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Try to write a complete
first draft before you
worry too much about
editing. Otherwise you
might find your
creativity hampered by
your analytical side.
Once you have a first
draft finished, set it
aside for a few days—or
more, if you have that
luxury. When you return
to it with a fresh
perspective, you will
probably notice many
problems that did not
occur to you before and
recognize better ways of
handling various points.
Do not hesitate to edit
at all levels, even if
it means you will be
doing a lot of
rewriting. Throw out
entire paragraphs if you
cannot recall what
purpose they were
serving. Replace boring
passages with vivid
details and banal
generalizations with
sharp insights. Cut and
paste until you have
achieved the optimal
structure. Fine-tune
every sentence until it
is clear, concise, and
graceful.
Is there such a thing as
over-editing? If you
begin to lose sight of
your goals and can no
longer distinguish
between constructive and
destructive changes,
then you may have begun
to detract from the
freshness and strength
of your essay. At that
point, the only course
you can take is to set
the essay aside again
until you can read it
with a clear mind.
The following checklist
will help you assess
your essay's readiness
for submission.
Content
-
Are you answering
the actual question
given in the prompt?
-
Have you been
sincere and
personal?
-
Is your essay within
the word limit?
-
Will your reader
find the essay
interesting?
-
Are you showing
rather than telling?
-
Does your
introduction grab
the reader's
attention?
-
Do you explore your
experiences in
sufficient depth?
-
Does your essay
contain a high level
of detail and
concrete evidence?
-
Have you avoided
unsubstantiated
claims?
-
Do you offer
specific, personal
insights rather than
trite
generalizations and
cliches?
-
Does your essay
reveal anything
meaningful about
your character?
-
Do you avoid
summarizing
information that can
be found elsewhere
on your application?
-
Will your essay make
you stand out?
-
Does your conclusion
leave a lasting
impression?
Structure
-
Can you identify an
overarching theme?
Have you articulated
that theme in the
essay?
-
Does your theme have
multiple layers and
genuine depth?
-
Do you have a reason
for placing every
paragraph where it
is?
-
Do your paragraphs
flow smoothly? Are
there any gaps or
jumps?
-
Does each point
build upon previous
points, or does your
essay sound like a
list?
-
Have you written
insightful
transitions and
resolutions that
highlight your key
themes?
-
Are your stories
well integrated into
your essay?
-
Is the essay clear
and coherent? Have
you strengthened its
impact by using the
optimal structure?
Style
-
Have you achieved a
simple,
straightforward
style?
-
Have you varied your
sentence
constructions?
-
Have you avoided
unnecessarily fancy
vocabulary?
-
Have you avoided
passive voice?
-
Have you achieved
active writing
through the use of
strong verbs?
-
Have you avoided
overusing adjectives
and adverbs?
-
Does your tone avoid
becoming either too
casual or too
formal?
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