b'35Write Your College Essay a unique applicant. The best voice is yoursbe The college essayor personal statementletsyourself, use language that feels comfortable toyou tell your story in your own words. This is youryou, and tell your story.opportunity to express who you are beyond yourConquer the Blank PageApplying to Collegegrades and test scores.Getting started is the hardest part. Follow these steps Know Your Audienceto write a strong essay: Your essay is intended to demonstrate your writingBrainstorm topics, letting ideas flow. Use the activityskills. Give yourself enough time to craft your essay,on p. 36 to help jumpstart your essay.proofread and edit it, and show it to several other Organize your ideas in an outline.people. Start it the summer before your senior year. Allow your first draft to be just thata first draft. Admissions officers read hundredssometimes Do not stress about it. Just write and know you will thousandsof essays each year. The way to standrevise it later.out is to write honestly, clearly, and authentically about yourself. Take a break from writing and then return to your Know that admissions officers are looking for draft. Reread and revise it. Be creative in tellingstudents who can and will succeed at their school.your storystart with an anecdote or find a wayYour essay should convince them you are a studentto relate your story back to the college.they want to acceptsomeone who will be a goodLook for unnecessary words that do not add to fit for their school. your story. Make sure your details matter and areThere is no right topic to write about or right not just taking up space. The best essays make voice to use. The best topic to write about is one every word count.that matters to you and conveys what makes you Focus on the content first and save grammarand spelling for later. For help, see Revise and Proofread Your Essay on p. 37.Ask for honest feedback on your essay from yourcollege prep team.After each draft, set your essay aside for a dayor two, then reread and revise.Proofread for grammar, formatting, and typos. Read it out loud to hear how it sounds. Print it out to Bentley University catch mistakes missed on the screen. Ask someoneelse to proofread your essay to catch any errors you may have missed. Read it one more time to make sure your grammar and spelling are perfect.Do not rely upon AI to create an impactful and effective essay.Essays made with AI lack your personal voice and ideas.The College Essay GuyAvoid These Essay Topics Visit www.collegeessayguy.com for practical advice and helpful tools for writing your essay, such as exampleYour admiration for a role model, family member,essays, step-by-step guides, and video courses. You canor celebrity. The essay should be about you.also have your college essay reviewed. Many resourcesA traumatic experience, such as the illness or deathare provided free of charge, and others are offered at of a family member or friend, unless you write about a pay-what-you-can rate as low as $10. how it affected you and the resilience you gained from the experience.'