5 Surefire Tips That Will Help Strong Writers Avoid Struggling with Essays

5 Surefire Tips That Will Help Strong Writers Avoid Struggling with Essays

Who knew 650 words could feel so hard? I normally finish writing assignments with ease!For students who are used to earning As in their English classes and on papers that they write, the college application process can present some unique challenges. Often writing the “perfect” essay requires more drafts and a longer editing process than most students are used to.If you find yourself in the unfamiliar position of struggling to produce writing that reflects your best work, never fear!We have a few great tips that will help you compose a winning personal statement and reduce the level of stress that you feel in the process. Keep reading below to learn some valuable tools you can add to your arsenal.

1.   Start Early

You’ve no doubt heard it said many times before: writing is rewriting. No one produces a perfect first draft. In fact, those that try often struggle more than those that submit to the process and write enough crappy content until they’ve created a gold mine of material from which to select.Start your writing process early. Hopefully by now you’ve already been thinking about what you want to say in your personal statement and supplemental essays. Before the school year gets too hectic with assignments and other responsibilities, get a jump start on your essays. You will be in a better position to revise them before the deadline and to create meaningful work.

2.   Learn from Each Draft

Read your work with an open mind and a clear intention. What messages are you trying to convey to the admissions officer through your essays? How do you hope to be perceived?When analyzing the strength of your drafts, make sure that you’re considering the impact of your words as much as the beauty of them. Are you actually saying what you want to say?Each draft is an opportunity to take a step back and refine your message until it’s crystal clear. You may have written something that demonstrates you’re a great writer, but it may not fully convey why a particular college is ideal for you. By approaching the process on a draft-by-draft basis, you can make incremental improvements that ultimately result in a very strong essay.

3.   Avoid the Trap of Perfectionism

Simply put: perfectionism kills progress.It’s nearly impossible to create good work if you’re editing your thoughts and words the moment your brain formulates them. Turn off your internal critic that shuts down ideas and paralyzes you as a writer for long enough to get your ideas out. Afterward you can go back and see what really is worth exploring and what is not.There’s no prize for writing your essay in one take. There will not be a scholarship awarded to the quickest wordsmith.So, eliminate this pressure from your process. You don’t have to be perfect. You must be consistent. And if you are, you’ll eventually have a well-crafted writing sample that captures what you need to say.

4.   Find an Editor You Trust, But Not Too Many!

Writing is both an individual pursuit and a community effort. Feeling safe to try out ideas and take chances will help you push yourself to do your best work. A trustworthy editor is very valuable in creating this safety net.One of the main reasons students and families turn to independent education consultants is to bolster the writing process. Working with a talented partner who can help you think through what you want to say and how to best express it is a major advantage.But be careful to not listen to too much advice on your essay. A lot of well-meaning people will give you ideas or have opinions on what works for you. Appreciate that these supporters have your best interest at heart but be particular about whose opinion you allow to influence your writing.Does that person have relevant admissions or college counseling experience? Do they know the ins and outs of the college process? What is the level of their editing expertise—especially within the realm of personal narrative?

5.   Don’t Try Too Hard

Focus on the reflection, not on being impressive. The harder you try to write a great essay, the harder it will be to accomplish that goal.Trust your skills. You know you’re a strong writer and you’ve been cultivating your talents throughout high school. That experience will not fail you in this moment.Spend your time and energy digging as deeply as you can into the meaning and significance of your various experiences. When you’ve fortified your essays with this level of meaning, the writing will come alive. But if you focus instead on impressive-sounding words and highfalutin phrases (alright, I admit I used that word just because it’s fun and fancy!) then you will have a much more difficult time connecting to the person on the other end of your application.

Remember that You ARE a Strong Writer

You can do this! Though the process is tough, you have everything you need to be successful. Approach your essays methodically and with positivity. In the end you will create work that you’re proud of.The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us