In my experience, the college essay gets overcomplicated really quickly. Students feel like it has to be impressive or meaningful in some big way, and that’s usually where things start to go off track.
The essays that work best are actually pretty straightforward. They tell a story. Not a list of activities or a summary of a resume, but one moment or experience the student can walk the reader through. And they don’t try too hard. I’ve seen a lot of essays where a student takes a small challenge and tries to make it sound life-changing…and it just doesn’t land, because it ends up feeling forced.
The stronger essays don’t do that. They explain what happened and why it mattered, and they’re easy to follow, so you don’t get lost halfway through. One idea leads naturally to the next, and by the end, you understand what the student is trying to say. You also come away with a sense of where they’re headed. Not forced, just enough to know what they’re interested in or might want to explore.
For a student approaching it for the first time, the best tip is to think smaller. Instead of asking, “What’s the most impressive thing I’ve done?” it’s more helpful to ask, “What’s something I can actually explain well?” From there, the focus should be on clarity. What happened, why did it matter, and what did you take away from it? If those answers feel honest and make sense, you’re probably in a good place. The goal isn’t to sound perfect but to sound real.
Links Worth Reading
On writing real, not impressive (straight from admissions offices):
On telling a story and showing, not telling:
