Your home for college admissions support
We bring ease, joy, and purpose to the college admissions process., free resources.
Practical guides on the personal statement, supplemental essays, paying for college, and more.
Video Courses
Comprehensive Live and OnDemand courses to keep you on track. Most are pay-what-you-can, so anyone can join.
One-on-One Support
Want more personalized help? We've got free and paid options. Schedule a call with us to find out more.
When it comes to college admissions, we pretty much have all the things.
College Application Hub
- Essay examples
- Brainstorming exercises
- Supplemental essay guides
Upcoming Webinars
- Weekly AMAs
- Interviews with experts
- Professional development for counselors
- Industry-leading experts
- Building your college list
- Behind the scenes of an admission office
YouTube Channel
- Application advice
- Interview guidance
Discord Community
- Join 4,000+ college-bound students
- Inspiration for college planning
- Student-only community
- Memes & daily cats
Most of our courses are Pay-what-you-can—which means anyone can join.
college admissions pass.
- Expert-led sessions
- Parents are welcome to join
- Step-by-step application and admission guidance
- Supportive community
- Tons of practical resources
- Specific content focused on 9th, 10th, or 11th grade
- Sign up with a friend for 20% off
Counselor Training Program
- Expert-led professional development
- Supportive community + accountability groups
- Tons of practical tools, skills, and resources
- Live sessions with Ethan
- Fresh content each week
- First dibs on new CEG programs
- Group pricing available
All Student Courses
- Join live or watch OnDemand
- Personal statement
- College application
- Applying to selective colleges
- College List Building
- Advanced Courses
All Counselor Courses
- Join live or OnDemand
- Comprehensive professional development
- Applications & supplemental essays
- Working one-on-one
- Workshops and small groups
Meet with an experienced essay specialist or counselor. Receive personalized, comprehensive support. Get all your questions answered.
College Essay Guy believes that every student should have access to the tools and guidance necessary to create the best application possible. That's why we're a one-for-one company, which means that for every student who pays for support, we provide free support to a low-income student.
The Matchlighters Scholars Program pairs high-achieving students from low-income households with experienced college counselors.
College Essay Guy offers tons of free and paid resources and professional development opportunities for college counselors working in high schools, community based organizations, or independent practices.
Free resources for counselors.
- Application checklists and monthly email templates
- Step-by-step guides
- Resources just for counselors working in high schools and CBOs
Online Video Courses
- Starting at $597 (or pay-what-you-can)
- Personal statement, supplemental essays, UC personal insight questions, and more
- For working one-on-one or in groups
Workshops & Speaking Events
- Led by trained workshop facilitators—from 30 to 300 students
- Personal statement, supplemental essays, UC PIQ’s and more
- Mix-and-match presentation topics
Parent Community
- Meet with college counseling and admissions experts
- Live weekly sessions
- Detailed calendar
- Get your questions answered
Family Handbook
- 37-page guide
- College List-Building
- Financial Aid
- Standardized Tests
Recently viewed courses
Recently viewed.
Find Your Dream School
COVID-19 Update: To help students through this crisis, The Princeton Review will continue our "Enroll with Confidence" refund policies. For full details, please click here.
Enter your email to unlock an extra $25 off an SAT or ACT program!
By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., crafting an unforgettable college essay.
Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application.
It may sound like a chore, and it will certainly take a substantial amount of work. But it's also a unique opportunity that can make a difference at decision time. Admissions committees put the most weight on your high school grades and your test scores . However, selective colleges receive applications from many worthy students with similar scores and grades—too many to admit. So they use your essay, along with your letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities , to find out what sets you apart from the other talented candidates.
Telling Your Story to Colleges
So what does set you apart?
You have a unique background, interests and personality. This is your chance to tell your story (or at least part of it). The best way to tell your story is to write a personal, thoughtful essay about something that has meaning for you. Be honest and genuine, and your unique qualities will shine through.
Admissions officers have to read an unbelievable number of college essays, most of which are forgettable. Many students try to sound smart rather than sounding like themselves. Others write about a subject that they don't care about, but that they think will impress admissions officers.
You don't need to have started your own business or have spent the summer hiking the Appalachian Trail. Colleges are simply looking for thoughtful, motivated students who will add something to the first-year class.
Tips for a Stellar College Application Essay
1. write about something that's important to you..
It could be an experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life.
2. Don't just recount—reflect!
Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the summer they spent in Rome. When recalling these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from the experience and how it changed you.
3. Being funny is tough.
A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But beware. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything off–color.
4. Start early and write several drafts.
Set it aside for a few days and read it again. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer: Is the essay interesting? Do the ideas flow logically? Does it reveal something about the applicant? Is it written in the applicant’s own voice?
5. No repeats.
What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your application–nor should it repeat it. This isn't the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores.
6. Answer the question being asked.
Don't reuse an answer to a similar question from another application.
7. Have at least one other person edit your essay.
A teacher or college counselor is your best resource. And before you send it off, check, check again, and then triple check to make sure your essay is free of spelling or grammar errors.
Read More: 2018-2019 Common Application Essay Prompts (and How to Answer Them)
Test Your College Knowledge
How well do you understand the college admissions process? Find out with our quiz.
Take the Quiz
Explore Colleges For You
Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.
Career Quiz
Take our short quiz to learn which is the right career for you.
Get Started on Athletic Scholarships & Recruiting!
Join athletes who were discovered, recruited & often received scholarships after connecting with NCSA's 42,000 strong network of coaches.
Best 388 Colleges
154,000 students rate everything from their professors to their campus social scene.
SAT Prep Courses
1400+ course, act prep courses, free sat practice test & events, 1-800-2review, sat® 1400+ course, our top sat experts teach the strategies proven to have helped our students join the top 5% of test takers..
Enrollment Advisor
1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1
1-877-LEARN-30
Student Support
1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2
Partnerships
- Teach or Tutor for Us
College Readiness
International
Advertising
Affiliate/Other
- Enrollment Terms & Conditions
- Accessibility
- Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage
Register Book
Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET
Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET
Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM
Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET
Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET
- SAT Subject Tests
Academic Subjects
- Social Studies
Find the Right College
- College Rankings
- College Advice
- Applying to College
- Financial Aid
School & District Partnerships
- Professional Development
- Advice Articles
- Private Tutoring
- Mobile Apps
- Local Offices
- International Offices
- Work for Us
- Affiliate Program
- Partner with Us
- Advertise with Us
- International Partnerships
- Our Guarantees
©2023 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University
Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | CA Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Site Map
Write college application essays that get you admitted
with expert help from College Essay Advisors
One-on-One Advising
Work with one of CEA’s expert Advisors to conceptualize, edit and refine admissions essays that stick with admissions and make you stand out.
- YouTube Tutorials
Master each step of the admissions essay writing process and learn what it takes to craft a memorable submission one video at at time.
Why Choose College Essay Advisors?
Our Top Resources
- Our Approach & Team
- Testimonials
- Where Our Students Get In
- CEA Gives Back
- Undergraduate Admissions
- Graduate Admissions
- Private School Admissions
- International Student Admissions
- Academy and Worksheets
- Common App Essay Guide
- Supplemental Essay Guide
- Coalition App Guide
- Admissions Statistics
- Deadline Databases
- Notification Trackers
College Application Essay
The essay is an opportunity for students to personalize their college application beyond grades and scores. It can also be one of the more nerve-wracking parts of the application process. Help your students learn the skills they need to write an application-worthy essay.
What the Essay Can Do for Students
A powerful, well-written essay can make a difference and elevate an applicant in an admission committee’s eyes when colleges have to choose between applicants with similar qualifications.
Students can also use the essay to show that they’ve thought carefully about why they’re a good match for the college they’re applying to. They can show their commitment to learning and their eagerness to contribute to the college community.
What Is a Well-Written Essay?
Admissions officers read a lot of essays, and a well-written one can make a refreshing change. Advise your students to check their essays against these criteria:
- Does the essay provide a direct answer to the essay question?
- Does it have a strong opening paragraph that captures the reader’s interest?
- Does it put forth a comprehensive argument or narrative? Does the student make a point and stick to it?
