3 Ways To Get Help Writing Your Best College Application Essay

You're working o your college admission application and you know you need a GREAT essay but essays aren't exactly your thing so you need help!  Where should you turn?

 

1.     Ask a teacher

Many times, students want to ask their teacher to review their ideas.  This is a natural choice.  However, the fact is, everyone asks the teacher.  Does he or she have time to read your essay before the due date?  How many might be in front of yours?  Does this teacher have a life outside of school?  You may have to wait too long to be considered for early decision.  This matters because once a school offers early decision to students, any students who submit their application later have to wait and see if anyone declines their admission before being accepted.

 

2.    Ask a friend/parent

This is also a natural choice.  If you have a friend or parent that is especially good at writing, this would be a great choice!  However, many times our friends and parents tell us what we want to hear – that the essay is good and has many great ideas.  This may or may not be true.  Have you read this post about what makes a good essay?  Do your friends/parents know these things?

 

3.    Ask me!

The best way to get expert help is by getting a tutor.  Not just any tutor but one with experience writing college application essays.  I have been working with students for 28 years and most recently have seen my last several students accepted into their first-choice colleges.  This was not solely based on the essay, but I'm certain it was the deciding factor.  

Now you can get my help too!  You can either purchase the workbook below for a more self-directed approach or you can book a virtual session with me and I will ensure you have a top-quality essay written by the end of the session.

Book an appointment for either individual or group tutoring by clicking here. 

The Importance of the College Admissions Essay

 

Not too long ago, my school invited the Dean of Admissions from a prominent school in our area, Rollins College, to talk to our faculty about what it takes to be accepted into today’s top colleges.  He explained that a student’s application is like a balance scale.  Everyone has good grades, activities, and SAT scores or they don’t bother to apply.  (And if they did apply with poor grades or SAT scores, then they would be automatically cut from the pool of candidates.)  So all of the scores go on one side of the scale.  On the other side of the scale is what makes the difference:  the essay.

He said that they consider the essay as the deciding factor as to whether to offer a student admission or not.  I found this fascinating and decided to put this to the test.  I contacted several other universities like the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, and even Florida State University and learned the same thing.  The essay is the deciding factor.

 

Why is the college application essay so important?

The simple answer is that it gives the university a snapshot of who you are as a person.  They want to know more about each person’s character.  They want to know if the student would be a good fit for the university.  Take the two essays that the Dean of Rollins gave as an example from our own school:

 

One student wrote about her travels and how she learned to be self-reliant.  It was well structured and it was clear that this student had some challenging experiences but all within a protected environment.

The other student told about her life growing up in the family business of running carnivals.  Her story gave insights into the hard work and different kinds of people with whom she interacted.  Her story was mesmerizing because it was deeply personal and made the reader naturally reflect.

The bottom line:  The carnival essay was deep and the other was shallow.  How can one compare traveling to living the carnie life?  So, it seems obvious to say that the carnie student was granted admission while the other was not. 

 

Want to more about how to write a college application story?  

Read this post or check out this workbook that guides you through the process of writing your best essay!

You can also book an appointment for either individual or group essay writing tutoring by clicking here.

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Pass the FCTE Essay Exam

 

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