Best College Essay

College entrance essays are critical to the overall college admissions process.   Most colleges will require an essay as part of their application.  I know that this can sometimes be an intimidating process for high school students.  In this post, I’ll be giving you some pointers on how to write the best college essay of all time!

Point #1 – The essay is your chance to display your personality to the admissions committee, so it should be personalized.  This is your time to tell the admissions committee something else great about you that either they didn’t ask in the other parts of the application or something that you think just deserves a little bit more attention.  Don't be afraid to "toot your own horn".

Point #2 – There is no “correct” answer, so stop trying to make the essay questions so complicated.  The point of college entrance essays are to get you to think about your life experiences thus far.  The admissions officers want to learn more about you as an individual and how you’ve developed into the person you are today.

Point #3 – They’re paying attention to your writing style.  The college admissions committee is using your essay as a demonstration of your writing ability.  It's essentially a writing sample.  Being able to write a solid essay is critical to your success in college.  Be sure to check your grammar and punctuation.  In fact, you should proofread your essay several times before you submit it and have others read it too!

Follow these pointers and you too can have the best college essay!

Colleges That Change Lives

Don’t rush the college application process.  Why?  Because you'll never be able to put colleges that changes lives on your list if you don’t take the time to thoroughly do some investigation.    What does “colleges that change lives” really mean?  Well, it means that you apply to colleges that you know you’ll be happy at. 

How do you know this?  Great question – because that’s what we’re going to talk about in this blog.

Talk to your parents.  Mom and dad know you best.  Once you come up with a list of potential colleges, run it by them.  Sit down with them to go over the school’s website and brochures.  Take their thoughts into consideration.  It can be easy to get overwhelmed with this process, so it’s good to get an outside perspective.

Do your research.  Not only does this include researching the website, but also talking with your friends, school counselors, and teachers.  Do they have any additional information to share with you about the colleges on your list?  Maybe your best friend’s brother goes to one of the colleges on your list, or your math teacher graduated from one of the colleges on your list.  You never know until you ask.  The more information you gather, the better.

Go see for yourself.  Campus visits are the best way for you to tell if this college is truly the best fit for you.  You will get to see the campus, students, dorms, and classroom buildings in person.  Just like when a bride knows when she’s found the perfect wedding dress, you’ll know when you’ve found the perfect school for you based on how you feel during these campus visits.

Good Luck!  If you follow these steps and share them with all your friends, I’m certain you’ll all be applying to colleges that change lives. 

College Admissions Essay

The college admissions essay can be one of the toughest pieces of the college admissions application. Most information that you find on the web will give you advice on how to write your college admissions essay, however in this post, we’re going to talk about what you should avoid doing in your college admissions essay.


1. Don’t Lie. I know this may seem like a no-brainer, but it can be easy to get too focused on just telling the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Given that they read hundreds of applications each year, it’s unlikely that they haven’t heard some version of the story that you made up. Besides, can you really predict what the admissions committee is thinking? Probably not. Honesty is the best policy here.

2. Don’t Be Someone Else. Just be yourself. The college admissions essay is supposed to be a reflection of your personality and a way for the admissions committee to get to know you better. If your friends or family would characterize you as light-hearted, then your essay should reflect this. Conversely, if your friends would characterize you as being very serious, then your essay should reflect this. Simple right?

3. Don’t Let Someone Else Do It. Write the essay yourself. Again, the college admissions essay is a chance for the admissions committee to get to know YOU, not someone else’s perception of you. Don’t push off the assignment on your parents, older siblings, or friends. Even though they may be willing to do it for, it is likely that the admissions officer will know when the essay is not written by you. An essay written by a true high school student, as opposed to an older, more experienced adult, will probably sound a lot different from each other.

4. Don’t Give ‘Em Too Much. If they tell you not to exceed 2 pages, then don’t exceed 2 pages. If they tell you don’t write more than 500 words, then don’t write more than 500 words. Got it? Good. You want to make sure that you follow their directions. You don’t want their first impression of you to be that you can’t follow directions, do you?

5. Don’t Use Crazy Fonts. A standard, professional font – such as Arial or Times New Roman, will be sufficient. You want to make sure that your college admissions essay looks neat and professional. Having a crazy font will distract the reader from your core message. You want to make sure that the admissions committee can focus on the content of the essay without distractions.

If you avoid these 5 things in your college admissions essay, then you will be stepping foot on campus in no time!