- Does it have a natural style that’s comfortable for the student and appropriate for the subject matter?
- Did the student use effective word choice, syntax, and structure?
- Does it contain correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling?
- Is it succinct? Did the student pay attention to the recommended length?
How to Help Your Students
A common concern for admissions officers is just how much help a student has received with their essay. Many colleges even ask applicants to sign statements saying that the essays they’ve submitted are their own work. This can cause counselors to wonder how much help is too much. Here are some appropriate ways to help your students:
- Suggest they get advice from teachers who understand the role of the essay and who know them well.
- Recommend brainstorming techniques that help them face the blank page.
- Look over the student’s essay for signs that a parent may have “helped” too much.
- Give general feedback on a finished or nearly finished essay. You can point out areas that need revision, but don’t rewrite or edit—the essay must be the student's work.
And remember: Your encouragement, ideas, and overall support will go a long way.
Related Topics
- How to Write a College Essay
College admissions experts offer tips on selecting a topic as well as writing and editing the essay.
Students can go online to review essay requirements for the colleges they want to apply to, such as word limits and essay topics. Many students may start with the Common App, an application platform accepted by more than 900 schools. (Getty Images)
Not only is the college essay a place to showcase writing skills, it's one of the only parts of a college application where a student's voice can shine through.
Unlike test scores and transcripts, the college admissions essay offers students a chance to showcase their personality.
"The essays are important in part because this is a student's chance to really speak directly to the admissions office," says Adam Sapp, assistant vice president and director of admissions at Pomona College in California.
Prospective college students want their essay, sometimes called a personal statement, to make a good impression and boost their chances of being accepted, but they have only several hundred words to make that happen.
This can feel like a lot of pressure.
"I think this is the part of the application process that students are sometimes most challenged by," says Niki Barron, associate dean of admission at Hamilton College in New York, "because they're looking at a blank piece of paper and they don't know where to get started."
That pressure may be amplified as many colleges have gone test-optional in the past year, meaning that ACT and SAT scores will be considered if submitted but are not required. Other schools have gone test-blind and don't consider such scores at all. In the absence of test scores, some admissions experts have suggested that more attention will be paid to other parts of an application, such as the essay.
But just as each applicant is unique, so are college admissions policies and priorities.
"Being test optional hasn't changed how we use essays in our selection process, and I wouldn't say that the essay serves as a substitute for standardized test scores," Barron wrote in an email. "A student's academic preparation for our classroom experience is always front and center in our application review process."
Essay writing tips offered by experts emphasize the importance of being concise, coherent, congenial, honest and accurate. An applicant should also flex some intellectual muscle and include vivid details or anecdotes.
From brainstorming essay topics to editing the final draft, here's what students need to know about crafting a strong college essay.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a College Application Essay
- 1. Explore essay prompts and select a topic.
- 2. Start your college essay outline before jumping in.
- 3. Write the essay and leave time for multiple drafts.
- 4. Edit and proofread your essay.
- 5. Submit your essay.
Getting Started on the College Essay
A good time for students to begin working on their essays is the summer before senior year, experts say, when homework and extracurricular activities aren't taking up time and mental energy.
Starting early will also give students plenty of time to work through multiple drafts of an essay before college application deadlines, which can be as early as November for students applying for early decision or early action .
Students can go online to review essay requirements for the colleges they want to apply to, such as word limits and essay topics. Many students may start with the Common App , an application platform accepted by more than 900 schools.
In addition to the main essay, some colleges ask applicants to submit one or more additional writing samples. Students are often asked to explain why they are interested in a particular school or academic field in these supplemental essays , which tend to be shorter than the main essay.
Students will want to budget more time for the writing process if the schools they're applying to ask for supplemental essays.
"Most selective colleges will ask for more than one piece of writing. Don't spend all your time working on one long essay and then forget to devote energy to other parts of the application," Sapp says, noting there may be additional questions on an application requiring thoughtfully written responses.
How Long Should a College Essay Be?
Though the Common App – which students can submit to multiple colleges – notes that "there are no strict word limits" for its main essay, it suggests a cap of about 650 words.
"While we won't as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you'd hoped it would," the Common App website states.
The word count is much shorter for institution-specific supplemental essays, which are typically around 250 words.
How to Pick a College Essay Topic
The first and sometimes most daunting step in the essay writing process is figuring out what to write about.
There are usually several essay prompts to choose from on a college application. They tend to be broad, open-ended questions, giving students the freedom to write about a wide array of topics, Barron says.
The essay isn't a complete autobiography, notes Mimi Doe, co-founder of Top Tier Admissions, a Massachusetts-based advising company. "It's overwhelming to think of putting your whole life in one essay," she says.
Rather, experts say students should narrow their focus and write about a specific experience, hobby or quirk that reveals something personal, like how they think, what they value or what their strengths are. Students can also write about something that illustrates an aspect of their background. Even an essay on a common topic can be compelling if done right.
Students don't have to discuss a major achievement in their essay, a common misconception. Admissions officers who spoke with U.S. News cited memorable essays that focused on more ordinary topics, including fly-fishing, a student's commute to and from school and a family's dining room table.
What's most important, experts say, is that a college essay is thoughtful and tells a story that offers insight into who a student is as a person.
So, no matter what topic students choose, they'll ultimately be writing about themselves, says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy website, which offers free and paid essay-writing resources. "What we think of as the topic is just the frame or the lens that we're using to get into other parts of you."
If students are having trouble brainstorming potential topics , they can ask friends or family members for help, says Stephanie Klein Wassink, founder of Winning Applications and AdmissionsCheckup, Connecticut-based college admissions advising companies. Wassink says students can ask peers or family members questions such as, "What do you think differentiates me?" Or, "What are my quirks?"
The essay should tell college admissions officers something they don't already know, experts say. Students should ensure they're writing about something that isn't mentioned elsewhere in their application, perhaps in the activities section, or expand greatly on the topic if it is noted elsewhere.
Writing the College Essay
Some experts encourage students to outline their essay before jumping into the actual writing.
But there isn't one correct way of doing things, says Sara Newhouse, senior consultant at Enrollment Research Associates and former vice president for admission and financial planning at Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama.
"Your writing process is your own," she says. Newhouse encourages students to use whatever process worked for them in the past when they completed writing assignments for English and other high school classes.
The first draft of an essay doesn't need to be perfect. "Just do a brain dump," Doe says. "Don't edit yourself, just lay it all out on the page."
If students are having a hard time getting started, they should focus on their opening sentence, Doe suggests. She says an essay's opening sentence, or hook, should grab the reader's attention.
Doe offered an example of a strong hook from the essay of a student she worked with:
"I first got into politics the day the cafeteria outlawed creamed corn."
"I want to know about this kid," she says. "I’m interested."
But Sawyer cautions that students shouldn't get so caught up in writing the perfect hook that they neglect the rest of their essay. He also says he's read some essays that were excellent overall, even though they had what he would consider mundane hooks.
Editing and Submitting the College Essay
While admissions officers try to learn about students via the essay, they are also gauging writing skills, so students want to make sure they submit top-notch work.
"The best writing is rewriting," Sapp says. "You should never be giving me your first draft."
When reviewing a first essay draft, students should make sure their writing is showing, not telling, Doe says. This means students should show their readers examples that prove they embody certain traits or beliefs, as opposed to just stating that they do.
After editing their essay, students should seek outside editing help, experts recommend. While there are individuals and companies that offer paid essay help – from editing services to essay-writing boot camps – students and families may not be able to afford the associated fees.
However, there may be options to defray the costs. Sawyer, for example, says he offers scholarships to students from low-income families that cover the cost of one-on-one essay consultations.
The availability of and level of feedback from free essay advising services vary. Some college prep companies offer brief consultations at no charge. Free essay workshops may also be available through local high schools, public libraries or community organizations. Khan Academy, a free online education platform, also offers a series of videos and other content to guide students through the essay writing process.
Colleges themselves may also have resources, Barron notes, pointing to pages on Hamilton's website that offer writing tips as well as examples of successful admissions essays. Likewise, Hamilton also holds virtual panel discussions on writing admissions essays.
