How To Write A College Essay Conclusion

Are you in the process of writing essays for college applications? This is a crucial opportunity to showcase your personality, experiences, and aspirations as college essays go beyond grades and test scores, providing a holistic view of your identity. A well-crafted essay showcases your writing skills, critical thinking, and personal reflections. Your college essay is a chance to stand out, make a memorable impression on admissions officers and demonstrate why you’re a perfect fit for the respective institutions you've chosen to apply to. 

A strong conclusion is a necessary part of a college essay and helps succinctly wrap up the main ideas presented in the essay to allow the reader to see the connection between the ideas presented in the body paragraphs. The main focus of this post will be on writing a strong conclusion, but feel free to check out these posts here and here for some overall tips on how to structure all parts of a college essay. 

How To Write A College Essay Conclusion

Wrapping Up the Main Points from the Body of the Essay

• Summarize Key Points: Briefly recap the main themes and ideas you’ve discussed in your essay. This succinctly ties together all the ideas presented in the body paragraphs, which helps the reader remember important aspects of your story. Avoid directly repeating sentences from the body paragraphs, but instead try to paraphrase them in different words. 

   

• Provide Closure: Your essay should have a complete ending, without any suspense for the reader. This ensures a clear understanding of your story, as well as how you have thoroughly addressed the prompt. 

   

• Avoid Introducing New Ideas: Focus on wrapping up your existing narrative rather than bringing in new ideas. Introducing new information in the conclusion does not allow enough room for the idea to be fully explained, which could lead to confusion for the reader. Stick to summarizing the topics outlined in the body paragraphs.

Personal Reflection and Growth

• Reflect on Personal Growth: Highlight how your experiences have shaped your character, skills, and perspectives. Demonstrate any personal growth that you went through and how this relates to the prompt. A good example can be found here.

   

• Maintain Authenticity: Ensure your conclusion remains true to your voice and personal story. Avoid clichés or overused phrases that can make your essay feel generic.

   

   

   

Connection to Future Goals and College Aspirations

• Highlight Academic Aspirations: If applicable to the prompt, discuss your future academic goals and how attending the college will help you achieve them. For example, explain what courses or research groups are available in this college that align with your ambitions. This shows your enthusiasm for attending this college, which can help admissions officers see why you might be a good fit to be admitted there. A good example can be seen in essay 4 here. 

   

• Connect to the College: Apart from academics, mention specific aspects of the college that you find interesting, such as its values, culture, campus life, etc. This helps admissions officers see how you holistically fit into the college.  An example of this is shown in essay 4 here.

   

• Reiterate Your Fit: Reinforce why you’re a great match for the college. Highlight how your academic and life experiences have prepared you for life at this college, and why attending this college would be beneficial to your future. 

   

• Discuss future plans: If applicable to the prompt, discuss your future plans at this college, such as joining a specific club, engaging in research, participating in varsity sports, etc.  A good example can be seen in essay 3 here.

   

Connecting the Conclusion to the Essay Prompt/Introduction

• Focus on the Prompt: Ensure your conclusion remains focused on the essay prompt. This shows that you’ve maintained clarity throughout your essay and have thoughtfully considered the question posed. 

   

• Echo Your Introduction: Ensure your essay has a smooth flow by connecting ideas between the introduction, body and conclusion. This reinforces the main points you’ve made throughout your essay in a succinct conclusion. A good example can be seen here, through the repetition of the phrase "A cow gave birth and I watched" in both the introduction and conclusion.

Conciseness and Clarity

• Be Concise: Ensure your conclusion is to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or run-on sentences that can distract from your main message, as a concise conclusion leaves a stronger impact.

   

• Review and Revise: Carefully review your conclusion to ensure it ties together your essay effectively. Edit carefully to check for clarity and coherence. Ensure you submit an essay free from grammatical and spelling errors, and these would reduce the professionalism of your essay. Use a spellchecker to ensure you have no mistakes in your essay. 

Leaving an Impression on the Reader

• Use a Memorable Line: Craft a closing sentence that leaves a lasting impression. This could be a thought-provoking statement or a powerful quote. A memorable line can make your essay stand out in the reader’s mind. A good example is seen here, when the student starts the conclusion with "My new aspiration is to combine these two selves", which is a line that catches the reader's attention. 

   

• Leave a Positive Impression: Aim to leave the reader with a positive image of you and your aspirations. A positive conclusion can enhance the overall tone of your essay and leave the admissions committee with a favourable view of you as an applicant.

   

We hope this guide helps you with writing the conclusion for your college essays. For a comprehensive list of examples of good conclusions, check out this post here. Good luck with your college applications!