Although there is common knowledge that academic essays are meant to impress, we beg to disagree with the statement. The purpose of the composition you create from scratch is not something that has to deal with your self-esteem or grade boost. It is more about conveying your experience and rendering feelings on a larger scale. If composed correctly, a college essay may become a tool that will help you win the heart of the committee. Here are some do’s and don’ts that may help you stay ahead of the curve while writing:

• Do not repeat the resume phrases, but do find a compelling opening sentence. Students have to remember that most colleges already have your transcripts by the time you decide to write an essay. Therefore, mentioning your grades, your scores, recommendations, and academic achievements may be meaningless. Instead of providing the audience with information they are aware of, try a different approach. Use the essay to display your talents and accomplishments. Make sure you have composed at least two points about your personality being a huge addition to the campus. Stress the importance of becoming a part of the student community. Contributing actively will show you as a thoughtful writer and make the essay sound even more convincing. Believe us when we say that the college representatives have already studied your credentials. Now, it is time for you to shine.

• Do not use tropes, clichés, and metaphors. Instead, use the devices that are commonly known in rhetoric. A metaphor that has been customized to fit your experience is a great point to the story. Beware of the topics that have been discussed numerous times. We are talking sentimental stories of how you were forced to overcome circumstances in order to achieve success. These are so commonplace and unoriginal that your teacher’s gaze will be glazed over the second they put their eyes on the essay. Choose an approach that will show you as a personality that has certain career goals and dreams. Be determined and focused on the purpose of writing. You might want to talk about the time when you have found a true motivation. This will be a great shift from the stereotypical essay and immediately establish you as a creative student. Besides, talking about mundane, trivial choices may portray you as someone who is too out of this world to stay connected to studies. This is not the kind of impression you wish to produce with the piece of writing provided. Instead, make sure you have communicated your points effectively.

• Do not automatically assume there is nothing to say. Find a poignant story to get attached to. Even if you are not a business owner who runs a large company or a start-up, there is no reason to be sad. You don’t have to operate companies and be a high-functioning executive to make a story of your life seem enigmatic. Think about the applicants who have decided to describe their experience as a volunteer at a pet shelter and managed to turn this into a hilarious narrative. If there is nothing left to say, you can always come back to being genuine. Brainstorming exercises are a great way to develop this kind of spontaneous thinking and make you an outstanding writer. You can start by writing down personality flaws, weird beliefs, and metaphors that will make the application committee laugh. This is a good example of how anything can be turned into an anecdote, if narrated correctly. Surely, we do not encourage the students to forget about the structure of the text and simply move forward. However, they definitely need to consider creating a story that will make them shine more. It is an excellent opportunity to write down whatever’s popping into your head and come back to it later when you’ve done the editing.

• Do not avoid complicated topics and themes. Make sure you have addressed them at once. Getting over something on the way to success is a challenge and certainly needs to be mentioned. However, do not forget that this can also become a source of trouble. You do not wish the committee to see you as an unreliable candidate with a tendency to be dramatic about the events in your life. You need to be able to find a balance between personal stories and academic accomplishments. For example, it would be wiser not to mention mental issues that may have proved to be a burden to you in the past. If you are still struggling with psychological problems, this may shed a negative light on you as an individual. We would like the students to remember the golden rule of measure and do not talk about the issues that are better left in the past. Select the information for the data section with wise sensibility and do not shy away from topics that are generally considered to be personal. We agree that choosing the theme may be a stressful part of the process, but that doesn’t mean that you should abandon the structure for the sake of the effect. Make sure your essay is well-written and precise.