First, sit down and have a brainstorming session on what you want the institution to know about yourself. Write down your key personality traits, strengths, goals, and vision. Knowing more about who you are and what you want will help put focus into your essay.
After you’ve made your notes, created an outline, and organized your essay, start writing your first draft. Let your words flow and don’t try to make it perfect. You’ll make countless revisions and improvements later on, and it’s important to let your ideas and inspiration come out first.
Don’t focus on what you think colleges will want to hear, and instead focus on your own unique voice. Write about significant events or experiences that helped you learn valuable lessons, and write about instances that shaped you. Find a creative spin on what makes you different and highlight your individual strengths.
Have multiple people, such as friends, parents, and teachers, review your essay. Consider their advice, but keep what you think is valuable and stick to your own individual voice.
When you’re finished with the writing process, make sure you check and recheck your essay many times. Look for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors, which can be hard to catch when you’ve read your essay many times. Have someone look over your work as well, as having more eyes on the essay can be helpful in spotting errors!