Write Your College Essay
The college essay — or personal statement — lets 
you tell your story in your own words. This is your 
opportunity to express who you are beyond your 
grades and test scores.
Know Your Audience 
•Your essay is intended to demonstrate your writing 
skills. Give yourself enough time to craft your essay, 
proofread and edit it, and show it to several other  
people. Start it the summer before your senior year.
•Admissions officers read hundreds — sometimes  
thousands — of essays each year. The way to stand 
out is to write honestly, clearly, and authentically 
about yourself.
•Know that admissions officers are looking for  
students who can and will succeed at their school. 
Your essay should convince them you are a student 
they want to accept — someone who will be a good 
fit for their school.
•There is no “right” topic to write about or right  
voice to use. The best topic to write about is one  
that matters to you and conveys what makes you  
a unique applicant. The best voice is yours — be 
yourself, use language that feels comfortable to  
you, and tell your story.
Conquer the Blank Page 
Getting started is the hardest part. Follow these steps 
to write a strong essay: 
•Brainstorm topics, letting ideas flow. Use the activity  
on p. 38 to help jumpstart your essay.
•Organize your ideas in an outline.
•Allow your first draft to be just that — a first draft. 
Do not stress about it. Just write and know you will 
revise it later.
•Take a break from writing and then return to your 
draft. Reread and revise it. Be creative in telling  
your story — start with an anecdote or find a way  
to relate your story back to the college.
•Look for unnecessary words that do not add to 
your story. Make sure your details matter and are  
not just taking up space. The best essays make 
every word count.
•Focus on the content first and save grammar  
and spelling for later. For help, see “Revise and 
Proofread Your Essay” on p. 39.
•Ask for honest feedback on your essay from your 
success network.
•After each draft, set your essay aside for a day  
or two, then reread and revise.
•Proofread for grammar, formatting, and typos.  
Read it out loud to hear how it sounds. Print it out to 
catch mistakes missed on the screen. Ask someone  
else 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.
 
Avoid These Essay Topics 
•Your admiration for a role model, family member,  
or celebrity. The essay should be about you.
•A traumatic experience, such as the illness or death  
of a family member or friend, unless you write about 
how it affected you and the resilience you gained 
from the experience.
37
Applying to College
 
The College Essay Guy 
Visit www.collegeessayguy.com for practical advice and 
helpful tools for writing your essay, such as example 
essays, step-by-step guides, and video courses. You can 
also have your college essay reviewed. Many resources 
are provided free of charge, and others are offered at  
a “pay-what-you-can” rate as low as $10.
Pathways  
 to  Prosperity
 
Do Not Use AI to Write  
Your College Essay 
AI is rapidly changing how students research and write, 
and sometimes it can be a useful tool. However, experts 
agree that AI should not be used for writing your college 
essay. The Common App and many colleges have  
policies that require students to write their essays on  
their own. In fact, when submitting a college application,  
you will be asked to verify that the work submitted is 
yours alone. AI tools should only be used to review  
spelling and grammar of completed essays.
Pathways  
 to  Prosperity

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