Essay

What is the essay?

The essay is an important part of the application process. The essay is a good way to introduce yourself to the selection committee and emphasize the things you think are important. A selection committee will learn more about your motivation, background, interests, and ambitions in the essay. In addition, the essay is also used to get an impression of your writing skills.

An American university likes to see an original essay that incorporates your ideas and interests and shows that you can put your thoughts on paper understandably and grammatically correct. Regardless of the topic of your essay, grammar, clarity, style, and neatness will be considered. Should you have not scored as well on the SAT or ACT, you may be able to compensate by writing a good essay and showing that you are still proficient in the language.

How do universities review essays?

Would you like to know how an American university reviews your essay? Watch the recording of our webinar with Reed College on the right.

Essay assignments

Most universities give you a choice of several essay questions. You can find these on the website. If you use the Common App, you can choose from a number of essay prompts, which can be found on the Common App website.

The university may also ask for an additional essay in which you are asked to explain your motivation for that university. In this essay, you must explain and describe your interest in the university in the most complete, holistic, and detailed way possible.

How do you write a good essay?

An essay has two basic components: content and style. You can choose from many different topics, although you will mostly be writing about your school activities. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to your high school years — how you think about the future and the past is also important. For example, the selection committee wants to know what plans and ideas you have, how you plan to accomplish them, which people have or have had an influence on you and why, amongst other things.

Writing a good essay takes time. In the summer leading up to your final exam, start brainstorming. For example, you can review the Common App essay questions and choose some topics to write about. Choose a topic in which you can express your vision and ideas.

If the selection committee asks you to respond to a particular question or statement, that doesn’t mean there is only one right answer — they are simply giving you an idea to develop further according to your own insight and creativity. Next, write a draft version. Have someone else proofread your essays (your family or teachers, for example), and ask for feedback. Ask if the main message is identifiable, if the text flows well, and if your personality is recognizable in it. Leave your essay for a while and then come back to it — oftentimes you need to write several drafts to end up with a good essay.

Need inspiration? Some universities have examples of good essays on their websites, such as the following universities:

Feedback and tips

Want feedback on your essay before submitting it? Email our Educational Advisor and we will review the essay for you. You can also find some tips below to get you started.

  • Start at the beginning. Have you done enough research to convince the university that you are a good match for them? Think about why you would like to attend this very university. Avoid vague language and meaningless phrases like “I love America” — this doesn’t tell the university much about your motivation to study there.
  • Write a catchy introduction. For example, you can begin your essay with an anecdote or quote that is important to you.
  • Be honest in your essays and show your feelings and commitment. Your essay may also show that you are not yet sure about your future, but this shows that you are thinking about it, which is actually seen as a positive trait rather than a negative one. Also, don’t be afraid to show your shortcomings. Who knows, you may actually be able to make a strong point of this. A university likes to see you thinking about your own development.
  • Indicate why your pursuits are so important to you. For example, if you are on your school’s discussion team or student council, describe why you find this interesting and what you learn from it rather than just describing what you do. Give specific examples.
  • Try to avoid your essay becoming a list of your activities. That, of course, is not the intention. Instead, your essay should preferably provide the university with new information. If you find that you’re repeating information, activities, or occurrences already contained elsewhere in your application and not adding anything about them or what they have taught you, then it might be better to discuss something else in your essay.
  • The admissions committee looks at your essay not only in terms of content, but also to see if you adhere to the assignment. Therefore, make sure you answer the question and that your essay does not deviate too much from the assignment.
  • Write a clear conclusion. This section is the last thing the admissions committee reads, so this is what they will remember best. Before writing your conclusion, ask yourself the following questions: what do you want the reader to take away after reading your essay? What impression do you want to leave? Make sure all your arguments come together in your conclusion to clearly answer the essay prompt.
  • There is often a limit on the length of the essay. The essay is handled personally, but it is one of hundreds of essays that a selection committee has to read and therefore it should not be too long. Focus primarily on the content and not the length. If necessary, you can always delete things to make it shorter, such as minute details or deviations from the prompt/central message.