Almost everyone applying to college has good grades, excellent SAT scores and recommendations. This leaves the admissions committee with a dilemma...how to select the best candidates for the limited space they have. This is where the application essay comes in– to separate your application from the other candidates’ with similar qualifications as you. For schools that require it, the essay is an important part of your application and should be taken seriously. A winning essay that presents you with vitality, originality and focus, can bring you to attention in the very short time your application is being reviewed, and can get you into the school.

The application essay usually takes one of three formats: a self-analysis essay, short-answer questions, and a writing sample.

Self-analysis Essay: This is an essay about yourself, your goals and aspirations, and your life up to the present moment. It is a chance to demonstrate which questions you’ve asked yourself and the answers you’ve found. This type of essay can be difficult to write, since chances are, you are still at that stage where you’re still exploring who you are and what you want out of life.

Short-answer Questions: These are easier to write. You are required to answer specific questions in one or two paragraphs. Be careful not to bore the admissions committee with long answers– it’s a short answer question and your answers should be concise and straight to the point.

Writing Samples: This is perhaps the easiest essay to write. Actually, you will be doing very little writing. A writing sample is an article you’ve previously written. It is best to submit a school essay in which you received a B+ grade or better. Just polish it up! A note of caution: do not send a 10-page research essay– a one or two-page essay will do. The admissions committee will be reading hundreds of essays and have little time to read lengthy compositions.

So how do you write a winning essay? Simple, just follow the same three-step process you used with your high school essays: pre-write, draft and edit. This process helps you to focus your essay and gather the details you’ll need to support it.

Pre-writing: Collect and organize potential ideas for your essay’s focus. Make a list of your strengths and outstanding characteristics. It might help to ask parents, family members and friends what your strengths are. Next to each characteristic, list pieces of evidence from your life that support your claim. Then, group patterns in the material you’ve gathered. For example, does your selflessness show up in your long hours helping the homeless and your part-time job teaching kindergarten?

Drafting: This is the actual writing. Write your essay in three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should give your reader an idea of your essay’s content. The body should present evidence that supports your introduction; while the conclusion should summarize the meaning of what you’ve described, and tie back to your introduction.

Editing: With your draft, it’s time to make the final improvements to your essay. Find and correct any errors. Get other people to give you feedback. You can also use a professional editing service to look over your essay.