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An admissions essay can be a challenging and intimidating piece to the college application puzzle. Usually no more than five paragraphs long, it’s what gives your application a personality. A well-written essay can boost an otherwise unremarkable submission, yet, even the most accomplished writers sometimes struggle with selecting as essay topic or developing a piece that stands out from the rest.

So what do you write about? How do you make your essay memorable?

Sister Mary Brian Bole, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Dallas, says that “the admissions essay can make or break the application. A poor essay, even in the face of good standardized scores, indicates anything from lack of skills to a lack of sufficient work ethic, thus making the applicant a poor risk”.

Some simple guidelines can help you avoid common mistakes students make in their essays and create an outstanding essay:

• Choose a challenging topic. While passion and interesting subject matter are important, a mere personal biography is dull and too frequent. Select a topic that is complex and academic but demonstrates your unique perspective.
• Follow formal essay format. Admissions reps are looking for a persuasive, academic essay. Have a clear, identifiable topic sentence in your opening paragraph and write two to three paragraphs using clear evidence that supports this topic, followed by a conclusion that summarizes your main point. This is the standard that will be used for most college papers; it will help to show you can write in this style.
• Spell check and proofread. An essay filled with spelling errors, incorrect capitalization and poor punctuation will likely be eliminated. More than one or two errors can cause an application to be rejected, so review it carefully.
• Answer the question posed to you. No matter what topic you select, make sure it relates to the question asked. To keep the essay focused and organized, avoid making your subject too broad. Even the most intriguing essay will likely be discarded if the directions are ignored or the theme is unclear. Not responding to or misunderstanding the question are two common errors students commit.
• Be cautious of tone and style. Though you don’t want to sound too stuffy, a more formal tone is preferable to a conversational one. Remember that this essay is for a college application and should show your ability to fit into a scholastic environment. Slang and overly casual writing will not give this impression.
• Avoid the negative. It is fine to write about overcoming personal obstacles, but avoid selling yourself short by highlighting negative aspects of your past. It may sound obvious, but subjects like drug and alcohol abuse or criminal behavior will not paint you in the best possible light. Remember, this essay is intended to give you an advantage over others, not to make yourself appear undesirable.
• Stay away from emotion. If you choose a controversial topic, treat it with evidence and logic, not emotional pleas. Steer clear from wording on religious and political subjects that might be hurtful or sentimental. Insults or negative slurs should always be avoided. Political topics are appropriate only when treated with reason.

Once you have considered these guidelines, take your time writing the essay. Brainstorm multiple ideas and then form your own personal review committee. Ask a respected English teacher to listen to your potential topics and help you decide which will work best for you.