Applying to colleges might be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of your life. Knowing that you're competing with hundreds or thousands of other students can be frightening. The hardest part of most applications are the essays you have to submit as part of your application. There is usually one essay where you choose from one of many topics, and a few smaller essay questions you need to answer for particular schools. To make the most of these opportunities to share your thoughts and secure admission to college, use these tips.

Start Early

It's important that you spend adequate time working on your essays. You will need to write a number of them, and rushing through them in a single day can mean that you're not collecting your thoughts properly and you aren't submitting your best work. Write a first draft for each essay and then come back to what you've written after spending time on other tasks. You'll be able to make corrections and flesh out your ideas in a way that allows you to truly think about what you want to say and convey it in the best way possible.

Talk to an English Teacher

If nothing else, your essays should be grammatically correct and free from simple spelling errors. It can be tough to catch mistakes if you're reading the same things over and over, so it's smart to get a true professional to help you: an English teacher at your school. It need not be your current teacher; if you have a favorite teacher from years past, they can also offer feedback. Because a single teacher might not have the time to check out your essays, you might even want to ask a number of teachers to look over your work to correct any problems.

Be Different

Remember that the admissions department reads hundreds, if not thousands, of essays each year from other students like yourself. It's vital that you do everything possible to think outside of the box and present yourself in a way that will stop admissions staff in their tracks. For example, a teenager in 2017 completed their Stanford essay by simply typing #blacklivesmatter one hundred times; they were admitted. Look for ways that you can stand out with your words so that your application goes into the accepted pile.

Working on essays for your college application can give you the edge you need to get into the college you want to go to. If you need more help, your guidance counselor or a college consultant can help you improve your essays and tweak your overall applications before you send them off.