Students have other options when it comes to essay help. They can ask peers, teachers, school counselors and family members for help polishing an essay.
Newhouse says it works well to have other people proofread an essay in two stages. The first stage focuses on content. Readers should look for information gaps in the essay – anything they are confused about. Once the content is nailed down, the second proofing stage focuses on style, including grammar, punctuation and spelling.
But proofreaders should not change the tone of the essay. "Don't let anyone edit out your voice," Doe cautions.
And while proofreading is fair game, having someone else rewrite your essay is not.
When an essay is ready to go, students will generally submit it online along with the rest of their application. On the Common App, for example, students copy and paste their essay into a text box.
Sapp says even though students often stress about the essay in particular, it's not the only thing college admissions officers look at. "The essay is the window, but the application is the house," he says. "So let's not forget that an application is built of many pieces."
Strong College Essay Examples
Below are two examples of strong essays written by students accepted into Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.
"This is a personal statement, so what works in these essays works because of who the student is and how it fits into the rest of his or her application," notes Ellen Kim, dean of undergraduate admissions at Johns Hopkins.
Hover over the circles along the sides of the letters to read more about what worked.
Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.
10 Ways to Discover College Essay Ideas
College Essay
- See College Essay Examples
- Colleges Weigh in on Common Essay Topics
- College Supplemental Essay Tips
- Read 2 Transfer Essays That Worked
Tags: education , colleges , college admissions , college applications , students
2022-2023 Best Colleges
Search for your perfect fit with the U.S. News rankings of colleges and universities.
College Admissions: Get a Step Ahead!
Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .
Ask an Alum: Making the Most Out of College
Recommended Articles
You May Also Like
Things your professors won't tell you.
Jackson Nimesheim March 7, 2023
Earning a Forestry Degree: What to Know
Sarah Wood March 6, 2023
What to Know About New NCAA NIL Rules
Cole Claybourn March 2, 2023
Facts About the Work-Study Program
Sarah Wood March 2, 2023
Intersection of Business, Human Rights
Sarah Wood March 1, 2023
College Scholarships for Your Hobbies
Cole Claybourn Feb. 27, 2023
Online Programs With Diverse Faculty
Sarah Wood Feb. 24, 2023
Avoid These 7 Scholarship Mistakes
Sarah Wood Feb. 21, 2023
Networking While You're in College
Jackson Nimesheim Feb. 21, 2023
Teacher Training for High Schoolers
Kate Rix Feb. 16, 2023
- High School College Counseling
- Transfer Student Advice
- Choosing a College
- Planning Your Entrance Exam Test Strategy
- Writing College Application Essays
- My Background
- Testimonials
- My Philosophy
- Current Students
Does Your Child Need Help Writing College Application Essays?
Many high school and transfer students find essay writing the most stressful and daunting portion of the college application process. With mountains of schoolwork and extracurricular activities, he or she may even not want to talk or think about the overwhelming task of planning out and writing college application essays. You may worry as the application deadlines approach that your child will procrastinate and his or her essays will reflect poorly on his or her abilities. Even if your child is a good writer, you may still be concerned that his or her essay will not strike a chord with the admissions officers.
It Is Very Common To Worry About Admissions Essays
While most components of college applications are very straightforward, many people view the essay portion as a wild card – the space in which your child may make or break his or her chances of getting into the ideal college. It’s no surprise, then, that so many college applicants and parents worry that the admissions essay will fail to shed a remarkable light on his or her abilities. To add even more stress, getting accepted into ideal colleges has become increasingly competitive. Students faced with many applications often do not know where to begin, how to organize their time and what to write about. Many students wait until the last minute to complete their essays and, as a result, submit subpar material.
The good news is your child can receive expert help writing college application essays from a leader in the college admissions community.
Get Individualized Help Writing College Application Essays
I will walk your child through an efficient writing process in which we will work to understand the structure of the essay, set goals to meet all deadlines, analyze essay questions and brainstorm essay outlines. As your child writes drafts of his or her essays, I will provide him or her with personalized advice on how to make his or her essay stand out to admissions officers.
As an added convenience, I offer a comprehensive online platform with which your child can organize his or her schedule and to-do lists as well as access helpful videos and exercises. To accommodate you and your child’s busy lifestyles, we can also meet online via video conferences or in between scheduled meeting we may use screencasting sessions where I can share detailed feedback on essays to your child.
Because your child has a unique story and his or her prospective colleges have specific goals, our application essay writing sessions will be highly individualized. For example, one of the most important essay writing techniques I have learned through decades of work in the admissions field is the art of striking the ideal balance between a formal and informal tone. Through my help writing college application essays, your child will have access to many insider tips and strategies like these throughout his or her writing process.
If your child is an international student applying to colleges in the US, I can tailor our essay writing sessions to help him or her identify some of the big differences in applying to US colleges compared to international colleges. We can also troubleshoot potential problems he or she may encounter in the application essay.
For more than two decades, I have been deeply involved in the education field. In addition to earning a doctorate in education from UCLA, I have worked as a college admissions officer and as a private high school college counselor. I continue to be an active leader in the college admissions community by serving on boards and presenting at conferences nationwide. I also work as an adjunct faculty member at UC San Diego Extension where I train adults from around the world who endeavor to be college counselors in high schools or consultants in private practice.
No matter whether your child is a high school student, a transfer student or an international student, he or she probably has very limited experience writing application essays. As an admissions officer, I have read thousands of application essays. As a counselor, I have helped thousands of students fine-tune their writing process and write exceptional final essays.
With my help writing college application essays, your child can calmly approach the writing process with the knowledge, guidance and organization needed to write eye-catching, authentic and concise application essays.
I believe my child needs help writing college application essays, but I still have a few questions and concerns…
My child can work on his or her application essays in English class. We also have many family friends who are professional writers and editors. Why do we need additional help?
You may know a long list of highly qualified individuals who can read and review your child’s application essays. However, my sessions go far beyond traditional editing. I help your child to tailor his or her unique experiences and style to fit the essay requirements I know admissions officers look for. In addition, I can also help guide your child through the entire process so he or she stays on task and does not feel too overwhelmed.
My child is a great writer and organizes his or her time well. Should I still be worried?
Even the greatest writers can produce a subpar college application essay in the eyes of an admissions officer. In addition, even though your child is well-organized, he or she may run into roadblocks throughout the writing process. Your child may be worried about the topics he or she will cover in essays or how to maintain his or her momentum amid busy schedules. With my support writing college application essays, I can help him or her troubleshoot any potential issues he or she may run into.
College application essays are short and straightforward. I think my child can buckle down and write them quickly.
Despite the fact that many college application essays are brief, your child should spend a fair amount of time brainstorming different ideas and revising drafts before submitting his or her application. If your child simply lists off his or her accomplishments and qualifications, his or her application will not stand out as much as a student who clearly took the time and energy to craft a humble and genuine essay.
Help Your Child Confidently Write Effective College Application Essays
If you are ready to equip your child with the strategies and tools to help him or her write eye-catching college application essays, I invite you to call me for a free 30-minute phone consultation to discuss your family’s needs and how I can guide your child through the essay writing process.
Online Services
Sign up for new blog post notifications.
Please insert a valid email address
Recent Posts
Transparency Is Key for Transfer Students
How Do You Really Know a College Is the Right One for YOU?
Extracurricular Activities: The Different Roles They Play for First-Year vs. Transfer College Applicants
Horizontal Transfer – Should You Switch to Another Four-Year School?
Community College Before a Four-Year College – Pros and Cons
Blog categories.
- Choosing A College
- Test Strategy
You must be logged in to post a comment.
- SAT BootCamp
- SAT MasterClass
- SAT Private Tutoring
- SAT Proctored Practice Test
- ACT Private Tutoring
- Academic Subjects
- College Essay Workshop
- Academic Writing Workshop
- AP English FRQ BootCamp
- 1:1 College Essay Help
- Online Instruction
- Free Resources
14 Best College Essay Services for 2023 (40 Services Reviewed)
Not sure which college application essay coaching and editing service is the best? We compared the top 40 services, created in-depth reviews for 14 of them, and narrowed it down to the 4 best that will help guide you through the process of writing amazing college application essays.
