PLEASE have somebody proofread your essay before submission. Your friends and family might think it’s great, but a teacher will give you better criticism generally.
Stuff to think about:
Some comments I got from volunteers who read and scored the essays:
Demonstrate your capability and drive.
Show us that you can stick with one thing for a prolonged period of time.
Show passion.
Have you volunteered?
Be focused. Don’t ramble.
DON’T PANDER.
A good story or anecdote that ties into your goals can help explain why you’re going into a specific field of study.
Don’t brag.
Explain your goals.
Sometimes thinking of your writing as music rather than just a communication tool can help. Reading aloud helps with the cadence and clarity too.
Please don’t go on and on about how expensive college is. We know it is. That doesn’t make for interesting reading though. If our eyes glaze over while reading your essay it probably won’t score very high.
Please don’t write an entire paper explaining the specifics of the field you want to go into.
Tell us a story about yourself. Tell us about your passion for life. What is it you really want to do with yourself? We know you may not end up doing this for the rest of your life (I didn’t) but getting started is important.
Have some friends read your essay before you submit it. Be sure they’ll be honest with you. Don’t give it to somebody who will say it’s great even if it’s not.