by Marie Todd
Tips for Creating Your College Essay’s First Draft
We understand that getting started actually writing your college essays can be difficult. Even if you’ve gone through all the steps of thinking, brainstorming, and maybe even the “clustering” and “circling” of interconnected ideas, you might still feel intimidated by the writing process. And after all, there’s a lot on the line with your college essays.
In this post, we offer a number of tips that should help make creating your first draft easier.
Write as Though You’re Talking to a Friend
If you freeze up when you’re writing, your essay will likely sound stilted, formal, and possibly even cold! To avoid this, write your essay as though you’re sitting across from a friend and telling them your story, rather than the adcom. Almost immediately, you will relax, and what flows from your pen or keyboard will be more natural and honest, and include more vibrant details than if you were still approaching the writing process as something much more formal and forbidding.
Thinking of your college essay as a kind of conversation makes the task of writing it easier and more successful. And with that, we’ve just given you one of the best-kept secrets in the world of writing! Sounding self-aware and natural in your writing is crucial, and if you think about “talking” your draft rather than “writing” your draft, you will almost certainly be ahead of the game.
Skip the Introduction If You Need To
Some people freeze up at the idea of writing their essay introduction. This is completely natural. The hardest part of doing anything is often just getting started, right? If this happens to you, don’t sweat it. Simply skip the opening for now, and start your essay in the middle instead. Getting your core ideas down will give you a sense of satisfaction and progress. You do not have to write your essay in order. In the revising and editing process, you’ll have the chance to ensure that all the pieces are where they belong.
Commit the Necessary Time to Writing
Allocate a reasonable amount of time for each writing session – an hour would be ideal. And put away your phone and any other possible distractions! You might consider asking someone to hold onto your phone for you, with instructions not to return it until a prearranged time. (I know; this is hard.) Then, don’t overthink the process. Just look at your outline and start writing.
If you need to get up to stretch or take a short break after 20 minutes or a half hour, go ahead, but be disciplined, and get back to work as quickly as possible so you don’t lose your train of thought. Avoid checking your phone during the break. Continue writing until you have worked for at least one full hour, and get as far as you can with your story. If you have the energy to keep working after one hour, do so. The important thing is to complete one draft, or at least a good chunk of one.
Go with the Flow
Don’t get stuck rewriting and rewriting the same few paragraphs. Once you get your ideas down, move on to the next part of the essay. While you are actively writing, don’t be surprised if entirely new ideas come to mind. You might think of a different anecdote or story from your life that you like better and that also fits the criteria for the essay prompt you are responding to. Writing is not just a structured process but also an organic one. When you need to go with the flow, go for it. It’s okay to trust yourself in this process.
Let Your Draft Rest
When you’re done with your writing session, print out a copy of your draft and set it aside until your next scheduled writing session. Don’t skip the step of printing out a hard copy. Reading something on a printed page is a different experience than reading it on a screen. You are almost certain to see it a bit differently and find things you’d like to change or remove. Also, seeing your essay printed out will likely generate a feeling of momentum.
When you return to your draft after a day or two, you will bring a fresh perspective to it. You will more easily recognize what needs to be adjusted, what can be made stronger, tighter, clearer, or more convincing. You might realize that certain details are missing or some sentences don’t say what you meant them to. You can then start rewriting and editing as needed.
Don’t show your draft to anyone else unless you feel you need some encouragement or advice to move forward. Even if you’re pleased with your progress, wait to show a more polished draft to your readers. Although their perspective will eventually be important, it can wait until you are further along in the writing and revising process.
You probably won’t produce a masterpiece with your first draft, so don’t feel discouraged. They’re not called rough drafts for nothing! With each revision, you will polish the rough spots a little more, eventually earning the satisfaction of having a clear, smooth essay with a flowing, logical narrative, enlivened by memorable, meaningful, and perhaps even elegant language.
Marie Todd has been involved in college admissions for more than 20 years. Marie has both counseled applicants to top colleges and evaluated more than 5,000 applications for the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; College of Engineering; School of Kinesiology; School of Nursing; and Taubman College of Architecture. Want Marie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch.
Related Resources
