Revising and editing your college essay is crucial to ensure that it effectively showcases your unique voice, experiences, and qualifications. After completing your initial draft, it’s essential to approach the revision process in stages, focusing on different aspects of your writing at each step.
Begin by reviewing the big-picture elements of your essay, such as the overall narrative structure and clarity of your message. Next, concentrate on refining your essay’s style and tone.
Once you’re satisfied with the content and style of your essay, turn your attention to the finer details of grammar, punctuation, and word count. Polishing these elements will help your essay make a professional and polished impression on the admissions committee.
Throughout the revision process, it’s essential to take breaks between each stage and draft. Stepping away from your writing briefly can help you return with fresh eyes and new perspectives. Additionally, seek feedback from trusted sources, such as teachers, friends, family members, or professional essay coaches.
For further inspiration and guidance, explore our collection of college essay examples. These samples demonstrate how to transform a rough draft into a compelling final essay that showcases your unique qualities and experiences.
Big picture: Check for overall message, flow, and clarity
When revising your college admissions essay, begin by focusing on the big-picture elements, such as the overall message, flow, and clarity of your writing.
Check your overall message
During your first read-through, resist the urge to correct grammatical errors and instead concentrate on assessing the essay.
To check your overall message, ask yourself the following questions after reading your essay:
1. What central message or theme do I take away from my essay?
2. Have I effectively addressed the prompt and answered the question?
3. Does my essay conclude with a meaningful insight, or does it simply recount a story without deeper reflection?
4. Have I used specific anecdotes and examples to illustrate my values, and do these values align with those of the university?
5. Is the focus of my essay primarily on my own experiences and growth, or does it place too much emphasis on another person or idea?
If your essay falls short in any of these areas, take the time to revise and refine your writing accordingly. Ensuring that your essay has a clear and compelling message, flows smoothly from beginning to end, and effectively showcases your unique qualities and values is essential to crafting a successful college admissions essay.
Check transitions and flow
To evaluate the transitions and flow of your essay, underline each paragraph’s topic and transition sentences. This will help you visualize the structure and progression of your writing. If the overall flow seems disjointed or needs coherence, consider rewriting or rearranging these key sentences to create a more logical and natural outline.
Once you have refined the structure, read through the entire essay again to ensure it flows smoothly from one idea to the next. Pay special attention to your introduction and conclusion, making sure that your opening is engaging and captivating and that your conclusion provides a satisfying and meaningful resolution.
Check for content quality
To assess the content quality of your essay, highlight any sections that seem unclear, uninteresting, or unnecessary. Take the time to clarify ambiguous passages and parts with vivid, descriptive language, and remove sentences or words that do not contribute to your essay’s overall message or impact.
As you revise, ensure that every element of your writing showcases the qualities and characteristics colleges seek in applicants, such as your unique personality, genuine interests, and positive traits.
Voice: Check for style and tone
When revising your college admissions essay, paying attention to your writing style and tone is crucial. Your unique voice should shine through, allowing the admissions committee to understand your personality and character. However, it’s equally important to maintain a polished and appropriate tone demonstrating your maturity and ability to communicate effectively.
Read it aloud to catch errors
One of the most effective ways to assess your essay’s style and tone is to read it aloud. This technique can help you identify awkward phrasing, repetitive language, and inconsistencies in your writing voice. Listen for any sentences that sound choppy, overly formal, or out of character as you read. Pay attention to your pacing and rhythm, ensuring your essay flows smoothly and naturally.
Details: Check for grammar and punctuation
After addressing the big-picture aspects of your college admissions essay, it’s time to focus on the finer details of grammar and punctuation. Ensuring that your essay is error-free demonstrates your attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work.
Run spell check
Before submitting your essay, run a spell check using your word processor’s built-in tool or a third-party software. This will help you catch any spelling errors you missed during the writing and revising. However, remember that spell check may only catch some mistakes, such as homonyms or incorrectly used words, so reviewing your essay carefully is essential.
Punctuation, capitalization, and verb errors
Pay close attention to your use of punctuation, capitalization, and verb tenses throughout your essay. Ensure you use commas, semicolons, and colons appropriately to separate clauses and ideas. Check that you have capitalized proper nouns, such as names and places, and used a consistent capitalization style for titles and headings. Review your verb tenses to ensure that they are consistent and appropriate for the context of your writing.
Sentence structure
Evaluate the structure and clarity of your sentences. Look for run-on sentences, fragments, or overly complex constructions that may confuse the reader. Aim for a balance of simple, compound, and complex sentences to create a varied and engaging rhythm. If necessary, break up longer sentences into more manageable ones or combine shorter ones to create a more fluid and cohesive narrative.
Consistency
Maintain consistency in your writing style, tone, and formatting throughout your essay. Ensure you use the same font, font size, and spacing across the document. If you have chosen to use a specific style guide, such as MLA or APA, adhere to its guidelines for citations, references, and other formatting elements. Consistency in your writing helps create a polished and professional impression.
Feedback: Get a second opinion
After revising and proofreading your college admissions essay, seeking feedback from others can provide valuable insights and help you further refine your writing. A fresh perspective can identify areas for improvement you may have overlooked and ensure that your essay effectively conveys your unique voice and experiences.
Get help from a teacher, guidance counselor, or mentor
One of the best sources of feedback is a trusted teacher, guidance counselor, or mentor with experience with the college admissions process. These individuals can offer expert advice on the content, structure, and tone of your essay and guide how to make your writing more compelling and memorable. They can also help you ensure that your essay aligns with the expectations and values of the colleges you are applying to.
Ask family or friends to check for authenticity
Ask family members or friends to review your essay for authenticity. These individuals know you well and can help ensure that your writing accurately reflects your personality, values, and experiences. They may also be able to identify areas where your essay feels inauthentic or inconsistent with your true self.
Incorporate feedback after a break
After receiving feedback from others, take a break before incorporating their suggestions into your essay. This will allow you to approach the revision process with a fresh mindset and ensure that your changes align with your overall goals and vision for the essay. Consider each piece of feedback carefully, and only incorporate those suggestions that genuinely enhance the quality and impact of your writing.