Whether it’s convincing yourself to get out the door to go for a run, kicking an unhealthy habit, or starting a school assignment you’ve been avoiding, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make is simply to begin. In his book The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki, Apple’s “Chief Evangelist” marketer under Steve Jobs, captures the feeling best: “The hardest thing about getting started is getting started.”
To many rising seniors this summer, the Common App essay may feel like an insurmountable challenge: one so important, so all-encompassing, that it’s impossible to know where to start. How do I capture the essence of myself in 650 words? How can I boil my entire life down to one page? How do I convince admissions readers that I’m the one and only me?
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THE COLLEGE ESSAY: OUR TOP TIER TEAM WEIGHS IN
Before you get carried away thinking that your entire life’s worth is hanging in the balance of 650 words, our first tip is to keep some perspective. I connected with a few of our Top Tier Senior Private Counselors to get their thoughts on this.
Though it’s true that the Common App essay presents a significant opportunity to share your voice and emphasize a compelling experience you’ve had or impact you’ve made, it’s not the be-all and end-all it may feel like. As they plow through thousands of applications, admissions readers are “focused on discerning the main point of your essay rather than marking it up as your English teacher would,” according to Heidi Steinmetz Lovette, TTA Senior Private Counselor and former Assistant Director of Admissions at Cornell. Dr. Tina Brooks, TTA Senior Private Counselor and former Associate Director of Admissions at Pomona, describes the “luck of the draw” factor in admissions: “I read with partners who had very different views on what constituted good writing. You don’t know if your admissions reader is a former English professor or a just-out-of-college music major, so it’s most important to write with your own voice and perspective.” Nellie Brennan Hall, TTA Senior Private Counselor and former Associate Director of Admissions at Brown, shares the reassuring perspective that “the vast majority of essays aren’t quirky or funny—they’re straightforward. We’re just trying to learn more about you.”
What’s the secret to a powerful and strategic college essay? And what is the straightforward message it should convey? The Top Tier Admissions team has assessed thousands of applications and knows what works (and what doesn’t). Rising seniors: we still have a few seats available in our Application Boot Camp® program (August 2-5) or schedule a Personal Boot Camp on your own schedule.
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HOW TO WRITE YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY: TOP TIPS
So as you toggle between the 2024-25 Common App prompts and that bright white page, a blinking cursor patiently awaiting your genius inspiration, here are some tips on different ways to get the juices flowing. Cue the Black-Eyed Peas: “Let’s get it started / Let’s get it started in here…”
- Try freewriting in a no judgment, no filter, stream-of-consciousness style for at least 20 minutes. Share your writing with a trusted parent, advisor, or teacher and ask them what they think the most interesting nugget is—that could be your jumping off point of the essay.
- Brainstorm a bunch of anecdotes connected to any part of your story—from everyday occurrences to significant moments. Don’t worry at all about the transition or connection between them. Ideally, these will eventually become the heart and soul of your essay!
- Write about a moment of tension: a conflict or barrier you faced, or a surprising turn of events. Drop the reader in the middle of the scene with no lead up or explanation. After drawing them in with this compelling moment, then you can pan out in the next paragraph to explain the context.
- Try focusing on an object that represents part of your story: a historical monument, a souvenir from a science museum, a painting by a famous artist, or a billboard you’ve always driven past. Start by describing it and invite the reader to make the connection throughout the essay. This approach can also work with a place of significance to you: a science lab, a riverbank, a historical society, or a family kitchen, for example.
- For inspiration, read our blog, The Secret to a Memorable College Essay: A Great Hook. But if you are still stumped on how to start, start anywhere! What part of your narrative could you sit down and write right away without too much sweat? Start there, and let the essay take shape around it.
Remember: your final essay will look very different from your first draft, so try not to angst too much about getting started.
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Anita holds a BA in Philosophy from Princeton, where she is an alumni class officer and former interviewer, and an MA in English from Middlebury. At Princeton she also contributed her drive and competitiveness to the women’s lacrosse team, winning an NCAA Division I National Championship and three Ivy League Championships while earning national scholar-athlete academic distinction and the Connie McAllister athletic department award for “effort, selfless dedication, enthusiasm and heart.” She brings these qualities to her relationships with students as she helps to bring out the best in them.
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