Complete Guide to College Application Essays: Essential Tips for Making Your Writing Stand Out

by The Princeton Review

THE COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY, MADE EASY. This user-friendly guide gives struggling students the step-by-step writing help they need to perfect the writing on their college applications, from the all-important personal essays to the supplemental material like short answer questions and resumes.

Applying to college can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to crafting the perfect application. There's a lot of pressure to submit something unique and cohesive--both for the all-important college essay and all of your other written supplements.

This book takes you from blank page to submitted application with step-by-step guidance on the most effective ways to complete this daunting process! We've packed these pages with practical exercises and annotated samples that model good and bad techniques, and included tips from real admissions officers.

This complete guide provides:

- A firsthand look into different review processes, plus editing guidelines to help you think like an essay reader
- Step-by-step methods for breaking down a prompt
- Brainstorming techniques to help you find the right story to share
- Tried-and-true advice to get you outlining and drafting your essay with confidence
- Annotated essays to demonstrate writing dos and don'ts
- Guidance on additional written content (like short answer questions and resumes) for a completely polished application

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2021

About the author

The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students.

Reviews

[Sarah Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been coaching students through the college application essay process for several years, and I had yet to read a book about the process. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, which was quite readable while encouraging me that I’d not been doing it wrong. It was a quick and pleasant read that demystifies the process while giving excellent advice.