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Writing for College Admissions

FREE essay editing services:

go.depaul.edu/essay-editing

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Contact our Essay Editors:

collegeaccess@depaul.edu

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  • 8 personal insight questions
  • Choose 4 of 8
  • Word limit 350
  • Click on logo for examples
  • 4 short answer questions - 200 characters limit
  • 2 short essays - 250 word limit
  • Click on logo for examples
  • 2 essays
  • 1 on specific topic
  • 1 on a topic of choice (6 options)
  • Click on logo for examples

ALDI Lasting Change Scholarship

  • $12,500 per year for 4 years
  • For Business majors
  • Prompt: “Describe your career aspirations as it relates to your degree in business: Why is diversity in the workplace important?”
  • 1,000 word limit

PepsiCo Juice to Succeed Scholarship

  • Up to $50,000 over 4 years
  • Write an essay OR record a video essay on your financial need and how this scholarship will unlock educational and career goals
  • 500-1,000 word limit

Project Gratitude Scholarship

  • $2,000
  • For Black, graduating high school seniors (CPS)
  • Essay prompt: “What does Gratitude mean to you? Describe three different ways you can show Gratitude without saying “thank you.”

Click on logo for examples

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Why write a personal statement?

  • It’s a key piece of information that allows college admission counselors to get to know you - the applicant - your strengths, interests, and life experiences
  • It’s your chance to make a strong first impression, and first impressions matter
  • It’s a place to showcase personal details that grades and test scores won’t show
  • Even when the essay is optional, you should write one and make it great!

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Personal statement basics

  • Writing a personal statement requires self-reflection
    • What is the exact question you are answering?
    • How do you stand out from thousands of other applicants?
    • What are your interests and goals?
  • It can be an argument essay or a narrative - you’re ultimately telling a story
    • State your claim / thesis statement – make it strong and clear!
    • Supporting evidence - you need to back up your claim and choose good examples!
    • Conclusion - emphasize main point
  • Your goal is to present yourself as a qualified, well-rounded student they want at their school

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Other ways essays help you in the college admission process

  • Your essay gives the reader a mental picture of your character and what is important to you
  • Showcases how you think and approach questions
  • As you share stories about your life, it shows off your problem-solving skills and creativity
  • A well-written essay proves that you have the skills required for college-level writing
  • Bottom line: it’s less about the exact answer to the prompt, and more how you handle the question

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High quality essays take time

  • Planning your essay
    • What are the points you want to cover?
    • What examples are best to support your claim?
  • Organization and structure
    • An outline helps organize your thoughts
    • Decide on which supporting details to use
  • Multiple drafts
    • Self-editing – write the draft, come back to it a few hours or days later
    • Peer editing – friends or parents are a valuable resource! Different readers will offer different bits of insight
    • Professional editing (teachers, counselors, trained editors)

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DePaul’s Peer Editors can help with your essay!

https://go.depaul.edu/essay-editing

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Tips & Advice from College Admission Counselors

who read hundreds of essays each year

Brainstorm ideas

and ask for feedback.

Take time to think about moments or experiences that have impacted you

Talk with your parents and friends. People who know you best might offer some insight into what events reveal something compelling about you.

Start strong!

Admission counselors read thousands of essays every year, so they have limited time to spend on each essay - it’s crucial to grab their attention from the start.

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Don’t just list your accomplishments.

Academic achievements, grades, and test scores are clearly presented in your transcript. Don't list them in your essay. Focus on other areas of your life, don’t make the essay sound like a resume.

Make it personal and honest.

Your essay needs to reflect who YOU are. So don’t be afraid to share your personality, your interests, your dreams, your family background – the point is to give admission counselors a glimpse of who you are.

What is the “takeaway”?

As you read your first draft, ask yourself - what’s the point I’m trying to make? Has the essay done its job carrying my message?

Also important to consider - is my conclusion strong? A weak conclusion can ruin an otherwise good essay.

Revise, revise, revise!

There is nothing worse than a sloppy personal statement – you lose major points when your essay has grammatical, spelling, or structural errors. Don't use slang! Get editing help from an English teacher, your parents, or a writing tutor to ensure best results.

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Real advice from our Peer Editors

who edit hundreds of essays each year and are currently students at DePaul

Write about something that is not already included in your application, but what the college admissions should know about you!

Make sure you break down and analyze the essay prompt. It may be one sentence, but it is possible that it is asking you to cover more than one thing.

This may sound like a cliche, but don't be afraid to ask for help, especially when asking someone to review your work. In our own eyes, all of our work looks good. But, allowing for a new perspective is very important - more than one person should read your essay.

When writing about a life event or personal experience, don't just recount what happened, but reflect on how it made you feel. How did it change you? What did you learn from it? Why does it matter? How does it showcase your character or goals?

Avoid talking about your academic excellence, like test scores and good grades. Counselors have already reviewed your application and have this in mind when reading your essay, so write about something that is important to you to make the essay impactful.

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Other sources of tips and advice on college essay writing

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FREE

ONLINE SERVICE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Get more information and submit your essay draft on our website:

go.depaul.edu/essay-editing