How to Get into Engineering at UVA: A Student’s Experience Writing College Essays

We recently interviewed a former student, Will C., on his experience working on the Common App and supplemental essays. Will was accepted to study engineering at UVA in Fall 2024, so we thought you might be interested in his responses.

What were your expectations when you first sought out help with your Common App essay?

When I initially made an appointment with Ben, I thought he would act as an editor for my personal statement and suggest ways to improve word choice and structure while maintaining my draft essay’s original structure and theme. I had spent a reasonable amount of time on it before our first meeting, and I had already reviewed it with my mom and college counselor, who had both endorsed it.  However, I felt that while my essay was solid, it was not spectacular. I sought out a tutor to get an outside opinion from someone experienced with college essays who understood what would make an impression with college admissions offices. I wanted to do everything possible to make sure I was putting my best foot forward as I entered the admissions process. 

What were the early meetings like?

At our first meeting we reviewed my Common App essay draft. After some discussion, Ben suggested that I rewrite it completely, focusing on a more personal story. While this was daunting and not the news I was hoping to hear, Ben provided good reasons and explained how a new essay could have more depth and a better narrative arc. From there, Ben interviewed me to identify a unique hook we could use to craft a story with some similarities to my original draft but with a more compelling angle and a clearer takeaway message. After roughly sketching out a new essay in our discussions, I wrote a new draft, and we met a few more times to review and edit it.

Were any parts of the process surprising or challenging?

The hardest part of writing the essays was framing my ideas in a compelling and engaging way while making efficient use of the length allowed. My goal was to make sure each sentence and phrase contributed to the overall story and provided valuable support for my message. Ben’s experience as a writer and editor along with his greater objectivity for the subject matter made his input on those editorial decisions invaluable.

When did you start to feel like your college essay was coming together?

After our fourth session we had produced a really good draft of the final version. While there was some additional editing of the language throughout the next month, the takeaway and structure of the essay remained consistent from that point forward, as we focused on polishing the details and refining the storytelling.  Once I felt confident that I had a strong essay in hand, I engaged more confidently with the other aspects of the admissions process.

Did you learn anything important about yourself? And did you develop any skills over the course of working on your essay that you think you’ll use in the future?

Throughout the essay writing process I spent time looking back on my upbringing and reflecting on  my experiences, and this led me to a fuller understanding of how I grew and changed in my middle and highschool years. The process of writing and editing with Ben’s guidance helped develop my writing skills. In particular, the experience taught me how to write more compactly and work with length requirements for academic assignments. I also improved my understanding of how to structure an essay and support a thesis in a way that is both logical and engaging. 

How was your experience working on the supplementals different from the Common App essay?

Progress on the supplemental essays was generally faster than the personal statement. Especially after completing the first few supplemental essays for my early action applications, it became easier to write new ones since the prompts from different schools overlapped and chunks of previously written essays could be adapted to address the prompts of my later applications. Throughout the process, Ben was very helpful in making sure my responses had depth while also making efficient use of the space. When space was tight, he was great at suggesting ways to condense three sentences down to one or two and create space for an extra detail or point that supported an essay’s theme and added nuance.

What qualities would you say are important in a college essay tutor? If you were giving advice to someone embarking on the process, what would you tell them to look for?

In addition to being an excellent writer, I think one of the most important qualities is a tutor’s ability to build a personal connection with a student.  Ben is a skilled tutor who is truly invested in his students’ success, and in my experience, engaging with him yielded very compelling writing. For me, it was particularly helpful to find a tutor who had recent experience with competitive admissions processes and could provide on point advice regarding how to stand out among a sea of applicants. I would also advise students to look for someone who will work efficiently, is unafraid to be bluntly honest concerning essay quality and deficits, and enjoys not only writing but also conversing and learning about their students.