Included in this article: 

• Why Your College Essay Still Matters in 2025
• What Admissions Officers Really Want to See
• Choosing the Right Story for Your College Essay
• How to Shape Your Essay into a Story
• Showing Vs. Telling in Your College Application Essay
• Common College Essay Mistakes to Avoid
• New Changes in College Essays: Supplements and AI
• Editing Your College Essay and Getting Parent Feedback

For many students, the thought of writing a college essay can feel overwhelming. While grades and test scores show your academic side, the essay is the space where admissions officers get to know the person behind the application—the experiences, values, and voice that numbers alone can’t capture.

With so much riding on this single piece of writing, it’s natural to search for college essay tips or wonder how others managed to craft their best work. This guide will walk you through the process step by step, offering clear strategies and examples to help you write your essay with confidence for the 2025 application season.

Why Your College Essay Still Matters in 2025

In today’s test-optional world, many students wonder if the essay really makes a difference. After all, with fewer schools requiring standardized test scores, grades and activities often carry more weight. But admissions officers repeatedly say that the essay is one of the most important ways to set yourself apart. Numbers may show your abilities, but the words you write reveal your personality.

Think of two students with similar profiles: both have strong GPAs, solid activities, and leadership roles. On paper, they look almost the same. But one student writes about the time she organized a community garden to help her neighborhood, describing not just the project but what she learned about teamwork and patience. The other student turns in a generic essay about working hard in school. Guess which one stands out? The first essay doesn’t impress because of the project alone—it works because it shows reflection, growth, and values.

This is why essays still matter in 2025. They give context to your achievements, show how you handle challenges, and help admissions officers imagine you on their campus. It’s not about being the “perfect writer” or sharing a once-in-a-lifetime story. The best college essay examples often highlight small, meaningful moments told with honesty. The key is telling a story that is honest, reflective, and uniquely yours. 

What Admissions Officers Really Want to See 

The hardest part of writing a college essay is often figuring out where to begin, and that’s when many students start second-guessing what colleges want to hear. Should you write about leadership? Do they want you to sound impressive? The truth is, admissions officers aren’t searching for the “most decorated” student because they already have your grades, test scores, and activity list for that. What they hope to find in your essay is the real person behind the application.

The Four Things Officers Look For

Most officers say the best essays show four qualities:

• Authenticity – Does it sound like you, not what you think they want to hear?
• Reflection – Do you go beyond describing what happened to explain what you learned?
• Growth – Can they see how you’ve changed or matured through the experience?
• Fit – Does your essay suggest how you might contribute to their campus community?

Authenticity is about being genuine and letting your own voice come through. It doesn’t mean your writing has to be flawless or extraordinary. It just needs to sound genuine and true to who you are. Officers want to sense that the words are truly yours, not something shaped to impress or copied from someone else’s style.

Reflection is just as important. Admissions officers don’t just want to know what you did; they want to know what it meant. Imagine writing about a summer job. A flat version might say, “I worked long hours and learned responsibility.” A stronger one would add: “Bagging groceries wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me patience and respect for people whose hard work often goes unnoticed.” That’s reflection; it connects the task to a personal lesson.

When you combine authenticity, reflection, growth, and fit, your essay becomes more than a story. It becomes proof that you’re not just ready for college, but you’re ready to bring something meaningful to the community you hope to join.

Choosing the Right Story for Your College Essay

One of the biggest myths about the college essay is that it has to be about something extraordinary or life-changing. Many students think only rare experiences, like winning national awards or overcoming major obstacles, are “good enough.” In reality, admissions officers often find smaller, everyday moments far more memorable because they reveal who you are in a genuine way.

The real value lies not in the moment, but how you explain it, the lesson you drew from it, and how it shaped the way you see the world. That’s why it helps to start by brainstorming simple experiences that reflect your character. Maybe you spent afternoons teaching your younger sister to ride a bike and discovered how much you enjoy helping others. Perhaps you worked a weekend job stacking shelves and realized the importance of teamwork when the store got crowded. Or it could be the time you moved to a new neighborhood and learned how to build friendships from scratch. None of these sound dramatic, but each has the power to highlight growth, resilience, or empathy; the qualities colleges value deeply.

If you’re unsure where to begin, ask yourself:

• When did I learn something important about myself?
• What moment changed how I see others?
• Which challenge, big or small, left me with a lasting lesson I still carry today?
• What do I want colleges to understand about me beyond grades?

