Begin brainstorming early. Application essays deserve a significant devotion of your time, so begin thinking about your approach to the essay at least several weeks in advance of the deadline.
Decide on an essay topic. Students tend to worry about application essays because they are open-ended, with no clearly defined prompt attached. Use this to your advantage by crafting a topic that best expresses your academic determination and unique character, both traits that are attractive to college recruiters. You may want to write about a personal challenge that you overcame or a defining life experience.
Craft a basic, easy to follow outline. Organize your thoughts by listing the main idea of each section of your essay next to a bullet point. Include any brief supporting details beneath the main ideas. For example, if you are writing about your family's immigration from Asia to America, the main idea of a section might read "During this time of emotional hardship, I served as a source of strength for my mother." Supporting details will describe what you did to help your mother.
Start with an eye-catching introduction. The worst way to start off a college application essay is with the sentence "I should be accepted to this university because..." Engage your reader by jumping straight into personal details or the story you wish to tell. A catchy introductory sentence will make you a memorable applicant right off the bat.
Work in drafts. Instead of trying to start and finish the essay in a single day, craft a first and second draft to allow for all necessary corrections and any minor rewrites. This will allow you to track the progress of your essay over time, catching any and all slip-ups in the process.
Enlist the help of a peer reader. Have a friend, sibling or parent read your drafts and you complete them. Ask for honest, objective feedback; this will result in an essay that is both polished and approved by your personal critics.