As seniors at Palatine High School continue on further into senior year, many begin to think about how they can create an essay that will wow colleges.

“I did a lot of research on what colleges are looking for in an essay and I found that the best route is to be authentic.” Senior Maxwell Morasu said.

The main aspect to writing a good college essay is authenticity. Colleges really love it when they are able to naturally get a sense of a student’s voice, character, and sense of humor in their writing. Picking a topic that you are passionate about will help your writing become more authentic.

“When writing a college essay it’s crucial to find something that makes you stand out. In order to do that, pick something you are passionate about. It will make your essay easier to write and will come across positively to the reader.” Michelle Calisch, a counselor at Palatine High school said. 

Another tip that will help you crush your college essay is to get different opinions and critical feedback. Allow others to read your writing and tell you what’s strong and what needs improvement. 

“I constantly am reading my essays to people. Whether it be my friends or family, I am listening and really valuing any feedback I get. Since other people are going to be reading your essay and deciding on whether they accept you or not into their college, it’s very important to get feedback from an opinion other than your own to see how you sound to other people.” Morasu said.

There are many resources at Palatine that are available to students who are searching for a second opinion. 

“I always tell students to go to the SSC when they get stuck. There’s an English teacher there every period before and after school who is able to help students in any way they need.” Calisch said.

Lastly, writing many drafts and revising your essay is bound to make your writing the best it can be. Your essay is not going to be perfect the first, second, or maybe even the third time. And that’s why thoughtfulness and patience is key.

“You gotta dig deep when you’re writing those college essays. Really reVamp and rewrite multiple times. You really need to just keep looking at it as many times as possible.” Calish said.

Rereading and feeling confident in your essay is rewarding and can go a long way. Accomplishing writing a good college essay can improve your likelihood of getting accepted into any college by ten times so do your best and good luck!