Outstanding SAT & ACT scores are simply one step towards admission to your dream school. Craft an application essay that takes you all the way by applying our 7 Steps to an Amazing College Essay. Step 2 is to WRITE AS YOURSELF:
Too many applicants write their essays the way they think they should, not the way they actually write. Adopting a formal or unfamiliar style is a MISTAKE.
Obviously, your tone should be appropriate to this somewhat formal task, as opposed to the style you might adopt when texting or talking to your friends. At the same time, make sure your distinct style shines through. Be yourself, but remember your setting.
- Be genuine: write in your own voice.
- Be honest. Don’t lie or embellish the truth. In your essay as in all other things, honesty is the best policy!
- Be cautious in your efforts to be funny. Humor, especially in writing, can easily backfire.
- Once you’ve completed your essay, read it aloud. Does this essay truly sound like you?
After reading thousands of essays, any admissions professional can separate the authentic from the affected. Your essay should not just be about you, but actually sound like you.
[If you think you’ve read this before, maybe you have. We share our 7 Steps to an Amazing College Essay every summer to support all of the hard working high schoolers striving towards their most successful college applications!]
Mike Bergin