How to Write a College Essay That’s Actually Good
Let me guess. You sit down to write your college application essay, and your brain starts going: “What do I need to say to make them let me in?”
There are three reasons you’re thinking this way:
- You’ve never written a personal essay before. You’ve written analytical essays, but no one has asked you to write a serious essay about yourself.
- You’re stressed. Your parents and friends are telling you that this moment is going to determine the rest of your life, and you don’t want to mess up.
- You know or you’ve heard of someone who got into a fancy school with a clever essay — or you’ve read one of the countless “essays that worked” online.
It’s the third factor that causes the most harm. Because you’re feeling unprepared and stressed, you think there’s some magic formula, and you just need to work out what it is. This approach leads students to misrepresent themselves, embarrass themselves, and submit essays that have no connection to their actual experiences — and that ultimately make readers cringe.
There’s another way to approach this. Write something real. Spend some time reflecting on your life, and then sit down and put your thoughts into language that’s clear and direct.
It’s not a test
The personal statement is completely different from the rest of the application process.
If you want to increase your GPA, you can work harder in your classes. If you want to raise your SAT or ACT, take a test prep course. If you want to improve your resume, participate in more extracurriculars. So, everyone naturally asks, how do you nail your application essays?
After helping students with their essays for more than a decade, I believe the question is misguided. The personal statement can’t be hacked. If you treat it that way, it will inevitably bring your overall application down. Why? Because you’ll demonstrate to the admissions officer that you haven’t taken their questions seriously. You haven’t stopped for a moment to think about what you’ve actually learned. And that’s what the essay is for.
If you look closely at the Common App essay prompts, you’ll see they’re refreshingly honest attempts to encourage you to write about yourself. They’re not a test. They’re a genuine opportunity to tell the admissions committee something they don’t already know after reading the rest of your application.
Working on the Common App?
What to do — and what not to do
There’s a whole range of mistakes you should avoid when writing your college essay. You shouldn’t lie. You shouldn’t beg. You shouldn’t boast. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute and submit something full of careless errors. This is all commonsense advice anyone could give you.
But the striking thing is that once you get beyond these obvious points, there’s a single factor that distinguishes a good college essay from a bad one. When the admissions officer reads your file, it all comes down to this: Does the applicant appear to be reflecting honestly about their personal experience, or are they lapsing into cliché and saying what they think they should be saying?
The vast majority of essays end up being clichéd. They’re guilty – in terms of content or style (or both) – of sounding generic and not demonstrating any kind of independent thought.
If you write an essay that’s generic in terms of content, it means you draw obvious conclusions from your experience. You say something predictable that the admissions committee has read a thousand times. The classic example is describing a significant challenge in your life, and then saying, “I’m actually glad it happened to me, because it made me grow stronger as a result.”
If you write an essay that’s generic in terms of style, it means you use flowery language to describe your experience. Your writing sounds cutesy or sentimental, and you include irrelevant details and over-the-top metaphors because you think that’s what “good writing” entails. Again, students fall into this trap all the time.
How do you avoid coming across as generic in your personal essay? You need to think before you write. You need to stop and be patient; you need to wonder what makes your experience different from other people’s; you need to be honest, even if it makes you uncomfortable (especially if it makes you uncomfortable).
If you spend time thinking before you write, you’ll eventually hit on an idea that feels so true to your experience that the writing itself becomes secondary. You’ll know you have something important to say — and that confidence will help you write it clearly. You’ll end up writing something that no one else could have written, which is exactly what the admissions committee is hoping you’ll do.
So how do you actually write a strong college essay?
You start by getting honest with yourself. Reflect on your experiences without worrying about sounding impressive. Ask yourself what really mattered, what surprised you, what changed you — and why.
Then write it clearly. Don’t try to impress. Don’t try to sound older or smarter than you are. Just focus on clarity and truth. That’s what admissions officers want — not polish, but substance.
If you’re struggling with this process, you’re not alone. Most students are so used to excelling in school that they forget how to reflect. That’s where guidance can help — not by telling you what to write, but by helping you think through your story in a deeper way.
If you want help thinking through your story and getting your ideas on the page, the right kind of guidance can make a big difference — especially when it comes to writing a good college essay.
Ready to go deeper — with guidance that’s actually helpful?
Writing a strong college essay is about honesty, reflection, and knowing what to say (and what to leave out). If you’re looking for support that meets you where you are — and helps you craft something real — I’d love to work with you.
More Resources on College Essays
Want to dive deeper into my approach? Below are some of the most-read articles I’ve written on what makes a great college essay — and how to avoid the common traps.
A no-nonsense guide to what admissions officers actually value — and why generic advice about “what colleges want” often backfires.
Even top students fall into predictable traps. This guide offers five common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Not sure if you need coaching? This article helps you figure out what kind of support (if any) is right for you.
Tips for writing compelling UC PIQ responses that sound like you — not like everyone else applying.
Most high-achieving students approach the college essay the wrong way. Here’s why that strategy backfires — and what to do instead.
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