College Application Essay Series: Technique

By An Li and Lynn Horowitz

When you apply to college, you will definitely be writing at least one essay, so we’ve thought about some pointers that can help you write a strong application essay. It is important to remember that while the essay you write is integral to your application, in holistic admissions, it is not the only thing that matters. However, writing a strong essay can set you apart from other applicants by telling a compelling story well. There are three main components to keep in mind when writing your essay: technique, topic and tone. 

This overview has to do with your main essay, like the Common Application essay or Coalition Application essay, meaning that almost every school you apply to would see it. However, you can use these tips on any essay that is required as part of your application to specific schools.

Key Questions: 

Are you ready to write at the college level?

Have you answered the essay prompt question?

Can you work within the constraints of a word or page limit? 

What is Technique?

Technique is what is most obvious on the page to your essay reader. It includes your spelling, word choice, and even following the guidelines posted for the essay––if a college asks for no more than 250 words and you write 1,000, right away admissions officers can see that you not only didn’t follow the guidelines, but that you might not be able to tell your story in a concise way. In many ways, the college application essay is a writing sample and it allows you to tell something about yourself, but also your preparedness for college.

  • First steps towards good technique.
      • Throughout high school, you may have been writing your essays using the 5 paragraph format. At its basic level, the 5 paragraph essay is a way to outline your thoughts so that it is easier for the reader to understand. Even a 1 page essay needs an outline and structure! And although you might not be writing to argue a point you are trying to make, a narrative story needs a beginning, middle and end. 
  • Make sure your ideas are understandable.
      • Another important aspect of technique is making sure that you are able to write something about yourself that is understandable. This means distilling many different parts of yourself to even just 700 words! It can feel daunting to attempt to do that, but one way to make sure that your story is coherent is by not choosing too many things to say about yourself and having your essay go in too many directions. In other words, follow the prompt!
  • Follow the prompt.
      • One way to make sure that your essay is not going in too many directions is by making sure that you are answering what the prompt asked. All application questions provide prompts––both the Common App and Coalition App’s main essay has several prompts to choose from, and specific colleges might ask for several other shorter essays that answer other prompts––so you will always have a starting point. When thinking about your writing, make sure that your story ultimately can reflect some type of answer to the prompt.
  • Edit!
    • Perhaps the most important part of technique is making sure that you edit your essay. This means not only being careful of misplaced commas and typos, but also choosing the right words and making sure you don’t have run-on sentences. It can be very obvious to readers if you end up picking up a thesaurus and changing every other word to any random synonym, as well as simplifying copying and pasting a different essay for another college and forgetting to change the name of the college! In addition, it always helps to have a friend, mentor, parent, or teacher look over your writing––a second set of eyes will always be able to see the mistakes before you do!

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