How to Read Your College Essay Draft Like a College Essay Tutor
As college essay tutors, we read hundreds, if not thousands, of student essays every application season. In the process, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to quickly evaluate an essay for its strengths and weaknesses so that we can help students write the best essay possible. Whether or not you decide to work one-on-one with a college essay coach yourself, we wanted to share these tips on how to bring a rigorous eye to your own work. Reading your essay draft like a college essay tutor can help kick start your process of revision. Before you know it, you'll have friends coming to you for your clear-eyed editorial skills and advice!
Read it aloud
We know what you're going to say: reading your own work aloud can feel uncomfortable. But this is our absolute best tip for starting to see your essay from the perspective of a reader. When you read something aloud to yourself, you'll immediately notice clunky sentences and anything that sounds unclear. You'll also have an easy time telling when something sounds authentic versus a little bit performative. There is nothing better than reading your college essay aloud when it comes to hearing how it will sound in someone else's head. And even if it feels weird, you'll be far more comfortable sharing your draft with a trusted friend or advisor to look over once you've done this exercise.
Make sure your essay doesn’t repeat the rest of your application
If you've said it elsewhere in your application, you don't need to say it again in your essay. This is one of the single most common mistakes we see students make, and you can absolutely check yourself on this one. Your college essay is an opportunity to do something really different from every other part of your application. This is where you can talk about hanging out with your eccentric aunt Susan, your bizarre summer working in a cheese shop, or why you love your favorite shoes. And you should! Don't fall into the trap of reciting your achievements or outlining every last extracurricular that fills your schedule. Take this as a real chance to reflect on something that is important to you, and skip the rest.
Spot and eliminate cliches
In writing a great college essay, your worst enemy is a cliche. There’s nothing more exhausting for admissions officers than hearing yet another essay that follows this classic arc: “I encountered this big obstacle, I persevered, and in the end it was for the best because it only made me stronger.” This is not to say that you shouldn't write about facing a challenge, or that there isn't a way to talk about overcoming obstacles and personal growth. But when you speak to the experience, think through what is really true for you, and say it from the heart. If you've faced a challenge, maybe you haven't totally come through to the other side. Or maybe you still have unanswered questions about what to take from a mixed experience. Your mom has probably told you before, but we'll risk saying it again: be yourself.
Ask yourself if someone else could have written the same thing
A foolproof way to assess your essay is to ask yourself this key question: could someone else have written this? Don't let the answer throw you. If, on your first or even fifth try, the answer seems like yes, you're not alone. It can be really hard to escape the sense that there is a “right” way to do the college essay. And, sure, a lot of kids on your swim team are going to write about swimming. This is okay! The secret is to write about your experience as only you could. And the method is to try to shut out other voices that can cloud your ability to hear yourself think and talk. Sometimes working with a college essay tutor can be the key to hearing yourself as yourself in a new way.
As you write, as you edit your own work, as you receive feedback, and even as you work with an essay tutor, your fundamental job is the same: you have to notice what rings true for you. When you connect with your critical thinking by by reading aloud, you'll see it through a new light and begin to hear your clearest and most compelling voice. And when you need an extra perspective, or a nudge in the right direction, reach out to our team!