Click here to explore thousands of successful college essay exemplars!
Editing a college essay is crucial for creating a polished, compelling application. When submitting your Common App essay, you want to make sure that the final version you submit is the best possible one. This is because the Common App essay can be used to apply to up to 20 schools, so it is important to put your best foot forward when presenting yourself to so many admissions committees! This essay is here to give you some practical tips to help you refine your writing and ensure you submit a strong essay.
How To Edit Your Common App Essay
Clarity
Avoid run-on sentences: Don't use overly long sentences as this will make the point you are trying to convey less clear. Break down run-on sentences into shorter sentences that are easier to understand.
Avoid jargon: Avoid using subject-specific terminology related to your field of study. Ensure your essay will be understood by a general member of the population. While the use of a strong vocabulary is encouraged, ensure that you do not use overly technical terms.
Removed overused phrases: Eliminate unnecessary words or phrases that you have used too much throughout the essay as this sounds repetitive and unclear.
Avoid fragments: Along with avoiding run-on sentences, you should also ensure that you avoid fragments - sentences that are too short and do not effectively get the point across. Ensure that your sentences are of an appropriate length and follow the correct syntax.
Structure
Have a clear focus: Ensure that your essay is focused on the prompt. Do not deviate from the topic or discuss experiences that do not align with what the prompt is asking you for.
Catch the reader's attention: Start with a compelling hook and introduction to grab the reader's attention and engage them in your essay. For a guide on how to write a good hook, check out this post here. For more details on how to write a college essay introduction, click on these links here and here.
Keep a smooth flow: Ensure that you have smooth transitions between paragraphs and that all ideas flow logically. This allows your essay to be cohesive and makes it easy for the reader to understand.
Have focused body paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea related to the prompt. Each body paragraph should have a mini conclusion that leads to the next body paragraph, and then finally to the conclusion.
Conclude effectively: End with a strong conclusion that effectively ties together the mini-conclusion from the body paragraphs and provides closure to your essay. For more details on how to write a good conclusion, check out these posts here and here.
Voice and Tone
Be authentic: Read over the essay and ensure it sounds like you. It is important to ensure the essay reflects your voice and beliefs rather than someone else's.
Avoid clichés: Avoid using clichéd words or phrases as this makes your essay less unique and does not show creativity. Examples of what to avoid can be found in this post here.
Be mindful of the tone: Ensure that the tone of your essay is reflective of the topic being discussed. Lighter topics can have a more informal tone, which is usually what is expected in the Common App essay where admissions officers are trying to get to know you outside of a formal academic setting.
Add a personal touch: Ensure you have used enough anecdotes and lived experiences to add a personal touch to your story and make it truly yours.
Proofreading
Revise multiple times: Read over your essay multiple times to catch any errors you may have missed during previous editing sessions. You can also try printing out a copy of your essay and editing it with a pen or pencil rather than editing it on a digital device.
Use a spellchecker: To confirm your edits, you may want to use a spellchecker to check for any lingering spelling or grammatical errors. Ensure you filter the language settings to check for American English as some spellings may be different than other regional dialects of English.
Take breaks: Take adequate, well-spaced breaks when proofreading your essay. Editing continuously over a long time may make you feel burnt out and more prone to missing errors.
Get feedback: Ask a teacher or counsellor to read over your essay and provide you with feedback. This can help you identify errors that you may have missed yourself. However, make sure not to ask too many people for their input to make sure the essay's phrasing and voice stay truly yours.
Keep to the word limit: Ensure you are within the word limit of 250-650 words. Editing often requires you to add sentences and words so make sure these additional phrases do not make your essay go over the word limit.
We hope this guide helps you with editing your Common App essay. Good luck with your college applications!
The Fast Track To Your
Best IB Coursework & College Essays
All content on this website has been developed independently from and is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. International Baccalaureate and IB are registered trademarks owned by the International Baccalaureate Organization.