College essays (sometimes known as “personal statements”) are used for college and scholarship applications. If you're applying to a competitive program, you'll need to stand out from the crowd. In this post, we discuss the components of a college essay or personal statement and provide strategies and tips for how to write one.
What is a college essay?
A college essay is a written statement that you submit along with your application when you are applying to colleges and scholarship programs. Also known as a personal statement, the college essay typically describes your personal, academic, or professional goals, and convinces the college admissions committee that you’re a good fit for the institution.
Some schools may also ask you to submit an argumentative essay about a set prompt or about a topic of your choice instead of, or along with, a personal statement. Take a look at our guide on how to write an argumentative essay to learn more about this essay type.
What elements make a college essay stand out
There are a few key elements that help to make a college essay stand out:
- a clearly defined approach to the topic
- a well-organized narrative structure
- clear, concise, concrete, and correct language
- a solid indication that you’ve thought deeply about your fit for the school or program
What do schools looks for in college essays and personal statements?
Your college essay needs to communicate clearly who you are and why you want to apply to the chosen school or program. Admissions officers often look for essays that:
- provide an authentic snapshot of your personality and goals
- show insight, self-reflection, and an understanding of how you might fit within the institution
- feature quality writing and communication skills
- clearly state why you want to attend the college or program
How to pick a great essay topic
Sometimes an admissions committee allows you to choose your own topic for your college essay. In these cases, you’ll want to pick a topic that not only fits the program for which you’re applying, but that also showcases your strengths.
The same is true if you're applying for a scholarship. You'll need to show that you have a genuine interest in the program. You can do that by writing about a personal experience or skill that is particularly relevant to the program.
Another great strategy for picking an essay topic is to use your essay to tell a story. If you're writing about a personal experience, then the best way to get your point across is to tell a story that shows what you want to say.
What if the college essay topic is already determined?
In some cases, the college or program that you’re applying to may have already set the prompt for the college essay or personal statement. If so, it will be especially important to write directly to the prompt or questions.
You can use the prompt to guide the organization of your essay. To ensure that you’ve fully answered the questions, have someone read over your essay before you submit it.
If the prompt asks you to make a researched argument about a specific topic, make sure you include time in your process for research and citation creation. You can save time by using a citation generator like BibGuru to create any citations that are needed.
How to write a college essay
A college essay or personal statement follows a basic structure:
- Introduction: Your introduction should include the following information: who you are, what you're applying for, and why you're applying.
- Body: Next, you'll need to talk about your personal background and explain why it's relevant to the program you're applying to. You can approach this in a variety of ways. For instance, is there a unique experience in your life about which you can share your perspective? This is your chance to stand out from the crowd.
- Conclusion: Finally, you need to conclude with a statement about what you want to do next. This could include your future goals or a description of how you plan to achieve those goals. This final section should tie your story back to your reason for applying.
Steps for writing a college essay
In this section, we break down college essay writing into a few key steps.
Step 1: Prepare to write your essay
Before you begin writing, take some time to consider:
Who will be reading your essay?
You'll need to make sure that your essay is appropriate for your audience. This means understanding who will be reading your essay and what they will be looking for. Every admissions committee is different, so you'll want to make sure you know who you're writing for before you put pen to paper.
What are you writing about?
Think deeply about how you would answer the prompt, if one is given. If you have the opportunity to choose the content, consider how you want to frame your essay. Be sure to think about why you want to attend the school or program. You'll need to be able to explain how your background and experience makes you a good candidate.
How can you make your essay interesting?
You’ll want to make sure that your essay is interesting, but it's also important to be respectful of the reader's time. Use clear, concise, and correct language to make your points or tell your story. If there is a length requirement for the piece, be sure that you stick to it.
Step 2: Outline your essay
Once you've decided on a topic, it's time to make a plan. You'll want to start planning your essay early so that there is plenty of time to refine your ideas.Here are some things to keep in mind when you're planning your essay:
Figure out what your main point is
The most important thing to remember is that your essay should always have a main point. This means that you'll need to pick one idea and focus on it throughout the essay.
Create an outline
Once you’ve decided on the main points of your college essay, arrange those insights into an outline. This will help you stay organized as you write.
Put dedicated time on your calendar to write
Plan out times when you can write without being interrupted. The best strategy is to start as early as possible so that you can go through multiple drafts. It’s also wise to arrange for one or more people to read over your essay before you submit it.
Step 3: Write your essay
Once you’ve completed your outline, you can start writing your college essay or personal statement. Here are some tips and options for writing a compelling essay:
Consider starting your introduction with a hook.
Admissions committees read a lot of personal statements. With this in mind, consider beginning your essay with an interesting hook. This could be a short anecdote or provocative statement that captures the reader’s attention.
Show your thoughtfulness and authenticity.
Your college essay may be the only opportunity that you have to show off your unique personality and strengths. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions—showing vulnerability is a signal that you are a thoughtful individual who is open to growth. Committees especially want to see that you are self-reflective.
Come full circle in your conclusion.
Use your conclusion to circle back to some of the traits and experiences that you mentioned earlier in your essay. Reiterate some of your main points and connect those to why you want to attend the specific school or program.
Get feedback and revise.
Although the actual writing of the essay may not take very long, you should plan to produce multiple drafts and to seek feedback from individuals who can properly advise you on what to include, like school counselors or teachers.
Pay close attention to the word count or page limit.
Many schools set a word count or page limit for college essays and personal statements. If the program that you’re applying to doesn’t have a limit, you’ll want your essay to be around 500-700 words. Either way, you should keep your essay concise, while at the same time fully explaining your main points.
Frequently Asked Questions about how to write a college essay
🥇 How should you begin to write a college essay?
Before you start writing, arrange your main points in an outline. Then, start writing by explaining who you are, why you are applying, and what you want to achieve.
💬 What should you not do in a college essay?
Avoid simply listing your accomplishments and achievements. Instead, narrate key experiences and provide thoughtful commentary about why your experiences makes you a good fit.
🤼 How long does it take to write a college essay?
Although the actual writing of the essay may not take very long, you should plan to produce multiple drafts and to seek feedback from individuals who can properly advise you on what to include, like school counselors or teachers.
🍒 What do colleges want to see in an essay?
Admissions officers often look for essays that:
- provide an authentic snapshot of your personality and goals
- show insight, self-reflection, and an understanding of how you might fit within the institution
- feature quality writing and communication skills
- clearly state why you want to attend the college or program
🤔 How long should a college essay be?
Many schools set a word count or page limit for college essays and personal statements. If the program that you’re applying to doesn’t have a limit, you’ll want your essay to be around 500-700 words.
