Your Ultimate Guide To Write A College Essay Quickly
Table of Contents
Writing on a topic has never been easier. Apart from the actual process of writing the text on paper, it takes a lot of research, tweaking, writing, and editing to get the desired finished product. After graduating high school, aspirants are on the lookout to secure positions in the best colleges the nation has to offer. The problem here is the limited seats and the tough competitive criteria. In addition to transcripts and college applications, college essays play a very important role.
We have taken a look at the process of writing and optimizing a college essay for your consideration. This will help you, not only in writing your college essay but also makes you a better editor and proofreader of the text to help others.
College Essay Writing
An essay is a piece of writing that covers a topic in terms of its scope, depth, and application for the benefit of readers. There is more than one type of essay, including narrative, descriptive, and argumentative, among others. They resemble one another according to some elements and then contrast drastically in terms of focus and content. So, where does a college essay fit in all that? A college essay is a narrative piece of writing with three major focus points. First, it is about the past of the writer, especially the circumstances he faced as a kid. Second, it is about the aspirations and ambitions the person has. Third and most importantly, how the said college will help the writer achieve this ambition.
Mostly, the topic and word count for college essays are clearly defined in the college application. But when they are not, aspirants need to do some digging to choose the right topic and then set its scope. In these terms, the topic should be inspirational and personal whereas the word count should not exceed 650 words.
Differences Between School & College Essays
High school students often try their hands at four common essay types. These are descriptive, narrative, argumentative, and expository essays. As we have mentioned earlier, they are similar to one another in many aspects but still different enough to have their own identity. High school essays, when compared to college admission essays, are limited in their scope and reach. Teachers expect students to be novices and evaluate their writings accordingly. However, when it comes to writing a college essay, they need to be meticulous and competitive in the face of ensuing competition. The college essay resembles the narrative essay the most because the applicant needs to tell a moving story.
Purpose Behind Writing A College Essay
Every type of writing can be defined by the purpose behind its existence. A narrative essay exists to tell a story; a descriptive essay transcends space and time to connect the subject with the reader through detailed descriptions. That’s why we can define the college essay by looking at its clear purpose – help the writer get admission to the college!
This purpose is the driving force behind excellence and attention to detail. The same students who did not bother much to edit or proofread their essays in school go through different phases of editing and proofreading to make sure that the message is potent and clear. In this light, we can say that purpose is everything!
Purpose Behind Writing A College Essay
Every type of writing can be defined by the purpose behind its existence. A narrative essay exists to tell a story; a descriptive essay transcends space and time to connect the subject with the reader through detailed descriptions. That’s why we can define the college essay by looking at its clear purpose – help the writer get admission to the college!
This purpose is the driving force behind excellence and attention to detail. The same students who did not bother much to edit or proofread their essays in school go through different phases of editing and proofreading to make sure that the message is potent and clear. In this light, we can say that purpose is everything!
Steps Involved In Writing A College Essay
Now that we have understood the role and scope of a college essay, it is time to learn the process of writing one. A college essay is no different than any other essay, except it can make or break the dream of attending the best college for an aspirant. So, it is needless to say that no stone should be left unturned to cover all the bases for the members of the admissions committee. If they like what they will read, the road to college is clear.
Brainstorming Your Essay Topic
In many cases, the topic of the college essay is given in the application form or on the website of the respective college. If that is not the case, applicants need to do the brainstorming and come up with a topic on their own. The target here is clear: they must choose a topic that can be turned into a story of courage and progress, but most importantly, development. The topic should also have room for the role of the college in furthering that progress.
Structuring & Outlining All The Way
This is the most important part of the pre-writing phase that many students either ignore completely or wing it with no proper thought. In reality, the structure of the overall essay and the cohesion among its different sections determine the outcome of the first impression. It also boosts a writer’s confidence in not only getting started but finishing following the breadcrumbs of the outline. Some believe that it is the death of creativity whereas it is the complete opposite of that.
Editing & Proofreading All The Way
Apart from skipping the prewriting phase, high school graduates are fond of their writing and consider it to be too sacred to temper with. This is another poor practice that can result in lost opportunities. When you are done writing the first draft of your college essay, it is time to take a step back and let the essay be. Then, approach it with a fresh pair of eyes and edit your heart out. When there are no blatant mistakes, there are alternatives to make the text better.
