Getting a college education is more important now than ever. More people are entering the job market with diplomas these days, and that means competition among job applicants has increased dramatically. If you want to set yourself up for success in life, the first step is getting into a good college or university.
While factors like your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities certainly play a part in the admissions process, one area where students can truly separate themselves from other applicants is with their college essays. As one of the leading Los Angeles college essay counseling providers, we strive to help students get into their dream schools, which is why we’re happy to share these valuable insights to help you nail yours.
What to keep in mind when writing your college essay.
Don’t procrastinate.
It’s understandable that some students may be hesitant to get started on their essay because of how overwhelming it can seem. However, our college essay counseling experts in Los Angeles always recommend starting the paper as early as possible. Doing so will give you more time to think about the prompt, craft a personalized and powerful response, and still have time for edits.
Go deep rather than broad.
Trying to encapsulate your entire life in one essay is no easy feat, and if you try to do so on your admissions essay, your paper will likely suffer. There’s simply too much to cover in one essay. So rather than trying to include as many broad details as possible, try to focus on a specific experience or hobby that reveals something personal and do a deep dive into that. This will do a better job of demonstrating your character for the admissions officers.
Demonstrate real reflections.
According to our Los Angeles college essay counseling experts, simply recounting an experience or hobby isn’t sufficient to make you stand out from the competition. Instead, you need to reflect on why your topic matters to you. Avoid just writing a play-by-play account of your experience. Instead, tell them what you learned from it, how it changed you, and how you think it’ll help you in life moving forward.
Make the essay authentically you.
The college essay is your chance to allow admissions officers to learn something they can’t glean from test scores and GPA. This is your chance to show them the type of person you are. As such, you should always write it in your own voice. Don’t try to make yourself sound more sophisticated by looking at a thesaurus every other sentence. Writing in a style that is natural and appropriate for the subject matter is always the better option.
Allow someone to review it.
No matter how confident you feel about your essay, our Los Angeles college essay counseling experts always recommend having at least one other person proofread it. Find someone whose opinion you trust and ask them what they think of your approach and whether or not you’re getting the desired message across. You should also allow them to proofread for grammar and spelling errors before sending it off.
Learn how to write a compelling admissions essay.
If you’re preparing to write your college admissions essay, understand that you don’t have to do it alone. As one of Los Angeles’ leading college essay counseling providers, the team here at Educational Attainment Services is here to help.
We can give you the guidance you need to increase your chances of gaining admission to your preferred school using a proven method that’s helped numerous students just like you. Learn more about how we can help, or reach out to us online to set up a consultation.