What is the Best College Essay Service?
- PrepMaven – best college application essay service overall
- College Essay Mentor – best for individual consultants
- The College Essay Guy – best for unlimited essay assistance
- College Vine – best of the big platforms
The best of the rest:
Individual essay consultants:
- College Essay Editor – small editing team
- Allison Karpf – former English teacher helping students
- Your College Vision – former journalist with more affordable rates
- The College Guru – good on paper but unresponsive
Mid-size teams:
- College Essay Advisors – no highly-selective experience
- Lotus Learning – focus on health sciences
Large platforms:
- Study Point – larger platform with mystery editors
- Ivy Select – larger platform with mystery editors
- Empowerly – larger platform with mystery editors
- BeMo – expensive and aggressive with wrong expertise
Schedule a college essay consultation
Best College Application Essay Services in 2022
#1 – prepmaven.
Our Verdict — Best College Essay Assistance Overall Price: $79–349/hour (minimum $510 package) PrepMaven’s one-on-one college essay assistance is the best option overall. Founded by brothers and Princeton grads Greg and Kevin, almost all of PrepMaven’s essay coaches have Ivy-League experience, primarily from Princeton and Harvard. All essay coaches also undergo a thorough training program in PrepMaven’s methods, developed by professional writers with deep understanding of the college admissions process, for helping students to discover the most compelling stories for their essays. Unlike other services, PrepMaven offers college essay assistance at several different price points. At the most accessible rate, students can work with current Ivy-League undergraduates who specialize in writing and have recently aced the college application process. At higher rates, students can work with coaches who are both Ivy-League grads and professional writers (screenwriters, journalists, editors) with many years of experience helping students to craft compelling essays. Interested students can even work directly with founders Greg and Kevin, who have over 15 years of experience helping students through the entire essay-writing process. PrepMaven’s services combine many of the best features of other good options into one, and it’s hard to beat their experience.
Sign up for PrepMaven’s college essay help now
Any student wanting college essay help, at any point in the process, with a range of budgets.
At a glance:
- Cost: $85–349/hour (minimum $510 package)
- Writing coach qualifications: Princeton graduates and professional writers (or current Princeton students); all trained
What we like:
- Ivy League experience —most of their writing coaches are Princeton grads or current students, with some from Harvard and other Ivies
- Different pricing options to meet different families’ circumstances
- More flexible and greater capacity to take on new students compared to individual consultants
Sign up for PrepMaven’s college essay help
#2 – College Essay Mentor
Our Verdict — Best of the Individual Consultants Price: unknown but high Some college essay consulting services consist of just one expert. Of these individual essay consultants, Chris Hunt at College Essay Mentor is our favorite. He combines writing experience as a journalist for the Economist and the Wall Street Journal with personal experience as a graduate of Dartmouth. However, he only works with a small number of students each year, and students need to apply to work with him — he only accepts students with top grades and test scores who are already strong applicants for top schools. Chris offers the option for one-time written feedback, but this only gives big-picture generalizations. (And written-only feedback is always limited.) In order for help with the essay process, students need to purchase a complete essay package.
Students with top grades and test scores who want to work with a one-person business, who have a sizable budget, and who are ready to get started early.
- Cost: $210 for a one-time written essay feedback (big picture only), then $110 per draft feedback; pricing for essay process packages unknown
- Essay coach qualifications: professional journalist, Dartmouth grad
- Professional writing experience as a journalist
- Extensive experience working with college applicants
- Partners with Debra Felix, former Director of Admissions at Columbia, for full application review
What we don’t like:
- One-on-one work is limited to very high-achieving students, who need to apply with a resume : “I limit my one-on-one work to students who I believe will be strong applicants to elite universities. As a rule, this means having high grades in challenging classes, a test score of ACT 34+ or SAT 1500+, and substantial activities outside of the classroom.”
- Works with a limited number of students (60 per year), so often no availability
- All-or-nothing packages don’t allow students to work with Chris for just a few hours or for part of the essay-writing process
- Secretive about pricing (he’ll only give pricing details once he’s reviewed the student’s resume and agreed to work with them), but we expect the minimum cost of working one-on-one to be several thousand dollars
#3 – The College Essay Guy
Our Verdict — Best for Unlimited Essay Assistance Price: $7400 for application for 10 schools We’re fans of Ethan Sawyer, the original “college essay guy”— his book, College Essay Essentials , is a great guide to the essay-writing process. Ethan doesn’t work directly with many students these days, but he now has a team of consultants who help students follow his principles. Their assistance is really all-or-nothing — they prefer to work with students from the very beginning of the process, and their minimum package is $4900, which includes assistance with essays for three schools. If students are applying to ten schools (a more realistic number for students aiming at competitive colleges), the fee is a hefty $7400.
Students who want unlimited help through the entire process, who have a sizable budget.
- Cost: $4900 (supplemental essays for 3 schools) – $7400 (supplemental essays for 10 schools)
- Essay coach qualifications: mix of Ivy grads and former teachers, some writers/screenwriters; all trained
- Great free resources about the essay-writing process
- Their Matchlighters Scholars Program gives back to the community by providing admissions consulting for select qualifying students
- All-or-nothing packages have a high minimum fee and don’t work for students who want just a few hours of feedback or help with just part of the process
#4 – College Vine
Our Verdict — Best of the Big Platforms Price: $170–190/hour There are plenty of large platforms with large stables of part-time tutors and coaches available to work with students. Of these big platforms, we think CollegeVine has the best offerings. Compared to other large companies, CollegeVine provides more information about their tutors, and students can pick individual tutors to work with from their roster. However, this model is really just a way of finding individual tutors to hire. Tutors don’t receive any training and don’t share a common approach, so it’s a mixed bag. Their rates are fairly high for part-time tutors who don’t have specific expertise and training in college essay consulting. We also recommend working with college essay consultants with a clear code of ethics stating that they will not make edits directly on the essay documents for the students. It’s unclear to what degree the editors with CollegeVine follow these principles.
Students who want to work with a big company.
- Cost: $170–190/hour
- Essay coach qualifications: no specific qualifications, but a few are Ivy League graduates
- Possible to select individual editors to work with from their roster
- No training or common approach for tutors
- Editors are part-time , with no option to work with full-time college admissions experts
- Relatively expensive for this level of expertise
College Essay Editing Alternatives (that Didn’t Make the Cut)
Individual essay consultants, #5 – college essay editor.
Our Verdict — Small Editing Team Price: $4777 for application to 10 schools College Essay Editor comprises two graduates of Stanford. This means that they have personal experience applying to highly competitive schools. One member of the team also has a college counseling certification, which is a good background for college essays. Based on their website, they appear to focus on the editing and proofreading phase of the essay-writing process. This can be helpful to students, but we recommend working with a service who can help students to uncover their values and brainstorm really great material that allows them to really shine—and if this doesn’t happen at the beginning of the process, it’s much harder to add in later on.
- Cost: $145/1000 words for proofreading, $395/1000 words for 3 rounds of editing and proofreading, or $495/1000 words for unlimited rounds of editing and proofreading; for the purposes of comparison, complete applications to 10 competitive colleges would be around 9,650 words, or $4777
- Writing coach qualifications: Stanford graduates, one of which has college counseling certification
- Editors are graduates of Stanford University , and one is a member of NACAC, the national association of college counselors
- They focus on editing and proofreading only , not on the crucial earlier steps of brainstorming and strategy
- Small team with very limited availability
#6 – Allison Karpf
Our Verdict — Former English Teacher Helping Students Price: $300/hour or $3000 package for application to one school Another option for students looking to hire an individual consultant is Allison Karpf. Allison is a former high school English teacher and a graduate of UC Berkeley who also holds a Masters of Education from Stanford. Her rates are definitely on the higher side, especially for someone who didn’t attend an Ivy-Plus school as an undergraduate herself and who doesn’t have a professional writing background, but she does have extensive experience working with students to craft their essays.
