You’d think the most difficult parts of college would be the papers, exams and finals that come after you’ve been accepted somewhere, but for many students that is not the case. The application essay—because it determines exactly where you will be writing papers and taking exams and finals for the next few years—can be a far more daunting task.

While it helps to keep in mind that life will go on, great entrance essay or not, don’t make the mistake some prospective college students do and take the essay portion of your application too lightly. Over one-third of the time an admissions advisor spends on your application is spent on your essay(s). It is the single best chance you have to attach a personality to your GPA and test scores and to differentiate yourself from thousands of other applicants. Why be merely John/Jane Doe when you can be someone who showed us in her essay that she is adventurous; has great leadership potential; is original, curious and kind; and is absolutely perfect for our school?

Follow these tips to writing the best college entrance essay you can.

Recognize the importance of the essay. Your college entrance essays serve two purposes: to convince the admissions advisor you are original and worthy of admission and to show them you are more than a GPA or test score. Keep these in mind with every sentence you write.

Brainstorm for subject matter. Whether the school you are applying to asks you broadly for a “personal statement” or has a very specific question for you to answer (e.g., “What are you most proud of in your life?”), you will find yourself with dozens of different experiences and events to choose from. One of the best ways to identify and then narrow down your choices is by brainstorming. Questions to get you started include: Does any quality distinguish you from everyone else? Have you ever worked very hard for something and succeeded? And failed? How did you react? Has anyone or anything heavily influenced your life? What is your strongest personality trait? What are your most important extracurricular activities and why? How did you get involved with them? Where do you see yourself in the future?

The main thing you are looking for when considering subject matter is an idea you feel passionate about. Don’t write about an extracurricular activity because that’s what you think a college wants to hear; write about it because in doing so your enthusiasm, personality and originality will shine though. Ninety percent of college entrance essays are boring. Writing about something you have a passion for is the best way to ensure your essay doesn’t fall into that category.

Answer the question. You don’t want to be passionate at the expense of the answering the question, however. If you’re asked to write about topic X, write about topic X, even if you’re more interested in topic Y. No college wants students who can’t answer a simple question. To make sure you’re on target, read through your finished essay, asking yourself at the end of each and every sentence, “How does this statement help answer the question?”

Use the introduction to create mystery or intrigue. Admissions advisors have to read hundreds—possibly thousands—of essays. Expect them to spend a minute or two on your essay…unless they have a compelling reason to read rather than skim. Use your introduction to grab their attention from the beginning. Don’t answer the essay question in the first sentence; but rather create suspense that forces the admissions advisors to read on.

Be yourself. Most likely, whatever experience you choose to write about has been shared by others. What will make your essay unique are your thoughts and feelings during that experience. Focus on those.

Use active rather than passive voice. Passive-voice expressions are ones in which something is being done to the subject rather than the subject being the one to take action. Sentences written in the passive voice are usually uninteresting and flat. Nearly any sentence initially written in the passive voice can be rewritten in the active.

Before: The statewide writing content’s award-winning essay was the one I wrote.

After: I wrote an award-winning essay for a statewide writing contest.

 

Stay away from the thesaurus. While it is certainly tempting to rush for the thesaurus for some big, intelligent-sounding words, don’t. College admissions advisors want to get to know you, not Roget. Besides, chances are high you’re going to misuse the new, fancy words (sorry, but that’s the truth). And even if you do manage to use them correctly, too many big words are going to make the essay sound contrived.

Show, don’t tell. Rather than merely asserting you have a particular quality, use a detailed example that showcases it.

Before: I learned patience and kindness while volunteering at a nursing home.

After: At first, Mrs. Ellis’ tantrums and yelling made me angry, but after a few weeks, I realized she just wanted someone to spend time with her. As soon as we started watching reruns of The Cosby Show every night, she, and her roommates, were much happier.

 

Have others proofread your essay. No matter how many times you reread your essay, it’s still only one pair of eyes looking at it. And as far as essays go, the more people who look at it the better. Have friends and family read it over, looking not only for spelling or grammatical mistakes, but also making sure you answered the question asked, have an engaging introduction, use active-voice verbs, don’t repeat yourself, haven’t left anything unclear, and have used every single sentence to your advantage. It may also help to ask your proofreaders what the essay shows them about your personality. You may think you’re coming across as original and open-minded when, in fact, others reading it see pride and conceit.

Good luck!

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