The strongest stories are the ones that feel natural to tell because they hold meaning for you. If you care about the memory, you’ll describe it with detail and energy, and that sincerity will come across to the reader. Don’t worry if your idea feels “ordinary.” Some of the best college essay examples come from simple snapshots of daily life that carry a deeper meaning. Applications like the Common App already give you broad prompts to choose from, and almost any personal story can fit one of them. By choosing a memory that feels true to you, and connecting it naturally to one of those prompts, you’ll create a story that stands out for its authenticity and insight.

How to Shape Your Essay into a Story

Once you’ve chosen a story, the next step is shaping it into a clear narrative. At first, when you sit down to draft your personal statement, it is easy to get stuck staring at a blank page. You might have a great memory in mind, but turning it into a strong essay takes more than just writing what happened. Admissions officers want to feel like they’re being taken on a journey; a clear beginning, middle, and end that shows not just what you did, but what it meant to you. The secret is giving your essay a structure that feels natural and easy to follow.

Break Your Story into Four Parts

Think of your essay like telling a favorite story to a friend. It doesn’t have to be complicated; you just need to guide the reader step by step. A simple way to do that is by dividing into four parts:

• Hook: Begin with something that catches attention. It could be a question, a feeling, or a quick thought you had in the moment.
• What happened: Describe the situation or experience. Keep it focused on one experience instead of trying to cover too much.
• Reflection: Explain what you learned or how you grew from the experience. This is where colleges start to see your perspective.
• Takeaway: End with why it matters now. What it shows about you today, or how it connects to your goals.

Here’s a short example of how this might sound in writing:

Hook: The first time I stepped into the debate room, my hands shook so badly I almost dropped my notecards.

What happened: I stumbled through that first round, but by the end of the season I had learned how to argue with confidence.

Reflection: The real change wasn’t in my speaking—it was in realizing that mistakes don’t define me, they teach me.

Takeaway: That lesson still shapes how I approach challenges, from tough classes to new opportunities.

Notice how each part builds on the one before it, turning a simple moment into a meaningful story.

Why Transitions Matter?

Even if your story has a clear structure, it won’t flow well without strong connections between ideas. Transitions are what make your essay feel polished. They’re like signposts that help the reader know where the story is headed. Phrases such as “at first,” “what I realized,” or “later on” guide the reader naturally from one stage of your story to the next.

Without transitions, an essay can feel like a list of events. With them, it feels like a journey the reader wants to follow. Strong transitions don’t just improve flow, but they also highlight your growth by showing how one moment led to another.

When you shape your essay into a clear story and connect each part smoothly, you make it easy for admissions officers to follow your journey. And more importantly, you help them feel your growth and understand why your story matters.

Showing Vs. Telling in Your College Application Essay

One of the best ways to make your essay memorable is by showing the reader your experiences instead of simply telling them. When you tell, you give information directly: “I worked hard,” or “I was nervous.” When you show, you paint a picture through details so the reader can feel the moment themselves: “My palms were damp, and I kept wiping them on my jeans before stepping on stage.” The second version is stronger because it makes the reader experience your nerves, not just hear about them.

Think about it this way: admissions officers read hundreds of essays every week. If your essay is filled only with plain statements, it might blur into the rest. But if you add small details, like sounds, feelings, or specific actions—your essay will stand out. And these details don’t need to be overly fancy; they just need to be real and specific to you.

Another way to show is by using short moments instead of summaries. For instance, instead of saying, “I love helping people,” describe a single time you helped someone and what that looked like. Maybe it’s carrying your neighbor’s groceries up the stairs or tutoring a friend who struggled in math. Those small details reveal more about you than a general statement ever could.

But of course, balance matters. You don’t want to overload your essay with descriptions that slow the story down. A mix of showing and telling works best; use showing for the moments that matter most, and telling for smoother transitions in between.

When you practice showing instead of only telling, you make your essay vivid and alive. You’re not just saying who you are, you’re letting admissions officers step into your shoes and experience your story with you. That’s the kind of writing they remember long after they’ve put your essay down.

