Read the question carefully. Even the most well-written essay will fail to garner you many points if it is off-topic. Keep your essay centered around the essay question by carefully reading the question several times, and ensuring you understand it, before you begin writing.
Pause and pre-write before you begin the actual essay. Create a web or outline to organize your thoughts. While you likely won't be graded on this pre-writing, completing it can make the actual process of writing your essay significantly easier.
Write carefully and deliberately to ensure legibility. Few colleges grade your essay on handwriting; however, if assessors can't read the essay, you won't earn points for your writing skill. If you know you have messy handwriting, try your best to neaten it up for this essay, writing slowly and in print to increase legibility.
Organize your essay into carefully crafted paragraphs. One of the main things your essay assessor is looking for is your ability to create an organized written piece. By writing effective paragraphs, complete with topic and supporting sentences, you can show that you have the ability to create organized compositions.
Include extensive elaboration to back up your arguments. While you don't want to ramble on, you also don't want to turn in an essay that is overly lean. Don't just state your arguments and expect readers to agree, but instead support your arguments and force those who pick up your essay to see the issue your way.
Review your finished composition, looking for errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Errors in basic mechanics and spelling can make you seem like a sloppy student. By taking the time to give your essay the final once over, you can decrease the likelihood that any errors you made in haste slip through.