. That said, no one student’s lived experience is exactly the same. Each of us experience the world in a slightly different way, and this is an opportunity for a student to share that with admission officers. It is their unique path through life which helps a student stand out in a crowded pool of other great students.

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