5 Tips To Make Your College Essay Unique
Writing a unique college application essay is difficult. Here are some simple tips to keep in mind throughout your essay writing process.
- Make Your Authorial Voice Personal And Real
One great way to make your college essay unique is by focusing on your authorial voice. If you want your authorial voice to stand out, there are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Your work should be grammatically correct and free of spelling and grammar errors
- Your voice should be unique to you
Do not allow a more colloquial style of writing to sacrifice polished and clean writing. You can be conversational and still fulfill the expectations admissions officers expect from the quality of your work. This skill will take some practice, and a great way to perfect your authorial voice is by writing more than one draft of your application essay.
A strong authorial voice functions to humanize the reader’s experience of your work while giving them an understanding of who you are. You may choose to think about your essay as conversational and write the way you speak. A personalized rhythm to your writing, unique word choices, and a colloquial voice really works for some students.
- Your Essay Should Be Structured And Easy To Follow
If you dedicate significant time to developing your authorial voice, keep in mind that a strong authorial voice doesn’t necessitate a stream of consciousness structure. You need to structure your essay with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
You also need to dedicate space in your essay to reflecting and talking about yourself. Be sure that your essay is easy to follow, and that your conversational or colloquial (perhaps casual) style of voice does not impact the logical organization of your college application essay.
- You Do Not Need To Be Funny
You should not force humor. Your authorial voice should be true to you, but you should know that writing jokes is much more difficult than it seems. Your essay does not need to be funny.
- Be Vulnerable And Specific When Talking About Yourself
Another way to make your college essay stand out is by inserting stories, reflections, or details that are personal to you. The reader wants to know who you are, so get vulnerable and specific when talking about the people, events, memories, or things that have shaped your life and your perspective of the world.
Talking about yourself is a daunting and sometimes uncomfortable task but taking a risk and getting vulnerable is a great way to make your college application essay unique.
- Take Risks
Taking risks with the subject matter or direction of your essay is a good way to stand out in the pile of papers on your reader’s desk. If you find room in one of the prompts for a story that is unique, interesting, or unexpected, take the time to write one draft.
You can see which direction your essay goes and decide if the risk is worth it once you have put pen to paper. Writing a unique essay can be difficult. Take advantage of the opportunity to write several drafts and see where your personal stories take you!
An Impressive College Application Essay: How To Craft One
First Impressions Matter
To craft an impressive college application essay, you should start with a great introductory paragraph. Your first impression on the college admissions officer reading your application essay happens in the first few lines of the paper.
Make sure you write an introduction paragraph that hooks your reader in and offers an idea of what the rest of your application essay is about. As you edit, draft, and revise your application essay, focus on the ways you can sharpen and improve your introductory paragraph to make a great first impression.
Leave The Reader Thinking About Your Story
The next step to writing an impressive college application essay is telling a story that sticks with your reader. Another essay about scoring the winning goal or getting an “A” in the class you studied all year for, will not stick with your reader as well as a story that is unique and thoughtful. Leave the reader thinking about your essay by writing a personal narrative.
Reflections Are Thoughtful
A key aspect of a good college application essay is the writer’s self-awareness and dedication to writing about their personal growth and personal values. Your college application essay needs to include reflections that are thoughtful and detailed. You may need to write several drafts and spend significant time brainstorming how the story you tell has impacted the way you live your life and the way you think of the world around you. A great college application essay includes deep and thorough self-reflection.
Your Writing Is Polished: There Are No Distracting Errors
Your college application essay should be thoroughly edited and free of any spelling and grammar errors. To leave a good impression on your reader, your writing should avoid any little mistakes that distract your reader.
Choose The Best College Application Essay Topics: Here’s Why
When selecting a story to tell for your college application essay, you need to select a topic that is right for you. Do not write an essay that is based on what you think the college admissions officer wants to read. Instead, choose the best story that allows a deep and meaningful discussion of who you are, what is important to you, and how you hope to bring your values and interests to a college campus.
You should also consider selecting narrative topics that are engaging to the reader. Avoid overly cliche and overused essay topics!
A college application essay topic that is not right for you and that is not engaging to the reader will come across as rushed, forced, or lazy. Take time to brainstorm which essay prompt offers plenty of room to write a strong narrative with deep reflection to keep your reader interested. You need your application essay to be memorable and choosing a topic that is right for you is an important step!
As you prepare to write your college application essays, many questions may be on your mind. You should know that FLEX College Prep offers essay writing support and guidance through experienced essay specialists! Get help every step of the way, and gain confidence by having an ally throughout your brainstorming, outlining, drafting, writing, editing, and revising process.
Our application consultants and essay specialists can offer strategies and guidance to help you write an essay that is unique, memorable, and personal to you! Try FLEX College Prep’s Application and College Essay Program to write the best application essay possible.

Students need to stand out in the competitive admissions landscape. FLEX College Prep is a team of the best strategists in the industry and takes a holistic approach to ensure students use their pre-college years in intentional, enriching, and personally satisfying ways. Since 2001, we’ve worked with families to help students unlock their potential and find happiness, meaning, and success in college and beyond.