--- title: Essay Help! Tips for Writing a College Application Essay description: You don’t have to be a full-time environmentalist to appreciate the value of “going green.” Practicing green habits at home and in the workplace can make a difference not only to the world, but also to your wallet. image: https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/file-2338657106-jpg/images/4_college.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - 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[Medical (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/medical) - [Pets (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/pets) - [dormant account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/dormant-account) - [inactive account (1)](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/inactive-account) # Essay Help! Tips for Writing a College Application Essay ** [MoneyWisdom Newsletter](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/author/moneywisdom-newsletter) ** Jan 27, 2015 ![](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/file-2338657106-jpg/images/4_college.jpg) Getting into a good college takes a lot of hard work and dedication. One of the last hurdles to admission is the application essay – and it's a great opportunity for you to shine. Here are some tips to help you create an application essay that gives you the best chance at getting into your top school. **Show your brand.** Most pieces of the application process are simple fill-in-the-blanks. The essay is your chance to truly show your personality and what you are all about. Think of how you're portraying your personal "brand" through what you choose to write about. Consider your tone and what you want it to convey – humor, intensity, seriousness? **Be original.** Many colleges allow you flexibility in choosing what to write. Think about what experience you have that lends a unique perspective. Choose a topic that feels comfortable and can play to your strengths as both a writer and a student. If the essay does have a specific assigned topic, try to bring your own angle to the subject while showing your knowledge. **Edit, edit, edit.** A great essay is rarely done after the first run through. Between spelling mistakes, run-on sentences and unclear ideas, editing is an important tool in perfecting your essay. Don't make the mistake of simply relying on a computer spell-check to catch problems. Re-read and re-write your essay until you feel it's perfect. Getting a friend or family member to read it as well is smart since they will have fresh eyes to spot errors. **Do it yourself. **The quickest way to get eliminated from consideration is to plagiarize your essay. It may be tempting to use great words from others, but you must be sure to attribute anything that did not come out of your own brain. Finally, stay away from paid services that offer to write your essay for you. This defeats the purpose of showing your uniqueness through an essay and they often are poor quality anyway. #### Here to help After nailing the application essay and getting into that great college, your next goal is to figure out how you will pay. [Click here for details on our scholarship program for high school seniors planning to continue their education.](https://www.hfcu.org/community/scholarships.html) College is one of the best investments you can make. Contact us at **800-656-4328** or [visit us online](https://www.hfcu.org/community/scholarships.html) to learn how we can help you or your student. ** [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) [** How to Avoid Breaking the Bank on Black Friday ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/how-to-avoid-breaking-the-bank-on-black-friday) [** Easy Ways To Go Green With Your Finances ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/141169/easy-ways-to-go-green-with-your-finances) ### About Author ![Default Author Image](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/476360/Blog%20Template/Images/default-author-thumbnail.jpg) MoneyWisdom Newsletter Related Posts [![Here's The Difference Between An Heir And A Beneficiary](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/grandparents%20on%20beach.png) Here's The Difference Between An Heir And A Beneficiary ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/whats-the-difference-between-an-heir-and-a-beneficiary) [![Should I Send My Teen To College With a Credit Card?](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Should%20I%20Send%20My%20Teen%20To%20College%20With%20A%20Credit%20Card.png) Should I Send My Teen To College With a Credit Card? ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/185097/college-students-and-credit-cards) [![When You Have to Trim the Wedding Budget](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/Trim%20the%20Budget.png) When You Have to Trim the Wedding Budget ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/when-you-have-to-trim-the-wedding-budget) ** - [**](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/141169/tips-for-writing-a-college-application-essay/) - [**](https://X.com/share?url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/141169/tips-for-writing-a-college-application-essay/) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://go.hfcu.org/blog/bid/141169/tips-for-writing-a-college-application-essay/&summary=&source=CeBIT) ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. 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Moreover, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's privacy policies do not apply to any of the linked websites within this blog. Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "MoneyWisdom Newsletter" }, "dateModified" : "February 12, 2020, 2:28:54 PM", "datePublished" : "2015-01-27 15:00:00", "description" : "You don’t have to be a full-time environmentalist to appreciate the value of “going green.” Practicing green habits at home and in the workplace can make a difference not only to the world, but also to your wallet.", "headline" : "Essay Help! 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