There are many successful people whose writing is less than stellar. Not everyone excels at writing; not everyone can cook a fluffy omelet. Yet whatever your strengths, everyone applying to college still has to deliver a well written application essay. So what can you do if writing isn’t your thing? Here are ten ideas that might help.
1. Keep it simple. Use short, clear, sentences, and words whose meaning you know well.
2. Write in your own voice, not some phony “writerly” style. Be conversational, imagine you’re telling your story to the admissions officer. At the same time, however…
3. Raise your bar. Commit to making this piece the best writing you’ve ever done.
4. Don’t put it off. Procrastinating will only make your anxiety worse. Start early to get rid of those jitters. You might actually be a better writer than you think.
5. Read. The more you read, the more your writing will improve. During the time you’re writing your application essay, do more reading than usual.
6. Be comfortable with your subject. Do as much pre-writing work as possible. Make sure you’ve given yourself a road map to follow.
7. Believe. Keep telling yourself you’re a bad writer, that’s what you’ll be. Instead, tell yourself that you’ve always been a better writer than you and others have thought; you just haven’t applied yourself.
8. Keep your perspective. You’re not being asked to write a 1000 page novel. It’s a couple of hundred words, a small fraction of what you wrote last week on the social networking site of your choice. You can handle it.
9. Seek help. Take a class, buy a book, get someone else on your team. The essay must always remain your creation but there’s nothing wrong with some healthy mentoring.
10. Keep the end results in mind. Imagine yourself walking across campus after being accepted to the college of your choice. Bring that smile, that good feeling to your essay.
To learn more about writing the college application essay, please go to www.CollegeEssaySolutions.com, or contact Craig Heller directly at 818-340-1276.