3 Steps to Writing Winning College Essays

Hey guys, it’s Eric at Solution Prep, and today we’re talking about the three step process to writing a winning college application essay. And that’s: written first, good next, and length last.

In your first step, you just have to get it written. Tell your story. Write too much. Don’t worry about it being clever or having a good hook.

We’ll get to that in step two: when we cut things that don’t serve the story, don’t answer the question, and that maybe don’t reflect your best writing. Things that you needed to write to get your brain to the good stuff that you eventually did wind up writing as part of a natural writing and thinking process until you’re happy with your story.

Then, you can go to step three, which is cutting for length. For the Common App essay, the maximum length is 650 words, but for school specific application essays, it could be a lot shorter. And when you trim some of that stuff out, you may feel like you’re cutting some of your favorite bits, but you may find out that at the end it may be a stronger story because you get right to the chase.

And you shouldn’t go alone. I will tell you, Mark Twain, Jane Austin, and Ernest Hemingway all had editors. And if it helped them, it’ll probably help you too. And as much as your parents or your friends want to help, they’re not professionals. So work with an English teacher or with someone who specializes in helping students with their application essays to make sure your essays shine.

Get going, and if you have questions, call us at 732-556-8220. We are here to help.