5 cool tricks that explain how to write a college application essay

Students who are applying to college today need to be able to differentiate themselves from the rest of the application pool. It is difficult to do this with test scores and grade point averages, so students need to be able to write college application essays that will get the attention of the application committees. It may seem like an impossible task to write an essay that is that interesting, but with just five cool tricks, you can craft an essay that will increase your odds of being accepted into your college of choice.

• Trick #1: Write with voice. College admissions experts often read the same essays over and over again. They tend to be dull essays about typical topics. Admissions experts want to see essays that are written by real people, not essays that could have been crafted by an essay app. This does not mean that you disregard the rules of grammar and mechanics, but you use the rules to your advantage and bend them slightly when you have the opportunity to include your personality.


• Trick #2: Pick a cool topic. Mission trips and learn experiences do make good topics, but they are often written about too often. If you are going to write about a mission trip experience, why not write about something that went wrong? Cool topics are the ones that are unexpected and show how you respond to experiences. Check out websites that offer ideas for application essay topics, then use those ideas to come up with your very own.


• Trick #3: Use transitions. When you use transitions appropriately, you prove that you can tell a story and that you can write an essay. Transitions show relationships between ideas and they show that you have a sense of rhythm in your writing. If transitions are challenging for you, help yourself by using a transition list.


• Trick #4: Ask a teacher for help. Teachers know when an essay is good or not. Ask your favorite teacher to read your essay and offer an honest opinion. Listen to your teacher, accept the criticism, and then make the changes. Be sure to thank your teacher for her help.


• Trick #5: Edit and proofread. Before you submit the paper, read it multiple times and make notes on the draft. Go back and fix those issues. Then, read it again and make more changes. You will eventually get the essay to a point where you are happy so you can submit it with pride.