- Cost: $300/hour or $3000 unlimited counseling (includes supplemental essays for one college)
- Essay coach qualifications: former high school English teacher; Berkeley grad, Stanford MEd
- Lots of experience helping students improve their college essays
- Very quick to respond to client requests
- No professional writing experience or Ivy-Plus undergraduate experience
- High rates relative to other options
- Limited availability , since she works alone
#7 – Your College Vision
Our Verdict: Former Journalist with More Affordable Rates Price: $150/hour (minimum 10 hours), or $3800 package for application to seven schools Laurie Lande is another individual consultant who helps students through the essay-writing process. She comes recommended by other consultants like Chris from College Essay Mentor . Laurie did not herself attend a highly competitive school, so she doesn’t have that personal experience of going through the selective admissions process, but she does have a professional writing background as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong.
- Cost: $150/hour (for 10 hours), or $3800 package for application to seven schools
- Essay coach qualifications: journalism background
- Affordable pricing , relative to other options
- Professional writing background as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal
- Not a graduate of a highly selective school
#8 – The College Guru
Our Verdict — Good on Paper but Unresponsive Price: unknown Yet another individual essay consultant is Geanine Thompson from The College Guru. Geanine attended Dartmouth as an undergraduate and also holds an MBA from Duke. She also has a professional writing background as an assistant book editor at Berkley Publishing Group. Like Greg and Kevin at PrepMaven , she combines experience in the business world and at Wall Street firms with experience in education.
- Cost: unknown
- Essay coach qualifications: former assistant book editor; Dartmouth grad, Duke MBA
- Dartmouth graduate and former book editor
- Not responsive to emails and client requests
Mid-size Teams
#9 – college essay advisors.
Our Verdict — No Highly-Selective Experience Price: unknown Also operating under the name Admissions Essay Advising, College Essay Advisors is a mid-size company which seems to have a good perspective on the essay process, and their chief advisor is a certified college counselor. However, their editors are not from Ivy-Plus schools , so they don’t have the personal experience of going through the selective admissions process. They also don’t have professional writing experience.
- Essay coach qualifications: no specific qualifications
- Clear about ethical standards —they’ll help guide students through the process but are clear that “students are responsible for getting the words on the page”
- Chief Advisor is a member of NACAC , the national association of college counselors
- Single round of proofreading , with no strategy
- Uneven quality for editing services from a large pool of editors, who don’t have Ivy League experience
- Secretive about pricing and details
#10 – Lotus Learning
Our Verdict — Focus on Health Sciences Price: $165/hour Founded by a Harvard grad who is a former teacher and veteran of the publishing industry, Lotus learning offers college essay help in the Boston area. They have a small team of tutors, mostly recent grads from good but not Ivy-Plus colleges, and mostly with focus in health sciences.
- Cost: $165/hour (minimum 8 hours)
- Essay coach qualifications: tutors are recent grads, but not Ivy-Plus schools
- Reasonable pricing with flexible packages
- Essay editors aren’t graduates of Ivy-Plus schools and don’t have professional writing experience
Large platforms
#11 – study point.
Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: unknown Study Point is a larger essay editing service. They claim to have several decades of experience helping students to craft their college essays, but they do not give information about who their essay coaches are and what qualifications they might have.
- Essay coach qualifications: unknown
- Larger company with several decades of experience
- Unclear who the essay coaches are
- Secretive about pricing
#12 – Ivy Select
Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: unknown Ivy Select is another larger essay editing service. They do not give information about who their essay coaches are and what qualifications they might have.
- No information on their website about who the editors are
- No professional writing experience
#13 – Empowerly
Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: unknown Empowerly has over 60 college counselors who each work with an average of 5 students per year, in order to have more time to devote to each student. Their counselors come from “different educational backgrounds,” and while they do not provide specific biographical details we can assume that most of their essay coaches did not attend highly selective schools.
- Cost: $3550 minimum package
- Essay coach qualifications: college counselors
- Counselors work with just a few students per year
- No information on their website about who the editors are , and most did not attend highly selective schools
#14 – BeMo
Our Verdict — Expensive and Aggressive with Wrong Expertise Price: $2997–12797 BeMo is a large admissions company based in Toronto, Canada. They focus primarily on admissions to medical schools and science graduate programs in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Their rates are expensive, and they justify these by pointing out potential high earnings decades later as a doctor. Past customers have commented that their “school selection consultation” doesn’t provide any information specific to the individual student or schools. They do provide a training process for their essay consultants, but their essay consultants do not have training as college counselors, do not have experience as professional writers, and did not attend Ivy-Plus schools . They have been known to be very aggressive with their marketing emails, and have included some strange language in their sales pitches that seems inappropriate for high school students.
- Cost: €2997/silver (one hour consultation and then unlimited written essay review for one application, no supplemental essays), €4797/gold (one hour consultation and then unlimited written essay review, incl. supplemental essays for up to 10 schools; waitlist letter, scholarship applications), €8797/platinum (unlimited consults), €12797/titanium (unlimited consults)
- They have more of an international scope
- High prices
- Not focused on undergrad admissions
Top 40 College Essay Services Considered
- College Essay Editor
- College Essay Advisors Admissions Essay Advising
- The College Essay Guy
- College Vine
- College Essay Mentor
- Study Point
- Allison Karpf
- The College Guru
- Lotus Learning
- Summit Prep
- Sofia Zapiola
- Ivy Global / New Summits
- College Essay Solutions
- Your College Vision
- Essay Edge*
- ServicEscape*
- PapersForge*
- QuickWriter*
- JustEditMyEssay*
- JustDoMyEsssay*
- ExpertWriting*
- SpeedyPaper*
- GradeMiners*
* A number of services will edit essays directly for students, or even write portions of the essay for students. We do not condone this. Admissions officers can tell when essays have been written or edited by adults and this can have severe consequences. We have excluded these services from our reviews.
Why are college application essays important?
Can a great college essay alone get you into Harvard?
No. You’ll need your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities (as well as letters of recommendation and interview) to be outstanding.
But can a mediocre essay be the reason you didn’t get into Harvard?
Yes. There are thousands of amazingly-qualified students who graduate from high school each year. Great grades and test scores might be a prerequisite for admission to a competitive college, but they alone aren’t enough.
College essays are a key component of a student’s application . When done well, they transform a collection of numbers—GPA, class rank, SAT or ACT scores , number of AP classes taken, AP scores—into a glimpse of a real, individual person.
Essays do many things. Good college essays can highlight extracurricular achievements which otherwise would be overlooked in a sterile list. Strong essays often indicate the student’s future plans —how they plan to leave a mark on their college campus and on the world. They can shine a light on unique challenges that a student may have had to face on their journey.
College admissions officers only have a few minutes to spend on each application. College essays need to be original, interesting, and memorable . They need to grab the attention of the admissions officer and persuade them that this is the student out of hundreds or thousands of other similarly-qualified applicants who should be admitted.
College admissions essays are usually unlike any other kind of writing that students have done before. They’re a combination of memoir and marketing pitch, and they need to be creative but also highly strategic. That’s a tough assignment!
What’s more, students are left to figure this assignment out on their own. A thoughtful and generous high school English teacher may provide guidance or offer to read essays and give feedback, but these teachers are responsible for many students, and they’re (usually) not experts in admissions strategies.
Why work with a college essay service?
You may want to consider a college essay service if:
- You have no idea where to start in order to write your college application essays
- You feel overwhelmed by all of the different ideas you have and don’t know what would be the most strategic for college admissions—and what topics to definitely avoid for college essays
- You don’t know how to craft a compelling story
- You’re not sure how to edit and refine what you’ve written
- You have a hard time keeping yourself on track and want an external structure to hold you accountable
- You’re tired of conflict between students and parents about college essays
- You’re aiming at a competitive college (not just the Ivy League!) and know that you need your essays to be outstanding
- Your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars aren’t exceptional, so you need your essay to make your essay stand out from the pack
- You’re unfamiliar with the US college admissions process (a common situation for international students and first-generation families in the US)
Any of these are strong reasons to consider working with a college essay service!
It’s important to note that a good college essay service will not write your college application essays for you . This is unethical and illegal.
A good college essay service will guide you through each step of the process , teaching you how to self-reflect and write well while sharing insider insight about admissions strategy .
