What Should a College Essay Include?

The thought of applying for admission into college can be exciting, but don't expect the process to be too easy. There'll be application forms to fill out, tests to take, and an application essay or three to write. An ideal college application essay should impress your university's admission officers and show them that you're ready for college life, which is no small task. 

College application essays are usually short, around 500 words. But these very important 500 words can be the difference whether you'll be accepted into a college or not. Therefore it's always important to give it your best shot. Remember that admission officers will not spend too much time on your essay if it doesn't captivate them from the start. So you have to make a great impression. 

Don't know what to include in your application for college admission? The following college essay tips will give you an idea of where to start and what to include in your college application essays. 

College application essays help you sell yourself as an intellectual asset to college admission officers. So you should ensure you're doing that. It's an opportunity for you to talk about your achievements, goals, passions, values, personality, and character. We know that topics may vary from school to school, but you should still find a way to tell readers about yourself. For instance, if you've been asked to write about an influential person, the college wants to know the person's influence on you. Write about their good qualities that have rubbed off on you and how you intend to develop such characters. Whatever the topic, make sure you shine through. 

A college application essay is also an opportunity to show off your storytelling skills. Creatively demonstrate your outstanding qualities. If you encounter any difficulties during the application process, don't obsess over the struggle itself. Instead, take the time to reflect on how you overcame the challenges and what it helped you learn. Visit our blog to learn how you can leverage your storytelling skills to write an excellent college essay. If you book a consultation with one of our team members, we also offer other college essay recommendations and tips to help you excel. 

We understand the urgeto be as creative as possible. But that shouldn't take away the originality and authenticity of your essay. College admission officers are trained to vet applicants, so they know when you're lying and not speaking from your heart. Obviously, choosing something you've experienced will also help you find the specific and vivid details you'll need in your essay. Be as real as you can, and don't exaggerate facts in your bid to impress admission officers. 

One of the best ways to capture an admission officer's attention is by making your essay slightly humorous. But it's also an easy way to turn them off if you aren’t sensitive to the audience. What you think is funny may not be funny to an adult working in a college. So, we typically recommend being mindful about the jokes you crack to avoid getting in the bad books of any admission officer. 

Writing an essay is difficult, especially when you need to meet a specific word count. You can get tempted to repeat information in the same document, or write something you've already written about in another application. We recommend cross-checking your essay before submission to ensure it doesn't contradict any other part of your application or repeat it to avoid the impression that you tried to cut corners.

College admission officers also want to know why you're choosing the program you're choosing and how you think it can benefit you. Your college application essay is the best place to talk about these things. Do it well, and you may earn a spot on the admission list. First, you’ll have to do your research on the school and identify what draws you to the school. These concrete details are key.

What's the bottom line? The college admission process is not an easy one. There are so many hurdles to jump and steep competition to beat. A detailed college application essay will give you a competitive advantage during the selection phase. But what should you include in a good application essay? The tips in this college essay guide will help you deliver a top-notch essay for college applications. You can also visit our counseling page to learn more about how to apply for college.