When you are working on college essays, the one message I need for you to understand is that it is not one and done. You're not going to sit at your computer, write for 30 minutes to an hour, and walk away with your perfect masterpiece to submit to colleges. Editing your essay is going to work to your advantage... even if you're not really used to having to edit your essays for other purposes.
REVISING THE ESSAY
Once you have written your essay, you want to give plenty of time to edit! I understand that this is (drastically) different than most of the essays you have written in high school, but it is worth writing a draft, walking away from it for a few days and then coming back to read it again to take a fresh look. Many students are stunned at how the essay that they initially thought was great doesn't meet their own expectations when they re-read it with fresh eyes. It can help to read your essay out loud and see if it feels natural and sounds like you. Taking the time to edit and go through multiple drafts is a gift you can give yourself to drastically decrease your stress with the entire college application process.
Once you have written your essay, you want to give plenty of time to edit! I understand that this is (drastically) different than most of the essays you have written in high school, but it is worth writing a draft, walking away from it for a few days and then coming back to read it again to take a fresh look. Many students are stunned at how the essay that they initially thought was great doesn't meet their own expectations when they re-read it with fresh eyes. It can help to read your essay out loud and see if it feels natural and sounds like you. Taking the time to edit and go through multiple drafts is a gift you can give yourself to drastically decrease your stress with the entire college application process.
When you begin reading through your essay again ask yourself:
Does it reveal who you are?
Does it represent your best academic ability?
Does it sound like you?
Look at the overall structure of the essay:
Does it make a stunning point at the beginning and then fizzle, or does it steadily build in interest and intensity?
Have you made clear the relationship between your ideas?
Is the essay well organized?
As you begin to get picky, look at your word choice and make sure you are not overusing particular words. Pay careful attention to the verbs - they should give your reader a clear picture of you in action. Although the essay needs to be personal, you shouldn't overuse the pronoun "I."
The essay also needs to read smoothly. If it is a longer essay, as you revise and refine the piece, be sure that it has an attractive introduction, carefully crafted body paragraphs, and a confident conclusion. Look for clear transitions between paragraphs, and try to vary sentence length and structure.
Please rest assured that I am here to help you with your essays. I will NOT write it for you, but if you are struggling to come up with topics or want help editing, don't hesitate to stop by and see me. Also, the English teachers and Ms. Elliott are awesome resources for editing help too. Good luck and happy writing!
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