How to Write a College Essay Fast | Tips & Examples
The college application process can be frantic. But even if you’re short on time, it’s still possible to write a great college admissions essay. Whether you have a week, a few days, or just a few hours until the deadline, follow these steps to get it done.
Organize: Set yourself deadlines with breaks
Whether you have hours, days, or weeks, set deadlines for yourself with built-in breaks. In general, you should divide your time accordingly:
- 10% brainstorming
- 10% outlining
- 40% writing
- 30% revising
- 10% taking breaks between stages
If you have a few hours …
| Brainstorming | 15–30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Outlining | 15–30 minutes |
| Writing | 2–3 hours |
| Revising | 1–2 hours |
If you have a few days …
| Brainstorming | Day 1 |
|---|---|
| Outlining | Day 1 |
| Writing | Days 1, 2, and 3 |
| Revising | Days 2 and 3 |
If you have a week …
| Brainstorming | Days 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| Outlining | Days 1 and 2 |
| Writing | Days 2–5 |
| Revising | Days 6–7 |
Brainstorm: Your values and related stories
To brainstorm your topic fast, start by doing the following exercises.
| Questions | Example brainstorm |
|---|---|
| Top 5 things I want colleges to know about me |
|
| My top 5 core identities |
|
| Adjectives related to my personality and character |
|
| 3 things that make me different from other applicants |
|
| 5 meaningful life moments from the past 3–4 years |
|
| If you already have a prompt, brainstorm 3–5 stories that relate to your prompt. | Common App prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
|
Choose the stories that have the most compelling value or narrative. Make sure these stories are:
- Meaningful to you
- Specific (not a broad summary of your life)
- Unique to you (another student couldn’t replicate it)
Outline: Choose a montage or narrative essay structure
If you have a single story that showcases how you overcame a challenge or chronicles your personal growth over time, you should use a narrative structure. This type of essay tells a story, usually in chronological order. If you have very limited time, this structure is easier.
If there’s a common theme among several of your stories, you could use a montage structure, which strings together several stories (for example, to showcase different aspects of your identity). If you have more than a few hours to work on your essay, you may want to try out this structure.
Write: Be specific, personal, and unique
To make your essay stand out, write your story in a way that no other student can replicate. As you write, keep these tips in mind:
- Zoom in on specific moments rather than summarizing a long period of time.
- Be vulnerable and share your honest feelings and thoughts.
- Use your authentic voice and an appropriate tone.
- Keep the focus on you, not another person.
- Describe sensory details to create vivid scenes.
Revise: Content, clarity, and grammar
Make sure to build in enough time to revise your essay. Ideally, you should aim for three rounds of revision to check for content, clarity, and grammar.
If you don’t have time to fix everything, focus on making sure your writing is clear and grammatically correct.
In your first reading, focus on content:
- Does it answer the prompt?
- Does it focus on me, not someone else?
- Does it have a clear and well-structured narrative?
- Do my stories “show, not tell”?
In your second reading, focus on clarity and flow:
- Is my essay easy to read?
- Are my word choice and tone conversational but respectful?
- Do I have a good mixture of complex and simple sentence structures?
In your third reading, focus on grammar and punctuation:
- Is my writing grammatically correct?
- If I bend language rules, is it clear that it’s intentional and not a mistake?
If you have time, get help from an essay coach or editor; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback. Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.
Meeting the word count
If your college essay goes over the word count limit, cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay. Scribbr’s essay editors can also help reduce your word count by up to 25%.
If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.
Frequently asked questions about college application essays
- How do I write a college essay fast?
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If you’ve got to write your college essay fast, don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.
Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.
Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure.
Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.
Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.
Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach. Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.
- How do I meet the word count?
-
If your college essay goes over the word count limit, cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.
If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.
- How do I revise my college essay?
-
When revising your college essay, first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style, and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleCourault, K. (August 29, 2022). How to Write a College Essay Fast | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved October 17, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/write-essay-fast/