What makes a good college essay service?
We strongly believe that students need to write their own college essays , and we do not condone plagiarism or “buying” a college essay.
However, writing college application essays requires a completely new set of skills that is rarely taught in high school!
Writing a personal essay is much more creative than simply writing a good paper for English class. It requires a compelling narrative and a great deal of writing craft . A good essay service will teach how to do this kind of writing.
There are many college essay services that will provide only written feedback to students, usually in the form of comments added to an essay draft. (Remember, it’s important that students write their own essays, so avoid any college essay service that will make edits directly to an essay document .)
Written comments can be an effective component of good essay coaching. However, writing college essays is a deeply personal process , and it’s incredibly difficult to guide a student through the process of self-reflection, brainstorming, and planning purely through written comments.
In addition, a great college essay coach will teach students how to do this entire process of brainstorming, planning, outlining, writing, and revising . It’s difficult to learn why an essay coach is advising certain changes through written comments alone.
For these reasons, look for a college essay service with live, one-on-one services , not just written feedback. These days, it’s easy to work with the best college essay consultants in the country over Zoom!
Students need to reflect on their goals, their passions, and what drives them to be the person they are. This requires a great deal of self-awareness and self-analysis . An experienced college essay coach can help draw these ideas out of students through tested introspection techniques and brainstorming exercises .
On top of all of that, students need to be cognizant of which traits and accomplishments will be most appealing to colleges , and which stories will be cliche and boring. Personal statements and supplementary essays need to fit together to tell a cohesive story, and they need to work together with the rest of the student’s application (extracurriculars, grades, and other accomplishments).
In other words, there’s a great deal of strategy here! An experienced college essay service can help students decide how to present themselves in the best possible light .
Furthermore, most students don’t know how to edit effectively . A really top-notch college essay service will also teach students how to edit their own writing —how to reorder sections for better flow, cut unnecessary words to meet a word count, eliminate passive verbs, and make their writing vivid and exciting. Our students are routinely amazed by how transformative this step can be, and how much they learn by doing it together with the essay coach.
Finally, the best college essay services can also help students to make a writing plan and keep them on track , so that parents don’t have to be involved directly.
Ready to work on your college essays? Schedule a free 15- to 30-minute consultation with Jessica or one of our founders.
Best overall: PrepMaven’s
Best for individual consultants:
Best for unlimited essay assistance:
Best of the big platforms:
Ready to work on college essays with one of our experienced writing coaches? Schedule a free test prep consultation with Jessica (Director of Tutoring) or one of our founders to see what would be the best fit for your family.
It’s always best to start early and not wait until the last minute to write your college essays! Remember that essays can be used to earn scholarships as well as college admission, so a few months of writing now can pay off with up to $300,000 in tuition saved later.
We work with students at all stages of the writing process, from I-have-no-idea-what-to-write to final edits. To start working with an Ivy-League writing coach today, set up a quick free consultation with our team.
Schedule a free college essay consultation
Related articles
11 College Essays That Worked 7 Qualities of a Successful College Essay 5 Ways to Structure Your College Essay The 6 Princeton Supplemental Essays: How to Respond How to Answer the Harvard Supplemental Essay Prompts How Colleges Read Your Application: A 4 Step Process What College Admissions Officers Look For: A Must-Read Guide
Emily graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.
CHECK OUT THESE RELATED POSTS
25 PSAT Tips: Advice from a Top 1% Scorer
February 24, 2023
Proven PSAT tips from a top-scorer and National Merit Scholar. Check out the 25 small steps to improve your PSAT score before and during the test, and...
PSAT Score Ranges: How to Understand and Learn From PSAT Scores
January 4, 2023
What’s the range for PSAT scores, and how can students use high scores on the PSAT to win big scholarships? We share expert strategy advice to improve…
What is the PSAT? A Princeton grad explains why this “practice” test can matter
January 2, 2023
A Princeton grad explains everything you need to know about the PSAT, and how students can use this test to earn up to $300k in just 3 hours by...
How long is the PSAT? Plus Updates for the New 2023 Digital PSAT
December 23, 2022
How long is the PSAT, and how is it changing in 2023? A National Merit Scholar explains the PSAT, including how to earn a high score and win college scholarships...
Average PSAT Scores: See How Your Score Compares
What’s the average score for the PSAT, and how can you use that data to plan for the SAT and college admissions? We share expert test prep strategy advice from Princeton grads to improve…
National Merit PSAT Scores: How to earn $300k in 3 hours with a great test score
A former National Merit Scholar explains what PSAT scores students need to win scholarships through the National Merit program. Cutoffs vary by state, so...
10 Easy SAT Writing Tips to Get a Perfect Score
Strategies from a perfect 800 scorer on how to ace the SAT Writing & Language section. Follow these 10 easy tips to increase your SAT scores and...
What is a Good PSAT Score? See What Scores You Need on the PSAT
December 20, 2022
What’s a good score for the PSAT? We use data to answer this question and provide guidance on how to achieve a great PSAT score and win scholarships…
What Does Test Optional Mean in 2023? — How to Decide Whether to Submit Your Test Scores
December 8, 2022
What test-optional means, how you can use this information to prepare for college applications, and a definitive way to determine if you should submit test scores...
How to Write a “Why This College” Essay + Examples that Worked for the Ivy League
Supplemental essays are the most overlooked part of college applications — but they're actually very important! Here's how to write a “why this college” essay that will convince admissions officers you'd be a great fit for their school.
Privacy Preference Center
Privacy preferences.
Tufts Blogs
Current tufts students, inside admissions, the only four college essay writing tips you'll ever need.
Each year, about half of our applicants submit their application in the last few days before the deadline. Even our ED early birds seem to know how to procrastinate. So as our November 1 ED deadline approaches, I thought I'd write to you, future applicants everywhere, and give you four easy tips for a great college essay. Here we go!
1. It's time to be a little self-centered : Despite the often bad rap, I find seniors in high school have a hard time being self-centered when it comes to writing their college essays. Often your instinct is to write about something else - an experience, another person, a favorite activity - rather than your personality, passions, or quirks. This makes sense; your writing experience up until this point has consisted of essays on books you've read or concepts you've learned. But now we need you to look inward. Fight the urge to focus on your athletic practice schedule, the grandparent you admire, or the community service experience from last summer. You may use these people or experiences as launching pads to discuss yourself, but that is all they should be. What kind of teammate are you? Is grandpa the reason you've always got a harmonica in your purse? Did the service trip spark a deep interest in a specific social issue that now drives your academic study? These are better areas of focus than the sport, grandparent, or trip themselves.
2. It's all about detail : As I see it, you have two options when exploring a topic in your college essay: go broad or go deep. Let me give an example: in writing about your budding interest in art history, you could write that you've always loved visiting museums, and how your art history course in high school solidified the interest. Then you could list your favorite artists. That's going broad. OR, you could geek out about Edward Hopper. You could write about his lonely, minimalist paintings and how they make you feel, and you could tell the reader that you've always admired his talent for telling a whole story with only a few seemingly unimportant characters. You could write about your own storytelling and how it is inspired by Hopper. That's going deep. One is better than the other (I'll give you a hint: it's the second one). By focusing on details, you set yourself apart; many people love museums and could list some artists that they like. Not many have taken the time to geek out about Edward Hopper on paper.
3. Write how you speak : If your friends, family members, and teachers would describe you as silly, outgoing, and uninhibited, why would you submit a collection of essays all written in a formal, subdued tone? (The same goes for you, introverts: if you’re quieter in person, write a quieter essay! Thoughtfulness, introspection, and an unassuming tone make for great college essays too!) Many college essay writers choose to tell me outright that their personality is this way or that way. Telling me that your friends would describe you as silly and outgoing is, unfortunately, not enough. As the admissions officer reading your application, I need proof – in the form of a written tone that matches your spoken one. As I read through your essays, I am crafting an image in my head of the person who will arrive on our campus in the fall if admitted. Your job is to arm me with examples of who this person is. Do this through not just in what you say but how you say it.