Editing & Proofreading All The Way
Apart from skipping the prewriting phase, high school graduates are fond of their writing and consider it to be too sacred to temper with. This is another poor practice that can result in lost opportunities. When you are done writing the first draft of your college essay, it is time to take a step back and let the essay be. Then, approach it with a fresh pair of eyes and edit your heart out. When there are no blatant mistakes, there are alternatives to make the text better.
Professional Tips For Writing A College Essay
It is common among students and novices in any field to seek practical tips and hacks to speed up the process and save time. This is true about college essay writing which is more of an art than a science. In that spirit, we have decided to share some tips on how to write and ace your college essay without spending too much time on it. Of course, you have the option to hire a professional essay writing company to do the heavy lifting for you. Write My Essay offers exceptional services and competitive pricing, with a money-back guarantee on results.
Start Early, Finish Later
If it sounds intimidating to young high school graduates, it should not be. This is a simple trick that many professional writers apply to full-length books. The idea is simple – the moment you are assigned a task, just get started. Either outline or research or get a sense of the task as much as possible. Then, spend some time on it to make a schedule for every day. This way, you will finish the task later but better.
Weave A Narrative
A college essay is a story of a person who wishes to join a college. Instead of making it bland with academic tone and phrases, make it conversational and weave a narrative into it. The protagonist faces many hardships but will overcome them and continue on his new trajectory. Many aspirants make the mistake of simply writing either about themselves or about the college when ideally, it should be about both and how they will benefit from each other.
Move Your Readers
The members of college admission committees read the college essay and decide the candidature of a person based on the quality of that essay. In all its technical soundness and clarity, the essay should inspire and move the readers. That’s why writers should never use technical jargon or academic terms in their essays. The conversational tone combined with emotional inclination results in better odds for the results. So, the purpose of the essay is to move the readers.
Stick To The Goal
There is no doubt that the sole purpose behind writing a college essay is to secure admission. On a more specific level, it can be about appeasing the members of the college admission committee and showing them that the aspirant indeed deserves a slot. From researching to writing and editing a college essay, this should be the ultimate guide for applicants to ace the write-up. If you cannot achieve this goal on your own, WriteMyEssay is here to help you with that. We have professional academic writers with ample experience and expertise in winning over colleges.
F.A.Q
Can I get an expert writer to compose my college application essay?
Of course! Many online essay writing companies can help aspirants with their essays. They have highly skilled and trained staff with years of experience and expertise in composing the best and admission-securing essays. Write My Essay is the most respected brand operating out of Canada.
How fast do you write an admission essay?
This depends on a person’s writing prowess and the ability to research college-relevant information quickly. On average, a person can write around 500 words in an hour. Add another hour or two for research and outline and you can write an admission essay on any given day.
Are there college essays in Canada?
Yes! Colleges in Canada ask aspirants to write essays highlighting their candidature and suitability for the college. The guidelines and word count for the essay can vary from one college to another, but the idea and its application remain the same.
Is a 400-word college essay good?
Depending on the guidelines and rules of the college’s admission committee, it can be a viable option. Keep in mind that many colleges ask for around 600 to 650 words for a college essay. This is the bare minimum to develop and make a narrative stand out.
Is a 350-word college essay good?
Again, it is about a person’s story and their progress in that college. This needs space to form and mature. On that note, 350 words are not adequate to properly introduce and ease into an essay. It would lead to rushing which is never good for writing essays.
What is the average length of a college essay?
The word count and guidelines for college essays differ from one college to another, and sometimes even from one department to another. However, colleges often do not specify the word count for the essays they are looking for. In that instance, students need to set a limit for themselves. According to online sources, the average length of a college essay is around 650 words. This is enough and almost perfect for being not too long and not too short – just enough to weave a narrative.
Final Thoughts
Writing a college essay is never easy. There are many moving parts and mounting competition in colleges that push writers to write better. A college essay consists of three distinct sections – the introduction, the main case, and the conclusion with a solid ending. In this blog, we have covered all the bases regarding writing and optimizing a college essay. We have laid out the whole course of action for aspirants as they will get to write their essays with no problem at all. If they are not up for the challenge, they can always hire Write My Essay to do the heavy lifting for them.