The college application process is daunting, and the essay can seem impossible. However, with careful planning and the right approach, you can write an essay that is impressive to read and highlights your best qualities. We’ve prepared some creative tips to cope with college essay assignments and solve the classic “write my college essay for me” problems.
1. Know Your Audience
Before you start writing, you must consider who your essay will be read to. Are you writing for a specific school or program? Is there a particular person or type of person you’re trying to impress? Keep your audience in mind throughout writing to ensure your essay is tailored to them.
2. Choose a Topic That’s Right for You
Your college essay should be about you, so choosing a topic that is meaningful to you and speaks to your unique experiences is essential. Think about what you want to share with your reader and what you want them to take away from your essay.
3. Start Early and Give Yourself Time to Revise
Since college essays can be daunting, starting early and giving yourself plenty of time to revise is essential. By starting early, you’ll have time to brainstorm different ideas, experiment with different approaches, and get feedback from others. And most importantly, you’ll avoid the stress of writing the perfect essay at the last minute.
4. Be Yourself
Your college essay is an opportunity to show your personality and individuality, so don’t hold back. Be genuine in your writing and allow your unique voice to come through. This is not the time to be modest or shy, and you should let your readers see the real you.
5. Edit, Edit, Edit
Once you’ve completed your first draft, reviewing and revising your work is essential. Edit for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors, and be sure to add, delete, or rearrange any sentences or paragraphs that don’t seem to flow well. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend or teacher—a fresh set of eyes can often spot errors you’ve missed.
6. Start with an Outline
An outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and structure your essay. Before you start writing, create an essential strategy for a few minutes. Your outline doesn’t have to be formal: just a few bullet points will help you organize your thoughts. Once you have your design, you can start filling in the details.
7. Be Specific
When writing your essay, it’s essential to be specific and concrete in your examples. Demonstrate what you’ve learned and accomplished by using precise, concrete details. Such a demonstration will make your essay more impressive and convincing to your reader.
8. Avoid Clichés
Clichés are overused and often trite phrases that don’t add anything to your essay. Not only are they unoriginal, but they can also make you sound like you’re trying too hard. Instead of using a cliché, try to be more specific and unique in your language.
9. Proofread Your Work
Before submitting your essay, you must proofread your work and check for any mistakes. Even a tiny error can reflect poorly on you and your writing, so it’s worth taking the time to double-check your work.
10. Compose Essay Structure
- Introduction: The introduction should start with a hook that gets the reader’s attention and briefly introduce the main points of your essay.
- Body: The body paragraphs should support the main points of your essay with specific and concrete examples.
- Conclusion: The conclusion should restate the main points of your essay and leave the reader with a strong final impression.
11. Use Academic Language
Using language appropriate for an academic setting is essential when writing your essay. Avoid using slang or jargon, and use formal language throughout your essay. The literary language will show that you take the task seriously and are competent in academic writing.
12. Use Writing Apps
To improve your writing skills, you can use online writing apps. These apps can help you develop your writing style and structure your thoughts. Some popular writing apps include ProWritingAid, Wordcounter, and Grammarly.
ProWritingAid is an online writing app that helps you write better. It detects grammar and spelling mistakes and style issues such as passive voice, excessive adverbs, and more. The app then gives you suggestions on how to improve your writing.
Wordcounter is a free tool that can help determine if you are using too many words. It breaks down the number of words in your document by common categories like articles, nouns, and verbs. Wordcounter allows you to quickly see any areas where you could improve the quality of your content by reducing the number of words you use.
The Grammarly extension for Chrome and Firefox scans everything from social media posts to homework assignments for standard grammar and spelling errors, ensuring everything looks perfect before posting or submitting. The service syncs directly with Microsoft Office Online, so it’s easy to ensure that your documents look their best without downloading any additional software or apps.
13. Listen to Music to Concentrate
While some people prefer to listen to music while they work, others find it distracting. If you find that music helps you focus, you can do a few things to ensure that it doesn’t become a distraction.
- First, choose music that is conducive to concentration. This means avoiding music with lyrics and anything that is too upbeat or fast-paced.
- Second, use headphones to control how much of the music you hear. You can turn the volume down if it becomes too distracting.
- Finally, don’t forget to take breaks. Listening to music can help you focus, but it’s essential to give yourself a break every once in a while.
14. Understand the Prompt
When you’re given a writing prompt, it’s essential to understand what it’s asking before you start writing. The prompt will provide you with a general topic, but it’s up to you to narrow it down and develop a thesis. You’ll need to brainstorm ideas and research. Once you understand the prompt better, you can create a plan for your essay.
Blog received from Michael Fowler
