The time to write your essays came faster than you thought. Hopefully, you gave yourself a little more time to view the prompts for each application and time to write and edit your responses rather than cramming it all in a few days before the deadline.
Writing essay responses can be a difficult task at times, but there a few key things to remember while trying to write:
Pick The Right Prompt.
Applications usually give you the choice of several different questions to answer and it is always critical to pick a topic you know you can strongly relate to, answer clearly, and have plenty to talk about. Being able to relate to a prompt in a clear manner will ensure you are facilitating the writing process rather than picking a prompt you cannot answer clearly or easily.
Related: Energy Is Key: Jump, Laugh, and Yell Before You Write
Write Multiple Responses.
After picking a prompt you can talk about, I find it helpful to write two or three different responses just for that one prompt. By doing this, you are brainstorming any ideas and for the prompt and can select which responses you view as the best. The process of narrowing down what you want to say includes using the best ideas in your head then comparing them to one another to see which is most effective in answering the prompt.
Narrowing It Down. Now that you have written several responses for one prompt, select which response you feel is the strongest, tells the most about you, and makes you stand out. This response will be the best to use to answer the prompt and it should be edited and rewritten a few times to perfect it.
Editing (bc gud gramer is gr8).
While making changes to the response you have chosen to use for the prompt, it is important to maintain the identity of that response and what makes it a good response. It is crucial to also display a sense of creativity in your response which will make your application more unique and stand out.
Related: Get It Written, Not Right: How to Defeat The Dreaded Writers Block
In addition, finding resources around you to help edit and perfect your responses will ensure you are doing everything possible to bring your words to life and make your application stand out. Resources may include people such as English teachers, tutors, guidance counselors, and even friends who are willing to provide input on your responses. Overall, makes sure you are selecting a prompt that you are comfortable with and feel like you can talk a lot about in detail to ensure that you are maximizing your efforts to make your application and essays stand out to colleges.
