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Building the perfect application: it's only a couple pieces of paper. But when it comes to attending the college of your dreams, those few sheets are the most important documents in the universe. It's your college applicationyour chance to introduce yourself, show your qualifications, and relate what you can contribute to a school - Strategies For Success

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Tracey Randinelli

* Keep to the specified length. If no maximum is given, stick to about 500 words. The friendly admission officer reading 50 essays a day will thank you.

* Remember: You don't have to be Tolstoy. Admission officers hope to learn more about you by reading your essay. They are not expecting you to produce the greatest work of literature ever.

EDIT AND CHECK

STEP 3 One of the best ways to pinpoint problems in your essay is to have someone else read it. But don't let your editor do the writing! "An editor might say, 'I think you should come up with more details,'" says Kreisberg, "and then it's your job to come up with those details and write them."

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Don't rely solely on your computer to proofread your essay. Spell checks are notorious for not picking up repeated words or words that are spelled differently, but sound alike. (Here what were saying?) And don't expect an admission rep to overlook grammatical goofs. Seattle University's McKeon remembers showing an error-filled essay to a colleague. "He said it would have been criminal to admit the student."

If you put in the time and energy, your hard work will be appreciated by the people who matter--the admission staff. "Each year, I will read one of two essays that move me to the point where I write the person an individual letter," says McKeon. Your essay may get you something just as important--a letter welcoming you to your dream school.

5 ESSAY DON'TS

1. DON'T CONFUSE YOUR SCHOOLS. Saying "I've always wanted to go to Cornell" in the essay you're sending to Grinnell is a big no-no. Make sure you use your computer's Find/Replace command to remove all traces of previous schools before you send the application.

2. DON'T INTERCHANGE IT'S AND ITS. If you can replace the "its" with the words "it is," the word is a contraction and calls for an apostrophe. If not, it's a possessive--leave it alone. (And while you're at it, bone up on the differences between there and their, and to and too.)

3. DON'T OVERUTILIZE PRETENTIOUS LANGUAGE TO DELINEATE THE SUBJECT MATTER. In other words, don't use too many big words.

4. DON'T USE TENSES AND PRONOUNS THAT DON'T AGREE. "Each has their way" is not correct, "Each has his or her way" is.

5. DON'T START SUCCESSIVE SENTENCES WITH THE SAME WORD. That is careless. That is sloppy. That is why you shouldn't do it.

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Tracey Randinelli is a regular contributor to CAREERS & COLLEGES.