Stick to the rules. The ability to follow directions is a fundamental college skill, so you're on the right track if you can abide by the word limit and formatting guidelines. A good college entrance essay is short and concise.
Find out what the admissions officers want. Browse the college's website, join a tour or interview students to get insight. Admissions readers not only look for academic readiness, but also compatibility with the institution. Your college entrance essay is more powerful if your reasons for applying match the college's areas of expertise, programs or resources.
Get to know yourself. List all of your personality characteristics, key strengths, special skills or talents, main interests or passions, major achievements and unique life experiences. Ask a family member or friend to do the same for you, and discuss the similarities and discrepancies.
Brainstorm ideas for your essay. Start by putting together the information you have gathered about the college and from self-reflection. Note down any anecdotes that enter your mind, add details and collect tidbits of information that best reveal your identity. Strong essays may include examples of compelling life experiences, virtues or influential people in your life. Give yourself at least a few weeks for the brainstorming process.
Sift through all that you have brainstormed. Cross out information that's obvious, unoriginal or already in your resume. Note any patterns or strong points that you can develop into a theme.
Create an outline of your essay. A solid thesis statement should focus on one theme and give a rough idea of the entire essay. Write down one topic sentence to represent each paragraph in the body of the essay and a thought for the conclusion.
Write the introduction. Expand on your thesis statement to design a captivating and memorable introduction that grabs the reader's attention. Spend the majority of your time writing and rewriting the opening sentence and paragraph because they're the most important parts of your essay.