We’ve all been there-sitting in front of a computer, staring at a blank screen. The cursor blinks, waiting for you to type something brilliant. The more you think about it, the more your brain seems to freeze up. Relax.

Writing a college essay can actually be fun. It’s a chance for you to show an admissions committee who you are and what you have to offer. Be funny, sad, abstract or literal, but, above all, be creative and be yourself! Here are a few tips to help you through the process:

Don’ts

1. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
   Writing your college essay is an important task to be taken seriously, but have some fun. Start early and think of it as an opportunity to strut your stuff, not as a chore to get over with.
   
2. Don’t tell - show
   An essay with lots of description is more interesting and will hold a reader’s attention longer. Writing about wrestling an alligator is pretty interesting-throw in some descriptive phrases about what the experience looked, felt and sounded like to make it stand out that much more.
   
3. Don’t write an essay on something you think an admissions committee would want to hear
   It’s important to the college folks that you write a thoughtfully prepared essay. It’s very clear who believes in what they’re writing and who doesn’t.
   
4. Don’t submit your essay until you have had someone else (or several someone elses) proofread it
   Having a few extra pairs of eyes looking over both your essay and your application can help catch those little mistakes that you might miss (like misspelling your name or sending your “Why I Love the University of X” essay to College Y - you’d be surprised how many times that happens!).

1. Do brainstorm
   When settling on an essay topic, sit down with a piece of paper and write down every idea that comes to mind, no matter what it is. One of the items might trigger a brilliant idea for your essay.
   
2. Do bring your unique perspective and qualities to the essay
   Show multiple sides of yourself. If you’re very active in your school’s marching band and your talent for playing the trombone is mentioned throughout your application, write your essay on your butterfly collection. Let the admissions committee know what makes you different.
   
3. Do stay true to yourself
   Everyone has his or her own writing style - what’s yours? Follow basic rules of grammar, etc., but let the voice be your own. Have someone else read your essay and ask them if it sounds like something you’d write or say. If not, go back to the drawing board. This particular piece needs to be about you, written by you. Let your voice be heard!
   
4. Do spend time on your essay
   It’s a very important component of your application and taking the time to do a good job and write a strong essay will pay off in the end.

When you apply for admission to college, many colleges will ask you to write an essay. Admissions offices use the essay to get to know you in a more individual way than a high school record and recommendation can provide. The admissions essay should be a reflection of the person behind the scores and grades.

The essay should reveal what and how you think about such things as academic activities, personal interests, experiences, or your background. It should, in short, breathe some life into the admissions file folder lying on the college admissions officer’s desk.

Write About The Things You Find Most Intriguing

What exactly is an essay? Basically, an essay is a piece of writing that tries to convince the reader that an opinion, idea, or main point is correct. The college application essay does the same thing; it presents a vivid, precise view of the applicant and persuades the college that this view is valid.

An essay has two “basic ingredients”; the topic and the approach. There are an infinite number of topics, depending on what guidelines the colleges provide. The essay helps you look at yourself, think about what you do, what you think about, who you spend your time with, what interests you, and what bores you. You should write about the things you find most intriguing, and try to express your thoughts and reactions - both positive and negative.

The approach chosen should reflect your feelings about the topic. Remember that the admissions office wants to learn about you, not the activity. You should steer your essay toward observations, reactions, opinions, and perceptions. Do not just rehash facts or extracurricular activities.

The right essay will take time and thought. You should take time to develop ideas, look for topics, and think about what you want to say.

Use Language You Are Comfortable With

Remember to put things in the words and language with which you are comfortable. Don’t use big, fancy words normally not used to communicate. A simple style is best. Good writing sounds like speech rather than a vocabulary review lesson.

Admissions officers can see right through attempts to sound smart and intellectual, and there’s nothing worse than appearing phony or otherwise not genuine on your applications. When you use vocabulary words that are technically correct but could easily be replaced by simpler and shorter words, it demonstrates that you’re writing in a certain way just to try to impress your reader.

Essays are also read as an example of writing skills. Be sure to check your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Sometimes the most interesting essays have technical writing mistakes that ruin the overall effect. You may also want to ask someone whose writing ability you regard highly to read your essay.

Ten Frequent Essay Topics

Here’s what a recent sampling of colleges and universities revealed are the most frequent topics on which student applicants are asked to write an essay.

1. Write a personal statement that gives the admission committee a sense of you as an individual.
   
2. Describe a significant interest or experience that has special meaning for you.
   
3. How have you grown and developed?
   
4. Why have you selected this college?
   
5. Why have you chosen this career or profession?
   
6. Write about an important issue of personal, local, or national concern.
   
7. Choose a prominent person (living, deceased, or fictional) that you would like to interview and explain why.
   
8. Identify a person who had a significant influence on you and explain the influence.
   
9. Write a speech for delivery before some group or write an article or editorial for a publication
   
10. Write about a book that has special significance for you.