Caleb S.
Caleb S.

Learn How to Write a Perfect College Application Essay

10 min read

Published on: Oct 13, 2020

Last updated on: Apr 19, 2023

College Application Essay

On This Page On This Page

When you are applying for colleges, the essay is one of those things that are a part of your admission process. Therefore, a college application essay is a supplemental thing you will submit when applying for higher education.

It's important to have the right skills to write this particular piece because it represents who you are, your values, and your beliefs. All these things can make or break an impression on admissions officers.

The college application essay has become a crucial component in getting into selective universities. With more students than ever before applying and colleges placing less emphasis on standardized test scores, it’s an essential part of your file that can make all the difference when you're trying to gain admission.

Therefore, if you want to know more about it, continue reading this blog and get complete information.

What is a College Application Essay?

A college application essay is an opportunity for an applicant to show off their personality and what makes them unique. It is a chance to show yourself other than your grades and test scores.

The main purpose of writing a college app essay is:

  • To showcase your personality
  • To let the admission officers know your abilities
  • A great chance to shine among other applicants
  • An opportunity to include information that admission officers don't find in your application

Moreover, a common app essay not only decides whether or not you are passionate enough but is also an indicator of how good your writing skills are.

Order Now

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job

How Long Should a College Application Essay be?

College app essays have a certain word limit, and you need to write your essay in that specific length. However, the acceptable length is 250-650 words. It also varies and depends on the admission officer’s requirements.

Therefore, read their instructions carefully before starting writing your application essay.

College Application Essay Questions

These are some great questions to ask your colleges during the application process. These will give you a good idea of what types of prompts might be required by admission officers, so it's important to pay attention to them before starting writing.

  • What are your accomplishments?
  • What challenges and failures do you face in your life?
  • What are your skills and abilities?
  • Why did you get admission to this college?
  • What are your interests?

College Application Essay Format

A college application essay format is a set of guidelines to organize and structure your ideas. Without a proper format, you will never create a great essay. However, a common application essay is an entirely new type of writing for some high school students.

For that reason, many students struggle with formatting and essay structure - should they use double-space or single space? What kind of narrative style is best suited to writing about a topic? Is writing the essay in question/answer format? Many other questions like this are arising in their mind.

Therefore, for your help, here is a format that you can use to format your college application essay.

Introduction

  • Introduce yourself
  • Establish a connection between you and the reader
  • Provide some background information

Main Body Paragraphs

  • Uncover your main topic
  • Discuss your personal experience, goals, beliefs, and challenges

Conclusion

  • Wrap up the entire essay
  • Restate the thesis statement

How to Start a College Application Essay?

In order to make your college application essay stand out, you must pay attention from the start. Therefore, for your help, we compiled some steps you should follow when you start writing an essay.

  • Decide the Essay Type

Deciding the type is essential to present yourself in front of the admission officers. There are three main ways in which the college application essay is written.

  • The ‘You’ Essay: Present yourself as a well-rounded person in front of the admission officers. According to this, you are encouraged to reveal interesting facts about your personality and life that will make an impression on them.
  • The ‘Why Us’ Essay: Describe your main goals and why you join this specific college or institute.
  • The Creative Essay: This type is a way to show off your creative abilities and thinking skills. The committee will be impressed by how well you can express yourself in writing.
  • Understand your Topic

When you are writing an essay, it is important to understand the prompt. Without understanding it, you will never create a well-written essay. Additionally, try to choose a unique college application essay title.

  • Brainstorming

Once you understand your college application essay prompt, it will be easier to write. Spend time thinking about all the experiences that have shaped who you are.

Also, don't forget this is an opportunity to prove yourself, so try to memorize all your life achievements and choose the one that matches your essay prompt.

  • Create a College Application Essay Outline

The essay outline is a great way to make sure you include all of your main points and arguments. Start by noting the most important information in this section to avoid getting lost during writing.

How to Write a College Application Essay?

Writing a great college application essay can be tough, but certain steps will make the application process easier. These include:

1. Write the Introduction

The introduction is the most important part of any college application essay. It should be intriguing enough for a committee member to read more about you, so it's best if this section has some interesting details.

Start the essay introduction with an attention-grabbing hook statement to engage the readers. It can be a question, a confession, or a controversial statement.

When you're writing, it's important to use language that reflects who you are and what makes you unique. Show the reader your personality through stories or insights on life in general; tell them something interesting about yourself.

2. Write the Main Body Paragraphs

The essay’s main body paragraphs provide explanations and cover everything in detail. In addition, each paragraph starts with a topic sentence and explains what each section is about. Also, use simple language in the essay and avoid ‘I’ and ‘Me”.

