Top 10 College tips
Tips for Editing Your College Essay
You may think that once you’ve gotten a draft done that you’re good to go. Not so! Editing is one of the most important parts of writing the best college essay possible, and here are two essential college essay tips for editing.
College Essay Tips: Key Takeaways for a Great College Essay
To recap, here’s our 13 tips for the best college essay ever: College Essay Planning Tips:
- Create a plan of attack for all of your essays so you can keep track of everything.
- Start early—at least two months before the due date, if not more.
- Choose the right prompt and topic for you.
- Decide between a narrative or a thematic approach to the topic.
- Outline before you start writing! College Essay Writing Tips:
- Use vivid, specific details.
- Be genuine—get beyond the superficial.
- Be unique, but not bizarre.
- Avoid cliches and platitudes; they are boring and unimaginative. College Essay Editing Tips:
- Get other people to look at your essay.
- Be prepared to change, cut, and rearrange a lot! Final Tips for College Essays:
- Make sure your first sentence is stellar.
- Triple check for typos and grammatical errors! Imagine the essay you could write about the time you painted Mr. Lurker's claws.
Bring specific questions.
Your interviewer will expect you to ask some questions about the school and talk about why you want to go there. Put some energy into coming up with creative questions with answers that cannot be easily found on the college's website
Practice like a prizefighter.
Being interviewed is a skill, and it requires practice. Sit down with one of your parents, a teacher, a college counselor, or a friend and have him or her ask you their best college interview questions. Answer them honestly and seriously. Then ask your "interviewer" how you came across. You'll also get better after each college interview, so try to arrange your schedule so that your last interviews are with the schools you care about most.
Prepare for common college interview questions.
Interviewers tend to ask about the same topics. If you’re prepared to answer the following interview questions, you’ll be golden.
- Why do you want to attend this college/university? (Hint: Specific examples are always key! Your interviewer wants you to be as excited as they were–and are!—about their college).
- What’s your favorite subject in high school?
- What do you want to study in college?
- What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in class?
- What are three interesting things about you that I wouldn’t know from your application?
- What’s an example of an obstacle, a failure, or a mistake that you learned from?
Be yourself
Remember, the key to getting admitted (and being happy at college) is finding your best fit school. You want to be yourself so that the person interviewing you can discern what you would add to the campus community. Before your interview, think about why the school appeals to you, what you want to study, and what you might do after graduation.
but be your best self.
You have many sides, so showcase the side of yourself that is professional, mature and poised. Don't show up looking like you just peeled yourself off the couch—wear what makes you feel comfortable and and confident. Smile, and remember your interviewer wants the interview to go well too!
For those of you going to college for the first time this month: GO TO CLASS!
Stop worrying about the clock.
Most interviews run approximately 30 minutes to an hour. Students are sometimes told that the sign of a good interview is a long one. But on-campus interviews are usually scheduled back-to-back, and off-campus interviews are usually performed by alumni who are working professionals—so your interviewer is likely on a tight schedule. If you notice them checking the time, it's not (necessarily) because they think you're boring.
Be thankful.
Send a thank-you note. If there's something about the interview that was helpful to you, let your interviewer know. If you connected with your interviewer over a book, common experience, or a band you’re both into, then mention it! Otherwise, simply express your continued interest in the school and thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. (Read our advice on e-mail etiquette before you hit send). Check out our video on how to ace the college interview:
