College · Seniors

The college essay checklist

Make sure your essays are great by going through them one question at a time.

Short answer

Add each essay and supplement you’re writing, then check off every question it passes. You don’t have to check every box for every essay: think of this as a checklist to jog your memory, not a scorecard. Your progress is saved in this browser only.

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Common App essay

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Does my essay…relate to a theme?relate to my ECs/awards?have vivid emotions?have specific details?have something uniquely me?reveal something personal?have nuance?show my curiosity?show my community-mindedness?avoid cliché?

Sentence flow & grammarDo I use short, powerful sentences?Do I use a variety of sentence structures?Am I writing in active voice?Is my tone consistent?Do I avoid overcomplicated words?Do I use short paragraphs?Am I avoiding “like,” “simply,” and “really”?Do I use parallelism in my sentences?Do I avoid repetitive sentences?Am I taking advantage of synonyms?Am I using semicolons, colons, and dashes?Are my words in the right order?

StructureDo I hook the reader right away?Do I leave them with something to think about?Do I reach the substance of the essay fast?Is every paragraph moving the essay forward?Is every sentence moving the essay forward?Is my essay clear (not confusing)?Is there tension throughout the essay?