3. Write the Conclusion

The essay conclusion does not need to write a summary of the entire essay. However, you will need to conclude it properly.

Also, keep in mind that do not add new information in this section. Also, it should be brief and to the point.

4. Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading is the final step in writing an essay. Make sure to proofread your work for any mistakes before you submit it, as this will ensure that no written words can be taken back or changed after submitting them.

How to End a College Application Essay?

When you end your college app essay, ensure you have included all the elements by checking off this list before submitting it.

  • Does your essay meet all the admission officer’s requirements?
  • Do the details support your main topic?
  • Have you used the correct college application essay format?
  • Is your essay free from all errors?
  • Is your essay free from irrelevant details?
  • Have you used the correct sentence structure?

In order to end a successful college application essay, remember these elements.

College Application Essay Examples

The college application essay is a crucial component of your academic career and often the most challenging part. However, it's also an opportunity for students to show off their creative side while telling why they want to attend this specific school or college.

The following is an example of a good college essay topic, take a look at them and know about it:

I was one of the first students in Texas to be part of this new four-year high school plan. We had seven hours worth every day, but it became eight with these extra courses added on top! My senior year should have been smooth sailing towards graduation - instead, I found myself faced with making some tough decisions about what classes would count toward my final goals.

The course selection process was not an easy one. The only option available at my school meant I had no choice but to take biology II, which happened to be about dissecting cats! It wasn't until later when looking up information on how they're executed that made me feel even worse.

When I got the news that my high school didn't offer any other courses to prepare me for college, it took everything in me not only to apply but also to succeed.

I refused to just let this opportunity! After drafting two letters discussing how unhappy we were about their lack of options and preparing myself academically- if necessary -I sat down at home with ready-made emails which would convince teachers on both sides why adding another student might make sense.

I told them how the sudden introduction of the 4x4 plan felt like a punishment to me and other students. I care about all living creatures and am concerned about the use of carbon monoxide euthanasia in Texas shelters.

When I was a senior in high school, I had to take a class in anatomy. There were a lot of people in the class, but I was unique because I wanted to become a music major. The other students were interested in fields like nursing and physical therapy.

Even though I was different, I still had something important to say. Three adults who had authority listened to me and changed something about the class based on what I said. They decided that, instead of having live cats in the classroom for dissection labs, they would use virtual dissection labs instead.

We also compiled some great examples and samples that will help in your college application essay writing phase.

College Application Essay Topics

Below are some great essay topics that will help in your topic-selection phase

  • Tell me about your passion that is important for you.
  • What are the lessons that you take from obstacles?
  • Discuss your background, goals, and achievements.
  • Tell us about your belief system.
  • Describe your unique qualities.
  • What are you most proud of?
  • Discuss the most important challenge that you faced in life.
  • What is the hardest part of fulfilling your academic dreams?
  • Discuss the personal goals that you have set for yourself.
  • How do you deal with hardship?

College Application Essay Tips

Ready to write your great essay? Here are some helpful tips that can help you get it done in a short amount of time.

  • Understand the admission officers’ requirements.
  • Address the prompt carefully.
  • Remove all the grammatical errors.
  • Start with an engaging introduction.
  • Never forget to create an outline.
  • Do not funnily describe yourself.
  • Get help from your English teacher.
  • Follow the proper format.

Order Now

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Things to Avoid in Your College Application Essay

College essays can be hard to write, but there are some common mistakes that applicants make. Make sure your essay focuses on the right things in order for it to stand out among other colleges' applications.

Below are some mistakes that you should avoid in your essay.

  • Do not discuss your test scores, grades, and academic achievements.
  • Do not highlight your life problems and privileges.
  • Avoid using cliches and trite quotations.
  • Avoid writing about any criminal record.
  • Do not funnily describe yourself.
  • Avoid any punctuation and vocabulary mistakes.

Now, you get complete information about the college admission essay. So, it’s time to write your own without any mistakes

However, if you still need any help with essay writing, hire an expert essay writer from EssayWritingService.college. All our writers have years of experience in writing different types of essayspersonal statements, thesis, and any other type of academic assignment.

So, contact us now and get the best essay writing service at an affordable price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you not do in a college application essay?

Here are some things that you should avoid in a college application essay.

  • Never write fake details about yourself.
  • Never write about your failures in detail.
  • Never start the essay with a dull sentence.
  • Never write about the negative aspects of your previous school or college.

Can the college essay be more than 650 words?

The college essay can be more than 650 words. However, it depends on your topic and requirements

Caleb S.

WRITTEN BY

Caleb S., Literature, Marketing

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Keep reading

Your first order with us is FREE!

Can’t Write It?

Learn More