4. Show your essay to two people, and no more: Often the worst thing that can happen to a college essay is editing. Of course editing is important (spell check people), but when you have many different people giving you feedback, you often lose your voice in all the changes. You're hidden behind perfect grammar, sterile language, and phrases thrown in because "it's what admissions officers want to hear." Let me demystify something for you: I hate the things you write because "it's what admissions officers want to hear." They're boring. And forced. And misguided. Sometimes you need to disregard the conventions of English essay writing to make sure your tone and style are prominent. Then show your essays to two people - one who is a strong writer, and one who knows you really well (they can tell you if your essay is genuinely YOU). After that, I beg of you, stop.
There you have it! Follow these four guidelines and I guarantee you’ll have the essays of a stellar college application. You’ll also have more fun throughout the writing process and feel satisfied with your essays because they will represent your true self. And that’s quite an accomplishment among all the stress and pressure of the college application process. Go you!
How to Write a College Application Essay: A Complete Guide
Share this Article
- College application essays allow students to showcase their strengths and uniqueness.
- A well-written college essay could tip an admission decision in your favor.
- Students should spend time editing and proofreading their application essays.
- Your college application essay should focus on you and a meaningful topic.
Many colleges and universities require a college admissions essay as part of the application process. These personal statements allow students to describe their academic achievements, their strengths, and other personal aspects that can help admissions officers see them as unique individuals.
The essay also demonstrates a student's readiness for college and likelihood of success. While an applicant's GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and transcripts are important, a college application essay can offer an admissions department insights that these metrics don't reveal.
BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
How important is the college application essay.
Many schools strongly emphasize the college application essay during admissions.
Although universities consider other elements such as GPA and recommendation letters , an outstanding personal essay for college can help you stand out from other applicants. If you have a similar GPA and test scores to those of other applicants, an essay can allow you to differentiate yourself.
According to a 2018-19 study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling , 56.4% of admissions counselors reported that their institutions placed "considerable" or "moderate" importance on the college application essay when making admission decisions.
The report also found that private schools and more selective colleges tended to put the most weight on admissions essays.
How Long Should a College Essay Be?
Most effective college essay topics tend to reflect conciseness. Students who don't know how to write a personal statement for college might lose their readers' attention if they take too long to make their point. Applicants should remember that they get only a few hundred words to leave a favorable impression.
The Common App essay , for example, allows applicants to write a maximum of 650 words and a minimum of 250 words. Most supplemental essays submitted through this application system should be around 250 words or less.
With the Coalition Application, essays should be 500-650 words long .
What Kinds of College Essay Prompts Are There?
College essay prompts typically consist of broad, open-ended questions. They intend to focus students' writing while allowing for some freedom when addressing a topic. Depending on the school, students might respond to one prompt or pick from several.
Students should pay attention to what a prompt asks and stay on topic. Failing to answer the prompt directly is a common mistake when writing a personal statement for college.
Both the Common App and Coalition for College provide several prompts. Students should read their chosen question carefully as they develop their response. Creating outlines can help applicants stay on topic.
Common App Essay Prompts, 2021-22
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
- Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Coalition App Essay Prompts, 2021-22
- Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
- Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
- Has there been a time when you've had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
- What is the hardest part of being a student now? What's the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
- Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
What Are Some Examples of Good College Essay Topics?
Good college essay topics enable concise, transparent, honest, and meaningful writing. Because personal statements should differentiate applicants from their peers, topics should include compelling details and anecdotes.
Students should think carefully before writing about a negative experience or personal weakness. A college essay should portray the applicant positively, and dwelling on difficult or taboo topics could detract from your strengths.
You might look for college application essay examples to help you brainstorm topics. Students can also consider asking family members and peers to comment on their strengths and unique qualities. They may have insight to offer about what makes an applicant a good fit for a particular major or area of study.
Below are some examples of good college essay topics:
- A Defining Moment, Experience, or Realization: An experience that changed your perspective; a strong belief you no longer hold
- Someone Who Has Greatly Influenced You: Your most important mentor; a person who changed your life for the better
- A Key Part of Your Identity: An important aspect about you that you wish more people knew; your best characteristic
- Your Biggest Passion: A cause for which you have sacrificed; how your passion helped shape your identity
- A Problem You Solved: A significant obstacle you overcame; a solution you developed that achieved results
- A Unique Hobby: Your most enjoyable pastime; a time when your hobby taught you a valuable lesson
How to Write a Personal Statement for College: 6 Tips
A key characteristic of an excellent college application essay is writing quality. The personal statement can weigh heavily on some admission decisions. With this in mind, students can employ several strategies to make their essays stand out.
1. Pick a Meaningful Topic
Compelling college essay topics enable applicants to tell memorable and relatable stories. Students choosing subjects that hold personal meaning for them will likely write with more authenticity and enthusiasm, maintaining readers' interest.
Applicants should focus more on writing something they care about rather than what they think will impress admissions officers.
2. Keep the Focus on You
Unlike test scores or letters of recommendation, good college essay topics give students considerable control over how they express their best selves. Therefore, the essay should focus on them and not on other people.
Even personal statements that discuss an influential teacher or mentor should keep the story's focus on the applicant, such as how that person drove you to change or take action.
3. Use Specific Details and Examples
College essays ideally illustrate students' potential by outlining their achievements. These statements should include detailed descriptions and examples that portray experiences rather than future goals.
For instance, students who want to convey their leadership skills might describe specific incidents when they inspired others or helped a group achieve a tangible output.
4. Reveal Something Unique About Yourself
A student should write a college application essay that distinguishes them from other applicants. For example, writing about playing a niche instrument or winning an Olympic medal can help students stand out from other applicants. Doing so also demonstrates how your distinctive qualities will add to campus life.
5. Tell a Story
Students should use their college admissions essays to tell stories, striving for quality instead of quantity. In other words, you should avoid discussing your entire life and instead focus on one or two strong anecdotes that reveal your true self.
Applicants may write about specific hobbies or work experiences that highlight their values, skills, or proficiencies.
6. Edit and Proofread
Editing involves fine-tuning a draft to improve its organization and clarity. Proofreading typically follows editing and entails checking for errors. Once applicants have edited and proofread their essays, they'll benefit from at least one more read-through.
You should also strongly consider asking someone else to review your draft to catch additional errors and provide constructive feedback.
What Should You Avoid in Your Personal Essay for College?
Although a personal essay for college can demonstrate excellent writing and topic choice, it can still leave an unfavorable impression if it contains inappropriate or repetitive information. Here are some examples of topics to leave out of your statement.
Your Grades, Test Scores, and Academic Achievements
Successful college essays typically include information that does not appear anywhere else in the application. When reviewing other submission documents, admissions officers can learn about students' grades, previous courses, and scholarly achievements. As such, the essay should not focus on these kinds of details.
Your Life of Privilege
Steer clear of topics that highlight a privileged lifestyle. For example, framing a relatively common athletic injury as the hardest challenge you've faced may not demonstrate resilience as effectively as you'd like it to. It also suggests a lack of awareness of more serious obstacles others your age have faced.
In your eyes, Fido and Fluffy may be the most amazing creatures on the planet. But we all love our pets. You want your college essay to stand out by focusing on a topic or experience that's unique to you rather than something universal.
Cliches and Trite Quotations
A college admissions essay presents an opportunity for students to express their creativity and originality of thought. Using cliches and trite expressions makes writers appear lazy or unimaginative. Also, some sayings may be relevant to specific cultures, alienating or confusing some readers.
Your Criminal Record
Everybody admires an underdog who overcomes adversity, but illuminating past missteps with the law isn't exactly the best way to make a good first impression on college admissions officers. While you shouldn't sanitize reality for the benefit of your readers, choose a college essay topic that at the very least presents you in a positive light.
Grammar and Spelling Mistakes
Knowing how to write a college application essay includes detecting spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Error-free personal statements go far to illustrate applicants' excellent writing skills. Students might ask teachers, mentors, or others they trust to read their essays to catch any mistakes before submitting them.
College Application Essay Example
I planned my high school career carefully: marching band, honors courses, and three dual-credit college classes. My senior year should have been a smooth glide to graduation, with multiple electives to fill out the seven-hour day.
