When applying to the US universities, the essay(s) in your application is of the utmost importance. It is one of the major factors for admission officers when reviewing your application. A good essay can result in your selection, whereas a carelessly written one can decrease your chances of admission. Here is a complete guide on how to write a good essay. So, go through it before you begin writing one.

The essays are of two types: the University-specific Essay and the Common Application Essay. The University-specific Essays are generally for a maximum of 500 words. This focuses on the applicant. The basic prompt is why they want to get admission to that particular university. The Common App Essay, on the other hand, can be of 250 to 650 words. It gives the admission counselor a refreshing glimpse into the applicant’s personality and identity. 

For a Common App Essay, there are seven prompts. You need to select any one prompt and write on it. Here are some of the general tips you may follow while writing the prompts:

Tip #1: Four basic questions that should be answered in any Common App Essay are:

a) Who are you?

This emphasizes on your personality and not on your personal details.

b) Why are you here?

This focuses on your personal advancement all through high school. You can cover your achievements, social, or volunteer works, etc.

c) What is unique about you?

This is to describe how and why your way of thinking, personality, areas of interest, and skills make you unique. 

d) What matters to you?

This is just the concluding point. So, cover this in the conclusion paragraph. It is an indirect way of asking how you can be a boon to the university.

Tip #2: Avoid clichés in the essay. Clichés make your essay less unique and more common. So, think something out of the box but avoid using phrases like ‘think out of the box’!

Tip #3: Write the first paragraph in such a way that it grabs the reader’s attention. You can open the essay with a question whose answer the reader is willing to find out in the rest of the essay. It can be about your area of interest. Mentors at UniRely can help identify your strengths and help you write a successful essay. 

Tip #4: Be realistic and don’t beat around the bush! Don’t try to make the essay 650 words long by adding irrelevant details. If it is short, let it be. Otherwise, it may end up being monotonous. 

Tip #5: If you are writing about some bad experience, don’t be whiny. Tell them what you learned from that experience and how it helped you develop.

Tip #6: Instead of answering the essay prompt the normal way, answer it from a different angle. It means that either add a little suspense or be an enigma yourself (well, not too much). For example, instead of directly saying that you want to study environmental studies, describe the environment a bit. Tell them how and why it is degrading, how you look towards it; subsequently leading to a statement that you want to opt for environmental studies.

Tip #7: Show the readers rather than telling them about your experience or how you feel! For example, instead of writing, ‘I always read novels to relax’ write, ‘Every day when I feel stressed, I make a cup of coffee, grab my kindle and read a novel until I’m relaxed!’

Tip #8: Avoid being redundant and don’t use a single word over and over again in the essay. Make your essay rich in vocabulary (well, don’t use very hard or lengthy words). Avoid grammatical errors. It will not give a good impression to the admission counselor. So, proofread your essay three times at least. 

Tip #9: Leave the admission counselor with a good lasting impression! Try and keep yourself in his shoes. Do you think after reading hundreds of essays in a day you’ll select anyone? No, right? Similarly, they’ll go for the ones whose essay made a very good impression on them. So, go for something they’ll remember by the end of the day!

Some things you should avoid:

1. Don’t write anything too personal!
2. Don’t be overconfident.
3. Don’t brag about anything, show excitement where required.
4. Don’t go off-topic to lengthen the essay.

Keep all these points in mind and you are good to go!