Help Your Child Write a Stand-Out College Application Essay
By: Stephanie Handley
Very few students like writing essays. But the college application essay intimidates even the strongest writers.
It has much to do with the stakes: it feels like a student’s entire future rests on one essay. However, the college application essay also has a unique purpose.
The Purpose of the College Application Essay
Colleges ask for application essays primarily to get to know your student and put a human face on their data-filled application. Your child is more than grades and test scores, and colleges want to get a sense of your child’s personality like they would in an interview.
Colleges also want to understand the circumstances in which your child achieved success, whether they faced challenges that make their accomplishments even more impressive or have passions, hobbies, and talents they’ve nurtured away from a school campus.
Colleges want to see that applicants can communicate effectively. Still, they want to see an authentic voice, one that sounds like a mature teenager, not a computer or a stuffy college professor. Finding this balance is challenging, but specific, descriptive details make a difference.
How Much Does the College Application Essay Matter?
The good news? The college application essay is only one part of a student’s application and is weighted less than a student’s grades and test scores.
However, college admissions are more competitive than ever, with the most popular schools boasting single-digit admission rates. This means most applicants are equally qualified when it comes to grades and test scores, so the college application essay can help your child stand out.
How Can I Help My Student?
1. Encourage self-reflection. Ask your student why they like what they like, why activities and events matter to them, what they’re proud of, and how they feel they’ve changed throughout high school. Many teenagers find reflection difficult, but it’s essential to writing a strong essay.
2. Provide opportunities to explore passions and connect with the community. Students need something to write about in their college application essays, and the more they’ve explored the world around them, the more ideas they’ll have.
3. Visit college campuses. Many private schools ask students to write a “Why us?” essay to determine whether the student is a good fit for their school. This means the student needs to know more than what’s on the school’s website homepage. In-person visits help students see how the school differs from others.
4. Ask your child to share their college application essay with you. You know them best: does it sound like them? You want the things you love about your child to shine through.
The college application essay is important, but it doesn’t have to be impossible, and Elite Prep can help. We offer a variety of college application packages, all designed to help your child find their best-fit college and navigate the entire application process. Our experienced counselors are eager to help your student have an amazing college experience!
Elite Prep's Newport Beach branch is located at Jamboree and the 73, and we’re eager to meet you and your students this fall, whether you’re interested in Digital SAT classes, AP and Honors courses for credit, Elite College Consulting, ACT classes, Elite Premier Tutoring, LEAD Extracurriculars, or High School and Middle School Enrichment courses.
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