As a member of the Class of 2011, however, I became part of the first group of students to fall under the Texas Education Agency's new "4x4 plan." High school graduation requirements for Texas students expanded to include four years of four core subjects: mathematics, social studies, English, and science.
Under the new plan, despite careful planning, I was one year short on science. Due to the limited curriculum options of my small school, the only course on my prescribed registration list was Biology II. Enrolling in Biology II meant participating in the final project: dissecting cats.
I had avoided the course in the past for this exact reason. Being a longtime animal lover and advocate, there was simply no way I would — or could — take a scalpel to the body of a nameless shelter cat — killed in a gas chamber, its limbs stiff, fur matted with embalming fluid.
If all else failed, I was ready to sacrifice my 4.0 GPA. I was prepared to sit out for the project and take a dozen failing grades.
But first, I decided to put up a fight.
I drafted a formal letter to the principal and the biology teacher, discussing my reservations. I sent a second letter to the school's anatomy teacher. Her courses were over capacity, strictly limited to students interested in pursuing a health major in college, and the only other science option available at my grade level.
I let them know how the sudden introduction of the 4x4 plan felt like a punishment to students like me who had painstakingly planned their high school years from the start. I told them of my compassion for all living creatures, my concern with the use of cruel carbon monoxide euthanasia in Texas shelters, and the availability of modern computer programs that required no desecration of beloved companion animals.
When my senior year arrived, I had a seat in the crowded anatomy classroom — a future music major, alongside two dozen students with their eyes set on nursing, physical therapy, and medical school.
Presenting my views in a clear, respectful way prompted three adults in authority to make a positive change on my behalf. I was further informed that, in the years to follow, shelter cats would be phased out of Biology II and replaced with virtual dissection labs.
Feature Image: fotostorm / E+ / Getty Images
Explore More College Resources
Admissions experts’ top 7 college essay tips.
7 Expert Tips for the Common App Essay
Writing About COVID-19 in Your College Essay
Compare your school options.
View the most relevant schools for your interests and compare them by tuition, programs, acceptance rate, and other factors important to finding your college home.
- Staff & Faculty
- Current Students
- Parents & Family
- Visitors & Community
- Support Marymount
- COVID-19 Information
- Marymount Shuttles
- Student Counseling Services
- News & Events
- Campus Safety
- Faculty & Staff Directory
- My Marymount
- Registrar’s Office
- Library & Learning Services
- Campus Ministry
- Human Resources
- Office of the President
- Marymount at a Glance
- Points of Pride
- Our Mission, Vision, & Plan
- Capital Location
- Our History
- The Rixey History
- Our Inclusive Community
- Marymount’s Economic Impact
- Involvement & Service
- Distinguished Speakers
- Map and Directions
- Visit Marymount
- Admitted Students
- Undergraduate Students
- Graduate Students
- Online Students
- Non Degree Students
- Summer Programs
- Early College Programs
- Scholarships & Aid
- Early Learning Academy
- New Student Scholarships
- How to Apply
- Types of Aid
- Graduate Student Aid
- Military & Veteran Services
- Financial Aid FAQs
- Tuition & Fees
- Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
- Office of the Provost
- Academic Calendar
- Majors & Programs
- Online Programs
- Services & Resources
- College of Business, Innovation, Leadership, and Technology
- College of Health and Education
- College of Sciences and Humanities
- Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Marymount Global
- Center for Optimal Aging
- Saints’ Service Network
- Faculty Research and Experts
- Commencement
- Student Affairs Administration
- New Student Orientation
- International Student & Scholar Services
- Student Activities and Events
- Student Accounts
- Commuter Students
- Student Health and Well-being
- Community Standards and Title IX
- Ministry, Activities & Leadership
- Careers, Internships & Employment
- Auxiliary Services
- Campus Safety & Emergency Management
- Student Government Association
Home News 6 tools to help you write your college application essays
6 tools to help you write your college application essays
As your parents keep asking if you’ve finished your college applications yet , you may groan inwardly and try to procrastinate. But writing those application essays doesn’t have to be so torturous. Sometimes it’s only a matter of having the right tools to stimulate the writing genius inside of you. Here are seven of our favorite tools to get you started — and finished!
1. Coffitivity: music for writing your essays
Productivity doesn’t thrive everywhere. Certain atmospheres are preferable to others, and sound can play a big role in that. Silence can be unnerving and, for some, induce anxiety. Music can help, but when the tunes get catchy, concentration is doomed. But there is a happy medium — white noise. It lacks the distracting aesthetic intrigue of music, yet still avoids the discomfort of silence. Coffitivity is fun because it provides the ambient sounds of a café to boost your creativity and help you work better, without forcing you to be in public or feel pressured to buy a $5 coffee!
2. Essay Topic Generator: it’s in the name!
Where to begin? You’ve read through the essay prompts, and you’re drawing a blank. Or maybe you have a million ideas but can’t narrow them down to one single focus. In either situation, Essay Topic Generator might be your new friend. Toss a few keywords into the generator, select an essay style (such as ‘persuasive’ or ‘reflective’) and boom — you have a list of ideas to choose from, or at least fodder for your own brainstorming.
3. Tomato Timer: reserve time to get work done
Often, the hardest part about writing your college essays is maintaining the discipline to simply sit and write. There are so many things you’d rather be doing, not to mention the near-constant temptation to answer texts and social media notifications. But Tomato Timer helps you break up your time into manageable 25-minute sessions during which you ignore everything but your work until the timer rings. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done when you buckle down and work for a solid number of minutes. Then, you take a break, check your notifications and repeat.
4. One Look Thesaurus: opening up your vocabulary
Searching for the perfect word? Thesauruses are always useful, but One Look is unique. You can use it in the traditional manner to find synonyms when your own vocabulary runs dry. But the coolest feature it offers is the reverse dictionary feature, which has you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept. This essentially serves as a brainstorm for the direction in which your essay can go once you’ve picked a topic.
5. Hemingway Editor: cutting out what is needed
You want to impress the admissions staff with your essay, but all too easily you might slip into unnecessary wordiness. Enter Hemingway . The modern writer was known for his concise, unadorned style, and this app can help your writing become as direct and readable as the Iceberg Theory man himself.
6. Grammarly: remove errors from your essays
Nothing clouds your meaning as much as poor grammar. And let’s face it — Microsoft Word just doesn’t cut it with grammar and spell check. But Grammarly has a much more advanced editor that will scan your text for more than 250 grammar rules, spanning everything from subject-verb agreement to article use to modifier placement. Play it safe by submitting an essay that is free of errors and can be evaluated solely on the merit of its message and composition.
Feeling inspired yet? Applying to college can be stressful , and completing your application essays can sometimes be the hardest part. But if you fill your toolbelt with these apps and websites, you’ll be writing like a champ in no time.
(703) 522-5600
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
- Contact CONTACT MARYMOUNT
- Directions MAPS & DIRECTIONS
- Careers CAREERS AT MARYMOUNT
- Student Jobs JOBS ON CAMPUS (MU STUDENT)
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
College Essay Guy - Personal statement and college essay tips, guides, resources, consulting, and webinars for students, parents and counselors.
Tips for a Stellar College Application Essay · 1. Write about something that's important to you. · 2. Don't just recount—reflect! · 3. Being funny is tough. · 4.
Our expert Advisors work with students one-on-one to help them write stellar admissions essays and gain acceptance to top schools across the country.
How to Help Your Students · Suggest they get advice from teachers who understand the role of the essay and who know them well. · Recommend brainstorming
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a College Application Essay · 1. Explore essay prompts and select a topic. · 2. Start your college essay outline before jumping in.
Your child can receive expert help writing college application essays from a leader in the college admissions community.
Working on college application essays? ... Any student wanting college essay help, at any point in the process, with a range of budgets.
Each year, about half of our applicants submit their application in the last few days before the deadline. Even our ED early birds seem to
Students should use their college admissions essays to tell stories, striving for quality instead of quantity. In other words, you should avoid discussing your
Get started (and finished) with your college application essays with these seven tools that will stimulate the writing genius inside of you!