When applying to colleges, you’ll submit multiple pieces of evidence to show admissions officers why you should be accepted to their college. This includes things like your GPA, your standardized test scores, your resume, your extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and one or more essays. Your college essays are an opportunity to show admissions officers something different that isn’t captured in the rest of your application materials.
Most colleges require that applicants submit a personal statement essay, and many also require supplemental essays. We have developed ultimate guides for how to tackle specific types of essays, including the Common App personal statement, supplemental essays, Why Major Essay, and Why This College Essay. We also have tips for how to tackle essays for specific colleges, such as UChicago, UPenn, Harvard, Northwestern, Stanford, Yale, and the UC PIQs.
Given the importance and number of essays you’re expected to write, many students wonder, What do colleges look for in essays? In this blog post, we’ll explore what colleges look for across all of your essays and how you can craft responses that stand out to admissions.
What Do Colleges Look for In Essays?
Though there are a number of smaller elements that individual admissions officers may prioritize, the three key factors factors for a successful college essay are authenticity, vulnerability, and clarity.
1. Authenticity
When searching for tips on what makes a good college essay or what colleges look for in essays, it can be tempting to follow examples of other people’s essays who got into schools that you want to get into. Or maybe you have an older sibling or friend who wrote a killer essay that you can’t imagine topping. However, it’s important to recognize that each essay is unique—just as each person is unique.
At HelloCollege, we’re big believers in the power of sharing your own story in your essays. It’s impossible to be unique if you’re trying to mirror your essay off of someone else’s. The admissions officer wants to read an essay about you—not about some random person on the Internet, or a family member, or a friend. Don’t try to mold yourself into someone else. As you write and revise your essays, never forget that this is your college application, so it needs to be your essay.
An important step in being your authentic self in your essays is reflecting on who you are. Taking the time to dig deep and reflect on what makes you unique will pay off when writing your college essays. Build time into your essay writing plan to brainstorm your individual qualities and how they map onto various essay prompts across all of the essays that you need to write. Devoting this time up front will help you showcase multiple aspects of your personality across your essays so that admissions officers can get to know the real you.
2. Vulnerability
A big part of giving admissions officers the chance to get to know who you are is being vulnerable. We’re not saying that you need to overshare in your essays, but it is important to be willing to open up enough to give admissions officers a window into your true character and personality. Being vulnerable can be intimidating or even scary, but it is an effective way to meet the first goal of being authentic.
Showing vulnerability through your writing takes courage and shows that you’re human. This is especially important as we see increased use of AI in college essay writing. Colleges look for honesty and genuine self-reflection. While it’s important to highlight your strengths, don’t be afraid to show a more personal side of yourself in your essays.
Being vulnerable in your essays also allows you to show growth, which is something that college admissions officers are looking for in prospective students. If you’re able to open up about your fears, worries, or challenges, it reveals your human side and gives your reader a chance to connect to you in a meaningful way. It takes courage to share your strengths and weaknesses, but doing so shows growth, self-awareness, and maturity—all positive traits that colleges look for in essays written by prospective students.
3. Clarity
It should go without saying that your essays need to be clear and straightforward. However, it’s easy to get caught up in what you think colleges are looking for in essays, like complex metaphors or flowery language. We recommend dropping these assumptions and striving for clear and straightforward writing in your essays. Avoid using cliches or other distracting phrasing. Instead, present your authentic content using your own voice.
In addition to paying attention to writing clarity at a word and sentence level, make sure that your essays are structured in a way that makes it easy for your reader to follow. You do not want your essays to feel like you’re jumping all over the place and are failing to write with a clear sense of purpose or direction. Weave a central theme throughout your essays that you return to in each paragraph. Maintaining a central theme will help anchor your essays. Additionally, break up your essay into clear, digestible paragraphs that each serve a purpose and reinforce your central theme.
Once you finish writing your essay, it’s important to take the time to edit for clarity. This crucial step ensures your ideas are organized and concise, strengthening your message and making sure it resonates with your reader.
Admissions officers have an incredibly limited amount of time to read your essays, so it’s your job to communicate clearly and effectively. Having your reader get lost or confused is a surefire way to get your application tossed into the rejection pile.
Conclusion
Be sure to keep in mind the above three areas when planning and revising your college essays: authenticity, vulnerability, and clarity. Colleges are looking for clearly written essays that showcase your authentic self in a vulnerable, human way. College admissions officers want to learn about the real you in your essays.
At HelloCollege, we have a team of expert Essay Coaches who are skilled writers and mentors that will help you do all of the above in your essays. To learn more about our essay services, schedule your free consultation.
