Essays are often a key component of students’ applications to college. Unlike other parts of the application, students have complete control over their school essay – and they’re in a prime position to make an impression that will help them stand out. But despite the fact that it may seem easier to write an impressive essay than other parts of a student’s application, writing a successful one requires careful thought and effort.

The school essay is a chance for students to tell admissions officers who they are, what they care about, and how they’re unique. It’s a HUGE opportunity to tip the scales in their favor, and it is absolutely worth the time and effort that goes into it. However, many students don’t know how to approach the school essay and end up with an essay that falls flat or misses the mark.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled some tips on how to write a great school essay.

Start Early

The best way to ensure that you can write a good essay is to give yourself plenty of time to work on it. Students should start working on their school essay months before it’s due so they can write multiple drafts and get a feel for what it takes to make a strong argument.

Avoid Repeating Yourself

Trying to reuse and edit an essay that you’ve already written is one of the biggest mistakes that applicants can make. It can be tempting to recycle an old essay in the hopes that it will increase your chances of getting accepted, but this approach will usually backfire and result in a generic, unfocused essay that doesn’t address the school’s specific prompt. Instead, students should start each essay with a blank document and only use snippets of previously written essays where appropriate.

Show, Don’t Tell

Unlike the personal statement essay, the “why our school” essay is less about what you’ve done and more about what you’ve learned from your experiences. The most compelling essays explain the lessons that you’ve taken away from your experiences – not just how awesome they were. For example, instead of writing about how many soccer games you won as a kid, explain how winning those games impacted your life and helped shape you into the person you are today. Or, describe the realizations you came to after volunteering at a soup kitchen. It’s the insights that you’ve gained from your experiences that will truly resonate with admissions officers.