Common College Essay Mistakes to Avoid

While showing instead of telling makes your story strong, even the strongest essay idea can lose impact if you make avoidable mistakes. The good news is that most of these errors are easy to fix once you know what to look out for. Here are some common pitfalls students run into when writing:

1. Choosing the wrong topic
   Some students pick college essay topics they think will “impress,” like writing about a famous figure or summarizing their entire resume. The problem is these essays don’t reveal much about you. Colleges want your perspective, not a history lesson or a list of achievements. Choose a topic that feels personal and shows how you think, grow, or view the world.
2. Writing without structure
   A powerful essay still needs shape. If your story jumps around or feels scattered, admissions officers may lose interest. Using a simple flow, from introduction to event, reflection and finally the takeaway, keeps your essay clear and engaging.
3. Ignoring the prompt
   College essay prompts are broad, but they still give direction. Make sure your story connects back to the question being asked. Even the best college essays lose power if they don’t answer the prompt.
4. Overlooking word limits
   A frequent question students ask is: how long should a college essay be? Most schools set the limit at about 650 words. Going way over makes your essay feel unfocused, while writing too little can leave it underdeveloped. Aim to stay within the limit so your story feels complete but concise.
5. Forgetting to proofread
   Simple errors in grammar or spelling can distract from your message. Reading your essay out loud or asking someone you trust to review it can help you catch mistakes you may have missed.

By avoiding these common missteps, you’ll strengthen your essay and keep the focus on your unique voice and perspective.

New Changes in College Essays: Supplements and AI

The college essay process has shifted in recent years, and it’s important to understand what’s different. Today, writing a strong personal statement is just one part of the process. Most colleges also ask for supplemental essays—shorter responses to specific questions like “Why this school?” or “How will you contribute to our community?” These might feel less creative than your main essay, but they matter just as much. They show whether you’ve done your research and how well you connect with the college’s values.

Another big change is the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Many students wonder if they should use them to write their essays. Here’s the truth: colleges can usually tell when writing sounds generic or doesn’t reflect your real voice. Tools can help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, or polish grammar—but the story itself needs to come from you. Admissions officers want to see your personality, not a robot’s version of you.

This is why being real matters. Whether you’re answering broad college essay prompts or shorter supplement questions, admissions officers want to hear your voice. Think of it like talking to a teacher or a friend; if the way you write wouldn’t sound natural to them, it probably doesn’t belong in your essay. When your story feels true to you, it leaves a stronger impression and shows colleges who you really are.

Editing Your College Essay and Getting Parent Feedback

Once you’ve written your essay, the next step is editing and polishing it until it feels clear and strong. Start by reading it out loud—you’ll catch awkward phrasing or missing words much faster that way. Then, check that your story flows smoothly from beginning to end. Every sentence should add something to your message, not repeat what you’ve already said. Pay attention to grammar and spelling, but also make sure your personality still comes through.

Parents can be great readers at this stage, but balance is key. Ask them to share what stood out or what felt confusing instead of rewriting your work for you. The essay needs to sound like you, not like an adult edited it too heavily. A good rule is: let parents guide, not take over.

It also helps to get a second opinion from a teacher, mentor, or counselor, someone who knows how essay prompts work and can point out where your writing shines or where you could add more detail. Once you’ve made those final edits, step back, take a breath, and trust your essay. 

Final Thoughts:

The college essay is your chance to show colleges who you are in a way that grades and scores never can. When you write with sincerity and focus on what matters to you, your story will naturally stand out. Remember, there’s no “perfect” topic—only the one that genuinely feels you. With reflection, effort, and your own voice guiding the way, you can create an essay that leaves a real impression.

by Aatina K. Shaikh

If you’re a senior in high school, a lot of the adults in your life have most likely already placed an emphasis on attending college. Senior year is the time for students to get started on the college application process. For many, this part of their lives can be daunting because college admissions are already unpredictable and on top of that, there’s a multitude of steps that must be completed before you can get to the part where you’re opening decisions left and right. Through this series, I hope to be able to guide you through those steps, so you can feel prepared and confident in your college applications. Then, you’ll be able to relax afterwards as you wait for college decisions to be released.

One of the first things students should work on is putting together a list of schools they would like to apply for. Often, the list will change as colleges are periodically added or dropped after learning more about them, which is totally normal. Don’t feel pressure to apply to a school simply because it was on your list at one point. When choosing the colleges students plan to apply to, it’s imperative they complete extensive research to decide if the colleges are good for them. Just because a school is well known or ranked high doesn’t guarantee it’s the one for you.

When researching colleges, it’s important to have about 8-12 institutions on your list in order to have a higher chance of gaining admission to a college. Placing all of your faith on 1-2 colleges is never a smart move. While it has worked for people before, it’s important to understand the importance of maximizing your chances of admission to these colleges, while also having choices in case of circumstances where financial aid is important, or the possibility of falling out of love with a college. An applicant  A good rule of thumb is to have 3-4 safeties, 3-4 targets, and 2-4 reach schools.

