How to Write a College Admission Essay in a Week

Consider your Audience

• Take some time to think about why you are applying to college and what they may expect of you. Show special interest in the particular institution, which you wish to attend. What makes it unique? Why does that appeal to you?
• Be concise. Colleges deal with thousands of admissions essays each year and you don’t want to exhaust the applications officer. Try to grab their attention without overindulging your desire to prove yourself.

Sell Yourself.

• It may sound like a business deal but making yourself look appealing to potential colleges is your first priority. While your achievements may speak for themselves an essay with some personality, humor and story will give you an edge over other applicants.
• Be honest. Don’t exaggerate your abilities or accomplishments, people respond most positively to authenticity and genuineness. It’s important to be yourself and assert your individuality.

Remember, it’s an institution of learning.

• Always be aware that a college is an academic institution. They are looking for individuals who are smart, determined and conscientious. You don’t want to appear boring but you need to show that you’re there to get an education.
• Your essay needs to be grammatically correct and properly structured. If you can’t show that you have the skills to communicate coherently and meaningfully then you will be at a disadvantage.

If you only have a week to complete your essay then you may want to approach it with a Time Management Plan:

Time Management

• It’s important to structure your time effectively so that you can make the best use of your effort. Design a schedule for the week so that you know exactly how much time per day to plan your essay and what you will be doing during that time.


• Set goals for each time-limited session. The final goal is to write an essay that will get you into College.


• Your first goal could be as simple as setting some time aside to think about what you want to write in your essay. You could try brainstorming, talking to friends and family about how they see you or writing out lists of qualities and achievements that will help you achieve your final goal. This will help you get a wealth of ideas, which you can use, and refine later on.


• Write out a list of goals you wish to achieve in each of the coming sessions. Get creative.


• Remember that you need to set aside at least one session to re-read and edit your essay. This is how you improve the quality your work and ensure that you haven’t made any mistakes. 


• If you stick to achieving a list of goals then you can be confident that you have worked to the best of your abilities.