Every college essay follows the same basic formula, and you have to follow that formula to get your essay noticed and stand out among the thousands of other college essays being submitted every year. This article will show you the seven steps to writing a college essay that stands out, plus provide some examples to inspire your own writing process.
Understand the Prompt
Understanding the prompt is the first step to writing a college essay that will stand out. The best way to present your thesis. Even if you’re using a paper writing service, be sure to read the prompt carefully and answer each part of the question. For example, if the prompt asks What does it mean to be successful? you might say: To me, success means… Or if the question asks How did this person or event change your life? you might respond with: This person or event has changed my life because… Keep these points in mind while reading below.
Brainstorm
Think about your life so far. Write down everything you want to talk about, no matter how big or small. Your list might include the following: your favorite place, the most important lesson you learned from a teacher, your most exciting accomplishment. Now pick two items from the list that you’d like to use as a focus and build your essay around those topics.
Write a Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement is the sentence that makes a claim, or argument, about your topic. It should be clear and direct so you can use it to guide your writing. For example: A 7th grader is too young to be considered old enough to vote. A 7th grader is too young to be responsible enough to make their own decisions. This is because they are not mature enough and do not have the proper knowledge of how to take care of themselves. They are still children, which means they need guidance from their parents or guardians.
Outline
Outlining your introduction, body, and conclusion will help you to make your essay flow more easily. You want to be sure that your introduction and conclusion are structured with three paragraphs each. The first paragraph of your introduction should provide a brief background on the topic. In the second paragraph, write about what you’ve learned or observed during your research. The third paragraph should end with a call to action or thought-provoking question that will provoke discussion among your classmates.
Begin with the Body Paragraphs
One of the most important parts of the application process is your personal essay. It can be a daunting task to write and it’s easy to get stuck thinking about what topic you should write about. The first step to writing a great essay is making sure that you have a clear idea of what you want your essay to accomplish. Once you know what you want your essay to do, then it’s time to start brainstorming ideas for your essay.
Write the Introduction and Conclusion
Your introduction and conclusion are the most important parts of your paper, so make them count. Start with the basics: introduce who you are and what you want to do. Provide a brief statement of your research question, state your hypothesis (if any), and finally explain how you will go about answering it. In this way, you can give the reader a preview of what they should expect to find when they read through the whole paper.
Edit
Editing is the key to good writing, but that’s not all there is to it. The introduction and conclusion of your paper can be just as important as the middle. What you say in the introduction needs to set up what you are going to talk about and why, while the conclusion needs to summarize what you have said and answer any questions your readers may have. In addition, sentence structure should be varied throughout your essay, with some sentences being short and simple while others are long and complex.