What is a safety, target, or reach school?

These are terms that are important to understand when deciding what colleges to add to your list. The terms above describe your likelihood of admission into the institution, which can be determined through a bit of research online. Please, don’t disregard applying to schools that fall into any of these categories, especially those safety schools because there have been many instances where students will go to their safety schools due to their financial reasons, the need to be close to home, or because they weren’t accepted to their target or reach schools.

Safety schools are institutions where your stats place you well above their average admitted student, giving you an almost guaranteed admission. Oftentimes, these are state colleges with high acceptance rates. They allow you that safety net to fall back on in case your target or reach schools don’t pan out.

Target schools are those colleges where you fall between the 25th and 75th percentile when looking at your statistics. These are colleges where you fall into the shoes of their average admitted student, allowing you almost a guarantee of admission, however, there is still a chance of rejection. It’s important to apply to these colleges when looking for a place that will support you as a student and allows you the ability to be surrounded with academically like minded individuals.

Finally, we have reach schools. These are colleges where your stats are below that of their average admitted student. Know that applying to these schools isn’t always a waste of time because there is a lot that goes into making a decision on a student, especially since many institutions have switched to a more holistic approach at reviewing students applications. These colleges are higher up on the list because you are applying with the hope you are possibly accepted, but it’s important to not hold a huge weight on their decisions. An additional note in regards to reach schools: ivies and T-20 schools (those institutions with the single digit acceptance rates) will almost always be reach schools, no matter what your stats are. These institutions accept very few people and the students in their class are incredibly diverse, so while you may be their ideal student, you still may not be accepted due to the slim admission rates.

Researching Colleges

A lot of factors go into researching colleges, though many students don’t know what to specifically look for. I will briefly summarize my top five categories that I believe are important (Cost of Attendance, Acceptance Rate, Average GPA/ACT/SAT, Diversity, and Population Size), but if something isn’t a deal breaker for you, or simply doesn’t hold as much weight, feel free to not include it within your research. There will also be categories that aren’t as relevant to deciding if the college is good for you, however, it’s smart to note. Pro tip: create a google sheet or an excel spreadsheet to store research in to look back on later. I will reference this spreadsheet a few times within this series as it will help a lot when applying to colleges and when receiving admission decisions.

Cost of Attendance (COA):

The COA of a college is imperative to know because while schools do award financial aid through grants, scholarships, and loans, we must be realistic in how much they will give. If you would be an out-of-state (OOS) student, they will most likely award you less than they would an in-state student. This applies heavily to colleges under the University of California (UC schools). They will give little to no aid to out-of-state students; so expect to take out loans or pay for the entirety of their tuition on your own.

For low-income students, take a look at colleges that are 100% need blind. They will award low-income students, full tuition or a full ride if admitted, but keep in mind, they are typically incredibly competitive. Examples of need blind colleges include the entire ivy league, Boston University, Rice University, Stanford University, MIT, and others. If you are low income, you may consider creating a category to mention how willing they are to help with financial need because while not all institutions are 100% need blind, state colleges may have similar rules for students residing within their state, or colleges may guarantee almost 100% financial needs are met. Also, please look into programs such as Questbridge if you identify as a low-income student.

Acceptance Rate:

The acceptance rate will play a big role upon which category you place the college under (safety, target, or reach). It’s great to keep an eye out in order to keep your expectations appropriate for the institution. Oftentimes, students may attempt to avoid applying to colleges with acceptance rates that are too low in order to save money.

Average GPA/ACT/SAT:

This category will allow you to create goals for your standardized scores, while also working to bump your GPA up into their threshold within the first quarter/ semester of school. A strong ACT/SAT (99th percentile score or a top 25th percentile score for the school) score makes any application stronger, but many schools are test-optional for applicants attempting to gain admission into the class of 2027, so it’s important to make a note of that as well in case you don’t have a score in this ranges. Please keep in mind, your score on the SAT or ACT does not make or break an application, nor does it define you. If it did, I’m sure they’d still look for it, however, it holds a small percentage of the decision, especially through holistic review.

Diversity:

This one is important for applicants looking to find a community on campus, especially if you’re likely to house on campus. It also allows for a dash of culture to enrich your time spent at the institution. A campus that is filled with diversity typically has support groups for all groups of people and is more accepting of differences, even within the student body. It also creates a safer, more comfortable environment, say, for students who identify as people of color.

