Writing a decent college essay is not an easy task. Sometimes you run with an idea and, in the end, it doesn’t work as expected. You’re going to have to revise. Don’t fret: writing a good essay takes time and, by its very nature, it demands revisions. This is all part of the process. Even Harvard recognizes and stresses the importance of revisions. Revising is as fundamental as writing the introductory paragraph.
Laura Saltz of Harvard’s Writing Center has a handout that you can obtain online: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Revising.html, and it is indeed a useful tool as you go about revising your college essays. Here are some key pieces of advice it offers:
After you finish an essay, put it aside for a few days. This will let the contents slowly simmer in your mind. When you return to it, it will be with a fresh perspective, which might allow you to make edits that will improve the conciseness and effectiveness of what you’re explaining.
Get feedback from a wide a range of people (though not peers—they might be tempted to copy any particularly good ideas you come up with). At the Harvard Crimson, ‘editors criticize one another’s writing ruthlessly.’ (Making the Most of College, Richard Light, p. 61) The earlier you learn to use critiques of your writing, the better your writing will become, and the better your college essay will be.
Rethink your approach to the essay prompt. You might want to reorder your points, or add more effective ones. At the same time you might want to cut out anything that is irrelevant or redundant. Word limitations, implicit in the essay, usually require precision.
The most crucial areas of your essay are the introduction and conclusion. Both carry enormous weight with your reader. The introduction, done well, will induce your reader to happily delve into your piece. The conclusion, well executed, will leave the reader with a respect for your writing prowess and your control of ideas.
Proofread carefully. Preferably, read aloud whatever it is you’ve written; your ear oftentimes will pick up flaws in logic and grammar otherwise missed.
In the Harvard handout there is an example of EB White’s 3rd and 6th draft of an article he wrote about the first moon walk. The differences between the versions are dramatic. Even his ideas and examples have completely changed over intervening drafts. This, by the way, was for a ‘one paragraph comment.’ So think, if someone of the capability and scope as EB White goes through 6 drafts on a one paragraph essay, what might you expect to have to do to get that 200 word essay on the University of Chicago application ready for admission’s review? Good writing evolves over time.
In Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, which has sold in excess of 10 million copies, and was written before word processing came into the mainstream, EB White offers this choice tidbit that few students I’ve worked with take to warmly, “…Do not be afraid to seize whatever you have written and cut it to ribbons…it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing and among the best writers.” (The Elements of Style, William Strunk and E.B. White, p. 72)
The importance of revising your application essays cannot be overstated. Expressing yourself clearly, concisely, and eloquently while effectively responding to a prompt is an art—one well respected among many of the admissions officers who are reading your essays. Making an impact, which will require looking at things a bit differently and taking risks, means the chances of missing the mark are ever present. Only the capable applicant, able to edit his or her own work, will succeed, and that will be through the revision process. Revise well. It’s a tool that will become ever more important should you be admitted.