Who's reading your essay, and what do they want?

1) Does anyone even read it? The answer is YES. Colleges that require an essay do so for a reason. If they weren't going to read it, they wouldn't bother asking for it.

2) The essay is only one part of the whole application, but it is the most personal part. Courses, grades and test scores are important but lack personality. School recommendations are written by other people. The essay is all about what you choose to convey to the admissions committee about yourself.

3) What do you have to say? Is the essay reflective and personal? Does it get at the heart of what you are trying to convey? A page packed with text doesn't necessarily mean you have more to say than someone of fewer words. Sometimes, less is more. One student might convey why they love music more convincingly in a short essay than the student who writes about it in a long but superficial piece. On the other hand, sometimes you do need more words to tell your story.

4) Does the voice in the essay sound genuine? The best college essays will have the voice of the person who wrote them—usually, a 17(ish)-year-old high school student who comes to life on paper through their words. An essay that has been overly-edited by the adults in your life will lose that voice. (Lesson: write it yourself.)

Adapted from Margit Dahl, Yale University