Population Size:

The population size of a campus is incredibly important to your time on campus. If you’re looking for a campus where you see the same few people a day and teachers are typically more interactive with their students, you will want to find colleges with smaller population sizes because it often leads to lower faculty to student ratios. Colleges with under 5,000 students would be considered to have a smaller population size. For students who are comfortable with the idea of a busy campus bustling with life, look for campuses with large population sizes (~10,000+). If a medium sized school sounds perfect for you, where you get the best of both worlds, look for institutions with about 5,000-9,999 students.

You may even consider a category in that spreadsheet for faculty to student ratio if class size is important to you, but it isn’t mandatory and I believe it completely depends on the student’s learning size of comfort when deciding if there is a specific class size they are looking for. Both smaller or larger ratios have their advantages and disadvantages, so bear those in mind when deciding what is best for you.

After the College is Added to the List

Once you’ve decided to add a college to your list, there are a few more things you will want to look for and store somewhere in case you need to find it later on. While it may seem obvious, it’s important to keep these in mind when completing applications.

Application Deadlines:

Making a note of when applications are due allows you to create a timeline for when you begin your applications to these colleges.

There are a few types of admissions, which result in different deadlines. Early Decision (ED) is binding, meaning if you are accepted to the institution, you are required to go legally, unless there is a financial issue. The acceptance rates for early decision will be much higher than the institution’s regular decision or early action, so if there is a college you are sure you want to attend if admitted and it’s your dream school, applying ED may be the route to go. Expect application deadlines in October or November for Early Decision.

Early Action is simply applying early, with no legal binding to the school. You receive your admission decision early, though, there may be a higher acceptance rate for Early Action. Colleges may also require students to apply in the Early Action cycle in order to be considered for merit scholarships, so research if this is the case for your colleges. The application deadline for Early Action is around the same time as Early Decision, so October or November.

Regular Decision will have a later deadline and is the most competitive, but again, there is nothing binding applicants to the school. This is the most common application round, so colleges receive the majority of their applications during this round. The big advantage to this round is it’s due later (December-January), so there’s more time to perfect an application and hold more confidence in it.

Demonstrated Interest:

A select number of colleges will base their admissions decisions on demonstrated interest, so it’s important to keep in mind in order to fulfill this piece of their review. The best way to show demonstrated interest is through visiting the school, scheduling a virtual visit, and communicating with them over calls or emails. Additionally, how you interact with them on social media is important, so try to follow their Instagram accounts or their Twitter. And try to communicate with them frequently because one email simply isn’t enough. You must convince this school you are in love with them (even if you aren’t) because they will have a bias towards students who seem more excited at the prospect of attending their institution.

College Website:

This one is a given. It’s mainly in order to go back when you need to do some more research on specific programs for essays. It helps when you have a direct link because college websites are large and can be hard to navigate because they cater to many different groups of people.

Admission Counselor Contact Information:

This can be important to keep in mind when there are questions the website can’t answer. This is also a direct line of communication that is best to use when demonstrating interest outside of visits. Contacting the institution is a great way to land on their radar, however, don’t bet on this working for prestigious schools with high volumes of applicants. Research the specific admission counselor assigned to your region/location because you will be redirected to them regardless, so it’s best to email them directly for a faster response. If you aren’t able to find their email, don’t stress too much and send it to the generic one because they will most likely redirect you themselves.

Housing:

Many institutions will guarantee housing for freshmen, even require it, so it’s important to make sure you are aware of these facts beforehand. If housing off-campus is important for you, this may be a deal breaker, however, for those who will rely heavily on housing on-campus, it’s reassuring to know there will be space for you. When they have a rule that freshmen are to stay on campus though, just know, there is almost always going to be a lively student body with events constantly happening to entertain the students and enrich them. The idea of leaving your parents may be nerve-wracking, but rest assured, they will try to give you a great experience while you spend your year there.

Final Thoughts:

The college application journey may seem complicated, however, I hope this series will allow you to have some peace of mind knowing the steps will be laid out for you with detailed instructions. Don’t feel that your college list has to be definite once created. You will learn more about different colleges in the coming months, so it’s okay to change what colleges you are interested in. Just make sure that as you get closer to October or November, you aren’t still constantly changing your list because this will be when writing supplements becomes really important. Keep an eye out for additions to this series to keep yourself on task and in the know this year. It can be hectic, but there are a lot of resources you can avail (I will try to mention as many as I can), so please don’t overlook them. Good luck as you begin your senior year and I hope your personal journeys through the college application process are smooth with very few bumps in the road.