By Collin Mcdonald

Senior year of is widely referred to as the best year in high school. I mean with privileges such as being exempt from class finals and not having to worry about having gym, who wouldn’t agree? However, with all of the perks that come with being a senior, there are also some stressful aspects. The first semester of senior year consists of everything involving planning for. This is the time where SAT’s, collecting teacher recommendations, and filling out applications are the vocal point of senior priorities. One crucial factor that plays a role in college admissions is the college essay. The college essay is an opportunity for seniors to showcase a more intimate side of themselves to college admission staff. The quality of a student’s essay can either make or break their chances into getting accepted to their desired school. Below are a few tips to make a winning essay:

1.

Start your essay as soon as possible! The more time you have to actually think about what you are going to write, the better off your essay will become. Just like studying in advance for a math test, working on your essay early will most likely improve its quality and will definitely prevent future anxiety. Who wants to be the one trying to write a whole essay a day or two before the application deadline?

2.

When it comes to creating a winning essay, try to avoid writing about accomplishments that you have made. Colleges want to read an essay that shows your growth and development. They will respect you more if you address your mistakes and how you’ve learned from them instead of telling them how great of an athlete or student you are. Nobody is perfect, and admissions staff recognizes that.

3.

Try to use dialogue that makes a statement in your essay. For example, if your essay consists of more than one person, try creating conversions amongst them. By utilizing this, you will be making your words jump off the page and subsequently make the admissions readers’experience more exciting. These people are reading thousands of applications other than your own! Making your essay a distinct piece of work will only increase your chances in getting that acceptance letter.

4.

Most importantly, be sincere in your essay! Give the admissions staff a genuine representation of what kind of person you are. Readers will recognize an essay that is written with passion compared to an essay that was simply thrown together.